Enfield 2A take down, cleaning, paint stripping and stock refinishing question.

[Rockrivr1]

Ok, I've gone through a bunch of enfield posts looking for the best ways to recondition the Enfield 2A I just received from AIM. My questions are basically this:

Does anyone have a link on how to take down this Enfield or maybe an electronic file that someone could email me? I don't mind trying to figure it out myself, but a guide would be helpful?

Once I separate the stock from the metal parts, what cleaner would you recommend to strip the paint, cosmo and greese from the metal parts? Also what technique did you use to clean them up?

What do you use to strip the paint overflow, cosmo and greese from the stock? What techniques did you use?

Lastly, did you paint, spray etc anything on the metal parts once the paint was stripped and what type of stain did you use on your stock?

I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time fixing this up and I want to make sure I don't screw it up.

Thanks for your help.

 

[longrifleman]

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

This site has pretty good info on your questions. I don't think they have anything on the 2A specifically, but the No.1 Mk 3 instructions will work fine.

http://p102.ezboard.com/bparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums

This forum has a lot of info available also

I recieved mine last week, and it is still greased up. I did clean the bore and run a few rounds through it. Rang the 100 yd gong a few times. I think you will like your new old rifle.

 

[iamkris]

I plan on doing the same thing to my 2A1 from AIM. Here's is my report of what I did to my Pakistanian (?) No 4 Mk 1/2. I think it came out pretty nice (see pics in link). Below is the ext from that thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=120249&highlight=enfield

Results of my Faz No 4 Mk 1/2 Enfield refinish

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I asked many of you for advise on the refinish of a beat-to-$%@* Enfield I got from Centerfire Systems. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=118061

The good news was that the old war horse was mechanically sound -- bore looks like it was never fired. The bad news was, like others, she was caked head to toe in not only old dirt-laced cosmo (expected) but every nook and cranny is full of grease, dirt and awful black paint. Picture old paint, dried out, full of dirt, hair and grease. Globbed in to the recesses but non-exsistent on the flats. A mess.

After breaking her down into every screw and pin, I scubbed every part with mineral spirits and a brass brush (a 2 day process). The metal was completely clean with 5-10% finish left. I then degreased and coated the metal with AlumaHyde II epoxy finish, black, semi-gloss because it seemed to be the closest to the original Suncorite. Set aside all the parts to cure for a week.

I then stripped the stock in three steps using industrial paint stripper from the hardware store, baked out all the oil, repaired a wood plug used to make a stock repair but not finished, then sanded and coated with 3 coats of BLO. Reassembled the rifle and it is far better looking than what it started out as...all for less than $20 materials and a couple of full days of labor. Definitely learned a lot about the mechanism in this process.

Took her out last weekend to the range. Only have old 60's vintage POF ammo (complete with the "charming" hang fires every other round). Even with that, she printed 2-1/2" goups at 100 yards in non-ideal conditions (25 deg F and gusting winds, misting).

Glad I did it. Turned a non-collectable beater into something closer to original condition (even there will be those who say I didn't do it true to a restoration).