Need No4 Mk1 Complete bolt
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URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11050
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Topic: Need No4 Mk1 Complete bolt
Posted By: Native Texan
Subject: Need No4 Mk1 Complete bolt
Date Posted: December 21 2020 at 11:33am
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Bought a 1943 no4 mk1 that did not have the bolt a couple of other items. Found everything else but search as I might no one seems to have a complete bolt. Lots of dealers have the parts. But buy the time you bay all the pieces the price is thru the roof. I need buy one from a member or a recommendation of a source. Native Texan ------------- Native Texan |
Replies:
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 22 2020 at 10:00am
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I assume that you are aware that a replacement bolt will probably need some adjustment to fit correctly. You must have contact on both recoil lug's to ensure reliable function and safety. Also; you will need to check the headspace and that requires a bolt head of a suitable size. So buying a complete bolt may not be as economical if you still need a different bolt head. Best option would be to try and find a new old stock bolt body, that way you have the best chance of getting it to fit with a reasonable chance of headspacing correctly; that is providing that your receiver is in sound condition. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: The Armourer
Date Posted: December 22 2020 at 10:58am
| removed |
Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: December 22 2020 at 11:02am
| Liberty Tree Collectors has NOS bolt bodies as well as complete bolts for the No 4. Like Zed said, it takes proper fitment to the receiver and I also recommend starting with an NOS body, but the options are there. |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 22 2020 at 11:09am
I will PM you shortly. This is the bolt assembly I referenced in my PM to you. It does not have any rifle serial numbers on it and the cocking piece is a war expedited piece with no finger grooves.
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Native Texan wrote:Posted By: Native Texan
Date Posted: December 22 2020 at 12:36pm
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This is the first Enfield I have bought and got it locally. Really got it because it was a really good price. It is not Ethiopian. It is dated 1943. I was not aware of the adjustments I would have to make in the bolt. I have not had that with other bolt action milsurp I have. I really appreciate all the advise. I'll get the best stripped bolt I can find and work from there. Might be a real learning experience. Thanks to all from Texas. John ------------- Native Texan |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 1:29pm
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The first thing to do when fitting a replacement bolt is to check if it seats evenly on the recoil lugs. For this you need to use "prussian blue" engineers paste. Ideally you need to have even contact on both lugs. The area of contact will generally be a small portion of the lug, due to it's form that allows the camming action during rotation. If one side is not in contact, or has very light contact; you will need to reduce the high side by careful stoning until both side are showing similar contact. The amount of material removed needs to be minimal; hopefully one or two thousandths of an inch should be enough. The are some detailed instructions available for how to do this from articles by Capt Peter Laidler; one time British Armourer. I have fitted a new bolt body to one of my rifles. I purchased a fine jeweller's Arcansas stone for the job. Use a bit of soda can to wrap around the body so as not to mark it with the stone. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: The Armourer
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 1:42pm
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removed
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Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 2:51pm
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Yes. Definitely not plug and play when you need to have the correctly matched bolt to the reciever. A well versed gunsmith will no doubt have the correct skills necessary to achieve the correct fit and finish of a non matched bolt to a non matched reciever given if that is what is needed. |
Posted By: hoadie
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 3:34pm
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..."High tech stuff Vern..kno wot I mean?" ------------- Loose wimmen tightened here |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 10:27pm
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Armourer has kindly supplied the article I mentioned in my last post. It's good information so print a copy and read it carefully. If you have any doubt's about doing the work yourself, it would be worth sending it to him. It needs to be right; for reliability and safety. Let us know how you get on withthis project.
------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 23 2020 at 10:49pm
| he does indeed and he has sold me more than a rifle or two as well , |
Posted By: Native Texan
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 5:45am
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WOW! The British have a strange way of making firearms. THANKS for all the help. If it gets over my head, there is an excellent gunsmith locally that I have known for 40 years as one of my customers. Never had to use him before. This might be the time. Thanks for all the input. ------------- Native Texan |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 5:48am
| Would be good to have The Armourers post as a sticky in the Gunsmithing forum. |
Posted By: The Armourer
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 6:20am
| removed |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 8:42am
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Very good information provided by Peter Laidler first and foremost and a solid nod to The Armourer for sharing with us Mr Laidler's laments on the Enfield rifle and its inner workings. Would you all agree that the original question in this post was about locating a complete bolt assembly however? We know from experience that the Donor bolt assembly will need to be fitted to the rifle by a competent gunsmith if it is to work without issue. I have a complete bolt assembly that is a perfect candidate for this gentleman and yet with all the information that was hurled at him on just page one of this thread, I do believe that a potential transaction has been lost.
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Posted By: The Armourer
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 8:55am
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Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 9:17am
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He now has the same information as we have but he is still in need of a complete bolt assembly to put the information to use. Alot of information was just thrown at him all at once and that can be pretty scary to some. To others it can be so scary that the original project at hand gets scrapped. I was in communication with the OP in regards to this topic and I was informing him of what he will need to have done to get his rifle in working order once again. It is my hunch however that this will not be the case now.
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 12:52pm
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That’s unfortunate. But I would far rather have all the details and benefit of the experiences of others BEFORE I attempted the job rather than after. None of this work is particularly difficult, but going at it blind is a sure way to get it wrong.
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Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 2:26pm
| I was in fact relaying what needed to be done in regards to hand fitting a mismatched bolt to a reciever in my own subtle language. I get that Mr Laidler is very well recieved in the Enfield community and his material can be taken as the gospel of Matthew, Mark or Luke to some extent. My instructions concerning this topic are inline with that of Mr Laidler but without all the fanfare and hornblowing he does exude. I live by a standard. I will never lie to you and I will tell you the truth no matter how painful it may be. I do not have the equipment that Mr Laidler had at his disposal when he was employed and I do not have his field experience. I did however attend a very prestigious gunsmithing academy and can follow procedures with best of them. I can also offer sound advice as well. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 2:32pm
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Sorry, man I know you meant well. If it helps: Dear Mr O.P. His bolt & head will have exactly the same issues as anyone else's bolt &head. No More, No less. Think about it. Please? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: The Armourer
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 3:03pm
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Posted By: Native Texan
Date Posted: December 26 2020 at 9:29am
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I don't think it has. All have opinions. I am taking it all in as this is the first Enfield I have bought. I think it is interesting. It is the reason many got into milsurp for the adventure of finding facts we did not know. John ------------- Native Texan |