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No4 Mk2 Finish

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Zed View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2022 at 7:06am
It's looking good. 
In my opinion it is better to leave the original finish; you can see that it has a history. Even if we will never know what that is! 
I hope that it shoots well. If it doesn't, we can probably help you sort it out. 
I do have one refinished Lee Enfield; it is one of my No8 .22 trainers. I bought it via the internet, it was described as original finish; which turned out to be gloss black from a can. It chipped off easily. So I decided to get the rifle professionally blued. (Although it's actually black).
Others I have cleaned off varnish from the wood and reapplied linseed oil as original. 
But for the most part, I just keep them clean and serviceable.
Looking forward to seeing the range report.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2022 at 3:13pm
That's a perfectly respectable Lee Enfield.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2022 at 3:15pm
My personal opinion is to leave it, "AS-IS."
Very respectable example of a battle implement...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote murphy2133 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2022 at 10:25pm
Thanks! When the firing pin tool comes I'll pull the bolt and get the rest of the gunk cleaned out of there.
For ammo, I have some WW2 surplus. Light oxidation on a couple of the casings. It's all I could really find at reasonable prices. Have about 100 rounds of it so I'll see how it goes! If I can hit my 8 inch gong at 100 I'll be happy. 200 would be keen but I'm not going to hold my breath. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 2:49am
If your taking the bolt apart, first check if there is any movement of the cocking piece on the striker.  

You can see this if you carefully watch the gap between the striker and cocking piece it as you take up and release the first stage of the trigger, you will see the gap increase and decrease.  This makes for a spongy trigger that does not break clean.  

This can be corrected by “tinning” the threads of the cocking piece with solder. I’ve had to do this will all of my No. 4 rifles, it made a big improvement on trigger pull.  



Also check the front face of the cocking piece, the “bent”, for a worn groove from contact with the sear. This can fixed by stoning the face, be very careful to maintain the squareness and angle in the vertical plane.  You can see the groove worn in the bent face of this cocking piece on my Long Branch Mk 1/2.



And finally, it’s important that you don’t screw the striker too far into the cocking piece during assembly.  The end of the threads should not protrude beyond the back face of the cocking piece and there should be a gap between the cocking piece and back of bolt body when the bolt is in the fired position. This keeps the threads from being continually pounded causing the first problem I described above.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apprentice Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 9:36am
Originally posted by murphy2133 murphy2133 wrote:

Thanks! When the firing pin tool comes I'll pull the bolt and get the rest of the gunk cleaned out of there.
For ammo, I have some WW2 surplus. Light oxidation on a couple of the casings. It's all I could really find at reasonable prices. Have about 100 rounds of it so I'll see how it goes! If I can hit my 8 inch gong at 100 I'll be happy. 200 would be keen but I'm not going to hold my breath. 


Sean 
What a very nice rifle you have, Just like you I just joined the Enfield forum and Owning my first Enfield rifle you have done a very nice job on detail cleaning your rifle and posting your progress.
Senior members thank you for your post as well it’s been very valuable for me to lean about my rifle as well.

Finally Sean you posted about a firing pin tool do you have a link to where you found it ? Is it rare and hard to find ? 

Great post everyone 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 9:48am
They are all over the internet, but many are poor quality rubbish & will bend or break if you use them. Just Google "Lee Enfield firing pin tool".
You can make your own from a suitably-sized deep well socket, by grinding the face to leave the 2 pins, or welding a short couple of pieces of drill rod to make them.

Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 9:58am
Britrifles, thank you for those detailed photos and analysis of the spongy trigger issue. I learned something new today re: tinning the threads of the striker with soldering lead, great idea! I will check all of my #4's for this potential problem. Once again, the knowledge contained in the heads of our members here and their experience is over the top!
Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote murphy2133 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 10:05am
I got my tool off ebay, about $30 shipped. Hopefully it doesn't break! If it does I'll dig the Dremel out and make my own. 

I agree with Canuck, the collective knowledge in this group is amazing! I very much appreciate all the responses and the attitude of members; often new enthusiasts (in any group) are be-littled or given the "google it" or "use the search button" answers. While there often is some validity to that, I've seen none of that here!

Thanks again!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apprentice Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 10:57am
Thank you for posting 
The pictures Chaz I really appreciate it 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2022 at 7:06pm
We ain't big, but we is nice
& we know things!
as you may have figured out we're only serious when we need to be.
Beer
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote murphy2133 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 16 2022 at 7:11am
Made it out to the range yesterday! Took my 13 year old daughter with me and we had a great time. She did better than I did with the Enfield! Below is a clip of one of her hits. First 5 shots she had with it had 3 hits at 100 yards on 10 inch gong. Filled the mag and started recording and didn't do as well, 4 out of 10 hits. 

I managed to hit 8 out of 10 at 100yds on the 10 inch and 2 out of 6 on the 8 inch at 100yds. It amazes me how much more difficult the 8" is vs the 10" to hit at same distance. 

Overall the rifle shoots nicely. The trigger is, well...different. I had a hard time telling when it would break. I got the firing pin tool in late this past week so didn't dive in before shooting. I think addressing the threads (there is definitely some play in the cocking piece) will help. 

My ammo surprised me, being that it had some light corrosion on it didn't expect to perform as well as it did. 

Here's the link!

https://youtu.be/dG1mG6f1yUw

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 16 2022 at 12:56pm
Enjoyed the video.  It's great to get out and shoot with family. 
my daughter is 10 and has been shooting the .22 Enfields for 3 years; she's not ready for the .303 yet.

You are using the battle sight on your rifle, so your result's were quite good using this type of sight.
The adjustable "singer" type mk1 sight are the best for range work with the standard rifle. It has a smaller dioptre and is adjustable up to 1200 yards.

Regarding the trigger; you should be able to get a very crisp two stage trigger on this rifle.
Britrifles has covered some important points; in addition to that you can polish the face of the sear and the trigger fulcrums and be polished but don't remove material.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 16 2022 at 1:43pm
Great!
Thumbs Up
please both take a look at this vid before the bolt bites you!Wink
Great to see you all out enjoying it. If you have the sandbag between the magazine front & the sling swivel it will jump up less too.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 16 2022 at 2:19pm
Your off to a great start.  

With a bit of work, you will consistently hit a 6 inch plate at 100 yards.  As Zed said, look for a Mk 1 machined rear sight, there are reproductions of the No. 5 rear sight that have approx 1/2 minute clicks when fitted to the No. 4. 

Advice:  Position the rifle such that the fore-end stock is on the front rest behind the sling swivel band.  Approximately where your support hand would go when shooting prone. Keep it in the same position for each shot. 


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