Couple SMLE No 1 mk 3 questions

[1KPerDay]

I finally (after 10 years) stripped my Ishy last night. I've been shooting it off and on for years after I did an external cleaning/bore cleaning/function test when I first bought it... but I was a kid and didn't know how to take it apart and one thing led to another, yadda yadda...

but holy crap, what an abundance of cosmoline I discovered.:banghead:

I used up a can of brake cleaner on the receiver/barrel (outside in a blizzard because I couldn't wait, of course) and ruined one of my pots boiling the smaller parts... still has a bunch of crud in the nooks and crannies, and the handguards are a mess.

Questions:
Does the rear barrel band (sliding ring) never come off? Is it slid in place and then welded to itself or something?


Does the felt ring in the rear buttstock actually do anything? I haven't fished it out yet.

Any way to re-center the front sight protectors? the front sight is quite a bit closer to one tab than the other.

Thanks!

 

[Limeyfellow]

Questions:
Does the rear barrel band (sliding ring) never come off? Is it slid in place and then welded to itself or something?

It comes off. It is probrobly just stuck with old grease, oil, maybe a bit of cosmoline, since it is possible that it hasn't been taken off in well over half a century.

Does the felt ring in the rear buttstock actually do anything? I haven't fished it out yet.

The felt ring was to stop the oiler in the cleaning kit stored in the hole from clanking against the stock bolt from banging on it and making a noise or damaging the bolt head. This was considered especially useful when they had a brass oiler bottle.

Any way to re-center the front sight protectors? the front sight is quite a bit closer to one tab than the other.

Not so sure on this one. I wonder if the front sight is not centered properly or the holes in the stock have been warped or you just need to play with it a bit.

 

[DuncanSA]

Is this the SMLE with the magazine "cut off"?

 

[1KPerDay]

???

It's an Ishapore Enfield in 7.62. I guess it's actually called the 2A1, not the no1 mkIII

Looks like this
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/762ishy/index.asp

 

[1KPerDay]

http://www.surplusrifle.com/smle/rifledisassembly/index.asp

It comes off. It is probrobly just stuck with old grease, oil, maybe a bit of cosmoline, since it is possible that it hasn't been taken off in well over half a century.

How? It can't slide past the front sight mount, and it can't slide back... I'm confused. Is the ring itself made in 2 pieces? I couldn't see a seam...

Thanks for the help. BTW I got it pretty clean without removing the ring... I was just curious about how it would come off or be replaced if it got buggered up.

 

[Limeyfellow]

That band is supposed to be hinged, so you can spread it apart and remove it from the rifle. The hinge is underneath and you undo the screw and then prise it apart some to remove. If you got the front guard off and you see no hinge it may have had someone put on a No4 Mk1 retaining ring on there. In that case you have to play with it and move it and try and get the rest of the stock off and then you should get it over the front sight and free. You may have to pull it a bit if this is the case.

 

[1KPerDay]

I'll take a look... I don't really have a need to remove it. I was just curious as it looked like one piece. Thanks!

BTW I was planning on putting the handguards in the oven at about 170 with some drip pans below... anyone see any problem with this?

Also one more question. There's a screw on the left side of the stock that seems to go through and become a pin on the other (right) side... I can't see anything that it might retain... is it there simply for reinforcement?

 

[1KPerDay]

That band is supposed to be hinged, so you can spread it apart and remove it from the rifle. The hinge is underneath and you undo the screw and then prise it apart some to remove.

Ah... I think you may be misunderstanding what I'm talking about. There's a handguard band that is hinged, secured by the front swivel screw, that you remove to get the front handguard off. Then there's the "inner band" that actually holds the barrel to the lower forend. See figure 14 here
http://www.surplusrifle.com/smle/rifledisassembly/index.asp

That screw secures a sliding ring on the barrel... that's what I'm talking about. Are we talking about the same thing?