Restoring a No4 Mk1 Enfield

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GunnyUSMC

GunnyUSMC

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I picked up this one a while back for a good price because the fore stock hav been chopped badly and the butt stock was heavily sanded. If I remember right, the butt had also been cut and a recoil pad added by someone that had good skills with a lawnmower.
I removed the stocks and put the rifle away.
I thought I had posted pics of it but couldn't find any.
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The SN# on the bolt, receiver and barrel match.
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My friend had bought some guns at an estate auction and one of the guns was a demilled No4 Mk1. I bought the stock set along with another gun from him a little over a year ago and told him not to be in a rush to send it. Well, I got the stock set and gun in the other day.
The stock set is in pretty good shape but dirty.
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I'm going to clean up the stock set before putting it on the rifle and will take some pics.
 
I've got one that was made in 1955 and was in like new condition from an older gentleman who was getting rid of his collection. I'm sure if you clean up that stock you will have a superb firing rifle. Looking forward to seeing the completion of that fine old warhorse.
 
You are going to have fun with that! :)

Make sure that you have a long/big enough slot-head screwdriver to properly tighten the buttstock bolt.

If you are planning on "refinishing" (sanding and/or chemically stripping) that wood, before you do, please PM me for an alternative initial approach. ;)
 
Well, I was going to suggest NOS wood (rather than the heavily patched stock that you have), but after seeing the barreled receiver I'm not sure you would want to go to that expense. In any case, it's not going to shoot well unless that forestock is bedded properly. This is not a drop-in operation.
 
GBExpat said:
You are going to have fun with that! :)

Make sure that you have a long/big enough slot-head screwdriver to properly tighten the buttstock bolt.

If you are planning on "refinishing" (sanding and/or chemically stripping) that wood, before you do, please PM me for an alternative initial approach. ;)
Click to expand...
Don't worry just going to wipe it off with a dry paper towel ;)
The plan is to do what would have been done if it were still in service, clean and re-oil then put a wax top coat on.
I do my best to not sand. If the stock is ruff after cleaning, I'll bone it to smooth it.
 
GBExpat said:
You are going to have fun with that! :)

Make sure that you have a long/big enough slot-head screwdriver to properly tighten the buttstock bolt.
Click to expand...
You mean like this one?
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I've restored several surplus rifles over the years. The Enfields are my favorite.
I find it rewarding to restore old surplus rifles and have a bunch sitting around waiting for me to get to.
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GunnyUSMC said:
You mean like this one?
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Very nice! ... and with a square shank section for applying a wrench. :)

I broke the tip on my original ex-cell-ent bigass long screwdiver disassembling a CETME C recoil unit for a buddy so that he could replace the rubber insert. I was surprised by how tough that pup was. The recoil units on mine, while tight, came apart with reasonable effort.

I, too, have "refreshed" a number of Lee-Enfields. I still have about a dozen of them.

While I like them very much I cannot say that they are my favorite ... unless it is a Lee-Enfield that I happen to be holding at the moment. ;)
 
GBExpat said:
Very nice! ... and with a square shank section for applying a wrench. :)

I broke the tip on my original ex-cell-ent bigass long screwdiver disassembling a CETME C recoil unit for a buddy so that he could replace the rubber insert. I was surprised by how tough that pup was. The recoil units on mine, while tight, came apart with reasonable effort.

I, too, have "refreshed" a number of Lee-Enfields. I still have about a dozen of them.

While I like them very much I cannot say that they are my favorite ... unless it is a Lee-Enfield that I happen to be holding at the moment. ;)
Click to expand...
My favorite to restore is the Enfield, but my favorite surplus rifles are Turkish Mausers.
 
Here are some pics of the first round of cleaning.
Using a mild cleaner to melt the crud from the surface.
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Then a nylon brush to lightly scrub. You can see the filth coming off.
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Then I used some dry paper towels to wipe the stocks off. I then rinsed them with water then wiped them down with dry paper towels.
Some purist call this removing the original finish. It's just dirt. But I would be happy to send these paper towels to any one that needs some original finish. ;)
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I then set them in my shop to dry while I watched a movie.
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Here they are after the first cleaning.
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Now they are sitting in the sun, it's 90 plus over here, so that some of the oil can seep out of the stock parts.
 
GBExpat said:
Ayup. that's what oil-finished rifle timber looks like after you remove the dirt, oil/grease ... and the finish.

This is now going to be a refinish rather than a refresh of the existing finish.
Click to expand...
Now how do you refresh an existing finish that is nothing but crud?
I could have just applied an oil which would have taken some of the dirt off and left oil on the stock.
There are not many Collectors of surplus guns that served in the military when wood stocks on guns were still used. During my time in the Corps we had Remington 870s with oil finished stocks. Common practice was to clean the stocks with a chemical cleaner then apply oil and the a wax. Most do not know that if a weapon with an oil finished stock is used out doors, it will need oil reapplied from time to time.

Would you approve of this original finish?
 
I have refinished or "refreshed" a lot of oil-finished milsurp stocks.

What you have done to this wood is a safer version of a Dishwasher Clean. I say "safer" because, generally speaking, the thinner the wood pieces the greater the chance of warpage occurring following cleaning in a dishwasher or tub bath. I have warped a couple of Nº4 stock bits. <sigh>

The Best process that I have ever developed for nasty old oil-finished milsurp stocks is to 1st scrub (with a light touch) the dirt/oil/grease/yuck away with a BLO/MineralSpirits (some folks prefer turpentine) mixture applied with a half-pad of de-oiled 0000 steel wool (some folks prefer the green scrubber pads).

I initially wipe down the wood with an old rag & some spray grease-cutting spray (I am partial to the orange stuff that I get from the grocery store) and allow it to dry.

After I have thoroughly scrubbed the wood with the BLO/MS-(re)dipped pad (turning the pad over periodically), I let it sit for ~20 minutes before wiping off the accumulated Yuck with paper towels. I then lightly buff the pieces with a clean rag and put them in front of a fan in a low-RH area overnight.

Next morning I judge if the original, refreshed finish is worth keeping of if I should remove it (with a soap & water scrub-a-dub) and rebuild an oil finish.

I tumbled to this years ago when faced with a truly fugly M1 stock; it was filthy, oily and black. I was about to start the soap & water finish-removal process when I decided to, first, try a little BLO scrub-a-dub instead.

Underneath all of that fugly I discovered the best-looking, best-feeling M1 stock that I have ever come across.

It is that sought-after deep reddish-black and, apparently, has been thoroughly boned ... smooth as silk.

Since then, if there is any chance of a beauty hiding beneath the ugly, I first run with the BLO scrub-a-dub. :)
 
Well, I've been doing stock work for almost 30 years. At one point I was taking in over one hundred jobs a year.
I have even taught stock repair. Never have I put a stock into an evil dishwasher.:eek:
I only sprayed this stock set with a mild cleaner, lightly scrubbed with a small nylon brush,wiped off with paper towels, then sprayed off with the water hose. Then wiped dry.
What some think is an original oil finish on some stocks is nothing more then cosmoline. The stocks have already started to darken up. I was going to take some more pics but it started raining. I'll take some tomorrow.
 
"...refresh an existing finish..." BLO is your friend. Dishwashers are for BP revolvers. snicker.
Only issue with restoring any Enfield is there's no point of the barrel is shot out or the headspace is bad and you can't find the right bolt head for a No. 4. Or don't have a fistful for a No. 1. Plus the cost of all those wee metal parts. Gunparts has most of 'em, but cheap they ain't. Middle stock band for example runs $5.60 each. Is swivel in $3.35. The screw $3.50. Adds up in a hurry.
 
Sunray said:
"...refresh an existing finish..." BLO is your friend. Dishwashers are for BP revolvers. snicker.
Only issue with restoring any Enfield is there's no point of the barrel is shot out or the headspace is bad and you can't find the right bolt head for a No. 4. Or don't have a fistful for a No. 1. Plus the cost of all those wee metal parts. Gunparts has most of 'em, but cheap they ain't. Middle stock band for example runs $5.60 each. Is swivel in $3.35. The screw $3.50. Adds up in a hurry.
Click to expand...
Well this No4 has a matching bolt and it does headspace correctly. The stock hardware parts that were missing from the rifle came with the replacement stock. I also have a box full of Enfield No4 and No1 parts. Like I said before, l've done this a few times already.

If anyone knows of a No1 MkIII that has been rebarreled to 22 Hornet, but missing a bolt, let me know. I have a bolt looking for a rifle.
Today I have spent cleaning up the metal parts for the rifle.
 
Gunny

Like the "Before" and "After" photos of the metal parts. Reminds me of when I worked on a couple of U.S. Model 1898 Krag-Jorgensens.
 
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