T8HANTS Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 For those who like photos of a nice WW1 rifle, I thought I would post a couple of shots of my 'de-Weedon'd' P14, Winchester number W 210731, now resplendent with volley sights refitted. I think it has had some refinishing to the butt as the IW mark is absent, but apart from that a very nice stable mate to my P14 shooter. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 That looks very nice, well done, khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 Who weed on it, to need de-weedon-ing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 13 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2014 That would be telling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 Is it a a (W)MkI or (W)MkI*? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 13 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2014 Chris I think it's a Mk1 going by the photo comparison you posted. A very crude measurment of the depth of the lug gives 3/16", but that was done with a tape rule rather than something befitting machine tolerance. Edit, just dug a little deeper on how to tell them apart, and mine carries the star mark in all the proper places. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 Well I think the difference is only 0.10" anyway so.... The MkI* bodies usually have a * stamped on the receiver ring (although these are notoriously light in my experience) and also on the bolt handle/ball (tends to get worn too) Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 13 July , 2014 Share Posted 13 July , 2014 Live not far from the old depot at Weedon, a chum met a lady recently who worked there in the 50's. They were processing huge numbers of .303 Lee-Enfields, which were arriving from numerous sources by the lorry load, also I think by canal, for re-conditioning and then on into storage. They were supposed to be checked before despatch to Weedon by armourers, to remove any live rounds present. It was her job to check the cycling of the bolt etc., she duly did this on one example and pressed the trigger... BANG! The bullet entered the wall, just above a co-workers bench, luckily she had just left the room. There was a real official panic over this, and a far reaching enquiry to ensure that it could not happen again. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssj Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 My P14 W234505 is also missing the makers mark on the butt. Just wondering if late P14s didnt have such a mark? It hasnt been "weedoned" as the front sight is complete but the rear sight's leg/arm is snapped off so I need to find a new W stamped one. Oh and the extractor and bolt handle should have a star on it to point at a 1*. From the high number it should be a 1*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 15 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2014 I think I read somewhere that part of the Weedon standard repair did include stock refinishing so perhaps the marks were sanded off during that process. There is also a very interesting film on the Tube (unable to find it agian to post a link) which shows a British woodworking companies wartime output, and they were making P14 stocks by the hundred, so they may also be replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Excuse my ignorance but who or what is de'Weedon or de-Weedoned'd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 15 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2014 As I understand it, the Weedon repair standard was carried out just prior to the outbreak of WW2 when the rifles were brought out of store and were all brought up to Mk1* standard. This work was carried out by several commercial firms. Primarily it meant bringing the bolts and receivers up to the newer spec', doing away with the volley sights, and refurbishing or replacing damaged woodwork. My example was already a Mk1* spec, but may have needed replacement or refinished woodwork as the IW (Inspected Winchester) mark which I expected to see is not visible, but signs of refinishing are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Not sure you make things much clearer. Is Weeden a place a person or a company. Does deWeedened mean that the changes made to improve the rifle have been removed and if so why. Apologies if I seem thick but I suspect I am not alone by being thoroughly bemused by expert think and talk here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Weedon was(is?) a Depot. When Pattern 14 (by that point No3MkI*) rifles were brought out of the war reserve storage as WWII loomed a standard for serviceability was established, this took its name from the depot (although as noted the work was done by lots of contractors at different places) Again as noted this essentially consisted of cleaning all rifles, replacing any damaged or faulty components and removing the volley sights on the left side of the rifle. Usually just the peep and the pointer were removed leaving the base. Some replacement stocks were produced during WWII (by a firm in Glasgow if I recall correctly) which did not have the inletting for the volley sights. So a rifle prepared for WWII usage which had volley sights removed has become known as a WRS (weedon repair standard) rifle. Gareth's rifle has had the volley sights restored - and so he has referred to it as DE-weedoned.(ie returned to the format in which it was produced to begin with during WWI) the point (as I understood it anyway)was to indicate he knew it was a restoration to this format rather than a rifle that had survived in its original format untouched. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 15 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Got it in one Chris, I just needed to remind myself about the Mk1* marking, which mine has. So I suspect it was a Mk1* with volley sights, subsiquently removed during a WRS update, which may also have accounted for the visible stock refurbishment, that possibly removed the IW stamp. Since it was de-activated it has had the volley sights replaced. All I need now is for TonyE to let us know its acceptance date, and the picture will be complete. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Sorry Gareth, I meant to post your rifle's acceptance dare. It was w/e 12 May 1917. Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 15 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Thank-you mate!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 (edited) Royal Military Depot/ Royal Ordanance Depot Weedon. Building started in 1803 on what would at its height cover an area of 150 acres, with storage buildings for arms, ammuniton and military clothing. In the 1920's the Army Riding School was located here. The Royal Ordanance Corps moved out of Weedon in 1965. The depot being then turned over to the Ministry of Supply. A large number of the original warehouses and other buildings survive. For several years the intention was to build a National Firefighting Museum on the site and many old fire engines and other artefacts were stored there. This now seems to have fallen through, due to problems with the local council. What is left of the Depot is Grade 2 listed. The powder magazines held over 1000 tons of gunpowder. Countless numbers of rifles and other firearms were repaired and re-furbished by the depot during the operational years. There is an open day on the site on Sunday 10th August from 10.00 a.m. To include a line up of classic military and other vehicles, also a number of Great War displays and a host of other attractions. Weedon Depot is situated in the village of Weedon, just off the A5 in Northamptonshire. (M1 Junction 15). Mike. Edited 15 July , 2014 by MikeyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 unsolicited p14 variation pics: bolt head variation MkI* on left MkI on right Note the absence of grasping grooves on the stock - this is a so called "Eddystone Fatso" stock - you can see the difference compared to a standard forend in the pic below. This is a completely refurbished rifle done by Navy Arms in the US at some point in the 70s or 80s it is fitted with a Parker Hale target site and is actually in M1917 wood (grasping grooves are symmetrical and no provision for volley sight) The last two appear in WRS format, with long range site removed and unit disc hole filled. One is definitely a WRS rifle the other was probably an Indian rifle (which also had volley sights removed at some point) NOT a P14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 15 July , 2014 Share Posted 15 July , 2014 Thank you. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now