Enfield bolt wont go in

[shoobe01]

Found a good close up of the action including putting the bolt into a couple No. 4 rifles. Dunno if that will help, but it's something.

So sad your's doesn't have a bolt catch as that would be so easy to point out, rectify then

Another I just recalled reading up on things is that sometimes the rear sight can be set so that it interferes with bolt insertion. Not operation, just insertion. Raise the sight and see if that helps, also.

Text walk through and a few nice diagrams:
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-lee-enfield-no-4-mk-i/

 

[The Black Prince]

Is there any indication that the rear of the receiver was put in a vice and the receiver crushed in. That would reduce inside clearance, causing your problem. You could measure the inside of the opening and compare it to the working enfield and also measure the diameter of the bolts.


The op can not get the bolt in far enough to even to begin to cock.

Sadly, the more I tinker the more likely this seems.
Took my other one apart, and all three bolts fit it. None of the three fir the problem rifle.

 

[Mauser fan]

It sounds like you are on the right path for troubleshooting the rifle. Have you taken the action out of the stock yet? you will get a better idea and look at the chamber and receiver for things like what shoobe01 said to look for. Vise jaw marks, pipe wrench or evidence of de-milling or something simple such as a deep bur in the raceway that can be stoned out.

Didn't you say that it is not a numbers matching rifle? Bolt and receiver?

 

[wiscoaster]

Looks like the little "button"is missing that lets the bolt head rotate into place.

That's only on British-made rifles.

I tried to figure out from the pics posted, but couldn't make sense. You have to know whether it's a British rifle or a U.S./Canadian made rifle as the receivers and the process are entirely different, and any advice given here or any YouTube vides watched are irrelevant unless you know which it is.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

You need to lift up the rear sight in order to insert the bolt. Once it goes in turn the bolt head down while pushing down on the bolt release if it has one. I don't know if Savage had that or not. Let us know.

 

[wiscoaster]

You need to lift up the rear sight in order to insert the bolt.....

Ah, yes, good call!! One tricky little detail that catches most new to the No. 4.
I kind of do it without thinking about it, now.

 

[The Black Prince]

Ok finally got it apart. Don't see any evidence of tool marks. I wish flipping up the rear site was my issue.

 

[Cypress]

If you can’t tell what exactly is binding you could always color the bolt with a sharpie marker to locate the problem area. Might give you a better idea of what is going on.

 

[Mrman]

I purchased an Enfield NO4 MK1 from my brother some years back, and was never able to get the bolt in. Since then I have purchased another operable rifle, but have always wanted to figure what was going on with the first one. I live in Southern California and haven't been able to find a gunsmith for it. Any thoughts would be appreciated

Hey I had the same issue in my No5 and it was really irritating me the problem on mine ended up being the little screw on the side of the bolt head being slightly loose which made it just slightly too large to fit. If you tighten that screw just a little so it’s inside the bolt head it just fit. It took me forever and i was really dumbfounded for a while because when I removed the bolt head the rest of the bolt fit through and when I compared the bolt head to the rest of the bolt they looked to be the exact same size. In the end it was that little screw that was just sticking out ever so slightly from the bolt head no more than probably a quarter millimeter or so. Anyway hope this helps.

 

[Mrman]

Hey I had the same issue in my No5 and it was really irritating me the problem on mine ended up being the little screw on the side of the bolt head being slightly loose which made it just slightly too large to fit. If you tighten that screw just a little so it’s inside the bolt head it just fit. It took me forever and i was really dumbfounded for a while because when I removed the bolt head the rest of the bolt fit through and when I compared the bolt head to the rest of the bolt they looked to be the exact same size. In the end it was that little screw that was just sticking out ever so slightly from the bolt head no more than probably a quarter millimeter or so. Anyway hope this helps.

Here is a picture of the screw I am referencing

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I still think your problem is you need to

Looks like the little "button"is missing that lets the bolt head rotate into place.

This is a Savage Lend Lease gun. They did not have the bolt release.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

The problem is when the bolt stops you need to rotate the bolt head with your thumb 90 degrees and then push the bolt home.

 

[Trackmaster]

Is the bolt head hitting a too long ejector screw? Maybe try it after removing the ejector screw?

 

[AlexanderA]

Yes, the war time rifles had a notch, front right receiver rail, for the bolt head to turn into.

The notch is an identifying feature of the No. 4 Mk. 1* (asterisk). The No. 4 Mk. 1 (no asterisk) has a spring there that the bolt head snaps over.

Savage and Long Branch rifles were made in both versions. I have examples of each.