Enfield No 4 Mk I* bolt questions

[JediJJJ]

Hello

A couple of weeks ago I picked up an Enfield on impulse. I'm just getting around to going over it in detail and have some questions.

1) I found that the bolt is apparently not matched to the gun as it has no serial number I have been able to find. Is this going to be a big issue? It currently has a 0 bolt head and as I recall it is marked MK II somewhere.

2) I wanted to disassemble it for a thorough cleaning but don't have one of those funky tubes with two pins needed to disassemble it. Are these available somewhere or is there an alternate way of getting it apart?

3) As you know the bolt head has a groove that rides in a rail of sorts. For some reason when I move it forward, past the missing section used to remove the bolt, it jumps up a bit and does not align properly. I have to push the bolt head down to get the bolt closed. I haven't done a thorough cleaning yet but did remove and reinstall the bolt head. Do I need a new one or something?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[rbernie]

1) The bolts are not serial numbered, if I recall correctly.
2) You need the tool. You can make you own, but I bought one for $12 and didn't think it worth the effort to try making one.
3) I hear that's not uncommon in worn rifles. I had one that did that, and I wound up very lightly beveling the front of the groove in the bolt head and lightly peening the receiver rail down to reduce this.

 

[JediJJJ]

Where did yo buy one? I haven't seen one listed anywhere.

 

[dstorm1911]

get the headspace checked if its fine then it has the bolt head it needs to have if not ya can get replacements from Numrich

 

[rbernie]

Where did yo buy one? I haven't seen one listed anywhere.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/no4/boltdisassembly/index.asp

Which leads you to:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=281780&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

 

[Spiggy]

Cant find the serial? hold the rifle in a firing position and stare at the firing pin knob, serial will be on the right at the base of the cocking handle.
No worries on an unmatched rifle, they tend to be unmatched because armorers swapped them around so much.

to remove the FP, you need a special tool that you can make with an allen wrench or bar stock. Grab your favorite dremel, they come in handy for this.
On the left, you have a front sight adjuster

on the right, you have a FP remover

To make a good one, you'll need a lathe to drill a hole in the center of some aluminum or steel rod to accommodate the FP. Then a mill to machine the head... in my case, I used a raw dremel for both heads since I don't have end mills that small. Put a hole in the side so you can put another bar through for leverage and you're good.

 

[DougW]

1) Generally, all bolts are numbered to the rifle. The bolt could have been changed out during a FTR (Factory Thorough Repair). Miss matched bolts are normal and do not affect function or headspace directly.

2) The bolt tools can be had from people like Numrich, Sarco, etc. Not really too necessary to disassemble unless the firing pin doesn't move. Soak it in something like WD40 for a day or two imersed, and then blow it out and lightly lube with gun oil. Should be fine.

3) I had the same issue on a Savage I just got. The channel was dingged slightly so I had to file the edge ever so slightly to smooth things ip. Also, be sure the ejector screw is in. This helps keep the bolt aligned. The dynamics of the bolt change when ammo is present. If you can, make some dummy rounds to test the flow and function. Mine tightened up real nice after it was all back together.

The headspace issue is one that commonly comes up. Yes, having the headspace checked is a good idea, but the problem comes if (1) the gunsmith is using SAAMI gauges, and (2) if the 'smith is not familiar with the Enfield. This rifle headspaces on the rim, not the case neck. A SAAMI Field gauge is about the same as a mil-spec No-Go. So when the gunsmith tells you that your headspace is terrible, just take it with a grain of salt. But, sometimes you get lucky. I have 8 of my 13 .303's that will not close on a SAAMI Field gauge. My best shooter will. It exibits no signs of excessive headspace though.

You can really have fun by putting a caliper on various manufacturers case rims and measure the difference. The SAAMI Field rim is .070. and a Remington case I reload is .062. A S&B is .061, and a South African mil surp is .059.

Now what? The cases are thinner than the SAAMI Field gauge, which means the cases are looser in the chamber than the gauge. The chamber on a .303 is made loose to allow for dirt etc., so the cases streach and fire form to the chamber. The out of "spec" Fazakerly that is my primary shooter/match rifle has ammo cases that have been reloaded over 5 times with not a single case head failure (the kind of failure you get with a hugely excessive headspace).

Check with other boards and other shooters. I am only telling you what I have learned over the years. YMMV. Good shooting!

 

[Dienekes]

I have five of these: one 1917 dated Mk III*, three #4 Mk. 1*, and one #4 Mk 2. I picked them up when money was short and I wanted to do something different...

The bolt tool is ok to have, but not essential. You can do a good cleanout without it. I did make one but it barely got the job done before it burred up and became useless. Some of those firing pins are really in there.

Headspace is not all that much of a problem if you understand that the case will stretch noticeably that first time. If you only neck size thereafter and do not FL resize, case life will be pretty normal. I got 8 reloads out of mine. When FL resizing it was a short as two before I got head separations. I got my info on this on a website called "The .303 Page" which recommended using the simple old Lee Loader unit. They were right--it worked like a charm. I did trim each time, though.

Lee-Enfields are "different" but very serviceable and artifacts in their own right.

 

[Mk VII]

A 'quick and dirty' fix for the jumping bolt head is to wrap some plumber's PTFE tape around the threaded portion.
This is a known problem with very worn or abused Mk.1* receivers (probably the reason why they reverted to the earlier design with postwar production) and a proper fix by welding and milling would be extremely difficult and expensive at commercial rates.

 

[JediJJJ]

I checked and there is no serial number anywhere visible on the bolt.

I believe this rifle has been heavily used as the wood is scorched near the metal parts (bands, etc). Looks like it at some point it got way too hot to handle.

I'm going to order some parts from ssporter on Monday and will get a couple of spare bolt heads in various sizes among other items.

I just got 750 rds of 1944 Radway Green ammo in bandoleers so I can't wait to get this cleaned up and ready to go.

Thanks all for your assistance.

JediJJJ

 

[Slamfire]

I checked and there is no serial number anywhere visible on the bolt.

That is most unusual. I cannot think of a Lee Enfield that did not have a serial number on the bolt handle root. And I have handled at least a thousand of them.

I would highly recommend a headspace check. Find a gun smith with headspace gages.

 

[jpwilly]

Here's the serial numbers on the bolt;