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Enfield Sniper

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URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11774
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Topic: Enfield Sniper
Posted By: The Apprentice
Subject: Enfield Sniper
Date Posted: December 10 2021 at 4:44pm
Ok Enfield Members 
I finally figured out how to post pictures thank you for the tips and help
Ok look her over and help me understand what I have thank you šŸ™ 
Jeff


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New to Enfieldā€™s



Replies:
Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 9:58am
Posting some more pictures 

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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 10:01am
If you can post some close up pictures of the reciever between the scope pads and the wristsocket under the safety please?
The buttsocket should also have the scope number stamped into it as well. The buttstock will have the serial number of the rifle stamped on the wrist area that fits into the buttsocket if it is original to that rifle.
Would you be willing to supply us with the serial number? 
Serial numbers from each factory would look like these:
Maltby A12345
Fazackerly B23456
BSA Shirley  C34567 with a possible M47C over the serial number 
Long Branch 1L5886
Savage 73C2642
Those last two serial numbers are on my rifles so you can rest assured that we here will not steal yours if you post it...


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 10:08am
I think it was made in Maltby 
Serial number 14619 and it has the same number on the scope !
What can you guys say about the scope ?


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 10:48am
PM read and replied to sir.


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 1:12pm
The little "extra" bit under the bolt head with the "S" stamp is indicative of something. Most don't have it.
I just wish I could remember what exactly, sorry.

"M47C" would be:

BSA (Birmingham Small Arms)

M47A = Small Heath (Nr Birmingham)
M47B = 3 small assembly plants at Redditch, Hereford and Worcester
M47C = The main factory at Shirley (district in Birmingham)






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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 1:21pm
There should be a ā€œTā€ stamped after the ā€œNo. 4 Mk Iā€ on the left flat side of the action body.  

That rifle is pretty close in serial number to my Dadā€™s BSA 1944 T.  

Very nice looking rifle!  Do you plan to shoot it?  If so, please post a range report.  


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 1:28pm
Thank you for the information Gentlemen, How safe will it be for me to shoot this rifle with that old scope and if I was to shoot it what would be a recommended load that I could back down to just to shoot paper not damage the rifle
Is this the ā€œTā€ we are looking for ?


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 1:46pm
Buttstock bottom picture 
I hope to get some more pictures of the top of the receiver tomorrow




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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 2:37pm
The ā€œTRā€ on the wrist (the part of the receiver that the butt stock attaches to) stands for ā€œTelescopic Rifleā€.

Donā€™t worry about these No. 32 scopes, they are very rugged, originally designed for use on the BREN gun.   You wonā€™t hurt it by shooting the rifle.  Make sure the two large thumbscrews holding the scope mount to the action body are snug, just by hand, donā€™t use pliers! 

My load is 174 gr Sierra MatchKing with 40 grains of Varget.  But other powders work just fine.  What powders do you have available? 

As to safety, do you know if the previous owner regularly shot the rifle?  Check that the bolt serial number matches the rifle.  It would not hurt to get the headspace checked.  

How does the bore look? 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 3:46pm
Thank you for the feedback Mr. britrifles
I have varget and quite a bit more I use Imr 4350 for my 1903ā€™s.
I use imr 4064 in my Garands 
I am an avid reloader and I have so much other powders as well
Imr, Hodgkin and a bunch of Vittori
Wow itā€™s a way heavier bullet than the 06 uses
Yeah he has never shot it.
He told me the board looked very good.
Have you guys heard of a go no go gauge and do they make them for a 303 British
Thank you again for the advice in helping me Making the best decision on getting this rifle.
Jeff



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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Dradzk
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 5:15pm
Nice looking rifle!

I have yet to find reasonably priced ammo. Getting into older guns like this may drive me to pick up reloading.


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 5:51pm
Yes, gages are available.  Since the previous owner did not fire the rifle, best get headspace checked.  IIRC, GO = 0.064, NOGO = 0.070 and FIELD = 0.074.  If you reload, minimum headspace is preferential to prolong case life. 

Sierra makes a great bullet for the .303, a .311 inch diameter 174 grain MatchKing.  The .303 Mk 7 ball service round was a 174 gr flat based bullet with a cylindrical led slug and forward conical core of aluminum, it was a very effective bullet that created devastating wounds as it yawed on impact. 

40 grains of Varget will perform exceptionally well in the .303 with the 174 gr SMK.  That combination has won me many CMP matches.  Iā€™ve not found a load that will beat it. 

Enjoy! 








Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 6:10pm
The .303 174 grain bullet was not really heavy considering the .30-06 M1 ball bullet was 175 grains at the same time period the Mk 7 .303 service cartridge was in use.  The .30-06 M2 ball was 150 grains, and developed primarily because of the complains of the stout recoil of the M1 .30-06 ball ammo and itā€™s trajectoy exceeded the range safety zones.  

Recoil with 40 grains of Varget and 174 SMK is fairly mild.  Muzzle velocity about 2400 fps. Quite comfortable to shoot, especially in the heavier No. 4 sniper. 




Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 6:57pm



Geoff both the top 2 really do well with 150 grain spittzer boat tails I havenā€™t tried 168 grain match bullets

I canā€™t wait to see how that Enfield will do against my Remington a4


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 8:53pm
Gents:
I got some bolt pictures from the owner
It has the number 5 and what believe the kings crest hopefully it will make sense to someone 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 10:10pm
From what I can see in the last picture is an original and unissued bolt. No matching serial number present.  As per our recent PM's,  it should be noted that. If you do decide to purchase the rifle, make certain that both locking lugs make equal contact inside the locking lug recesses in the reciever and have the headspace checked. 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 11 2021 at 11:17pm
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

From what I can see in the last picture is an original and unissued bolt. No matching serial number present.  As per our recent PM's,  it should be noted that. If you do decide to purchase the rifle, make certain that both locking lugs make equal contact inside the locking lug recesses in the reciever and have the headspace checked. 

I will do and thank you very much for your help 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 2:58am
When bolts were fitted by military armorers, the rifle serial number would be added to the back surface of the bolt handle.  Bolts are not interchangeable, they must be fitted to the individual rifle.  So, as Goosic said, this is a ā€œnew boltā€ likely fitted by a previous owner. 


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 3:06am
Originally posted by The Apprentice The Apprentice wrote:

Buttstock bottom picture 
I hope to get some more pictures of the top of the receiver tomorrow



I canā€™t make out what that marking is, may have been sanded over.  The Holland & Holland markings at this location on the butt should be ā€œS 51ā€.  




Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 3:30am
Originally posted by The Apprentice The Apprentice wrote:




Geoff both the top 2 really do well with 150 grain spittzer boat tails I havenā€™t tried 168 grain match bullets

I canā€™t wait to see how that Enfield will do against my Remington a4


The 03 will shoot 125 gr flat base (like Speer TNT) thru to 175 boat tails very well.  In good condition, these are highly accurate rifles.  

In my experience, the order of importance in obtaining a high standard of accuracy is:

1. Skill of shooter.
2. Condition of rifle, particularly bore and stock fitting.
3. Ammo/Load

A highly skilled shooter will always beat out an average shooter regardless of the rifle or load used (unless there is something very wrong with the rifle). For example, a skilled shooter firing an average as issued M1 with M2 ball ammo will beat out an average shooter with a 1 MOA capable 03 Springfield or Lee Enfield shooting match grade ammunition.  Iā€™m speaking of ā€œpositionā€ shooting, not off the bench.  




Posted By: Twodogs
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 5:03am
The S under the bolt head.

Probably means that it was factory sighted with open sights for conversion to No.4 (T). This mark was stamped on th RH lump at front of receiver, No.4 rifle sniper rifle.

The Broad Arrow Mk2, Skennerton, P97


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 5:10am
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

When bolts were fitted by military armorers, the rifle serial number would be added to the back surface of the bolt handle.  Bolts are not interchangeable, they must be fitted to the individual rifle.  So, as Goosic said, this is a ā€œnew boltā€ likely fitted by a previous owner. 


I plan on ordering no-go and field gauges from pacific tool & die after I get it , 
I have checked a couple of my 1903a3ā€™s and a few m1 garands so unless there is a extractor issue I feel comfortable doing this task, As for the bolt lug fit I may need further help with.
Thank you Geoff & Goosic for warning me on this 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 7:59am
Originally posted by Twodogs Twodogs wrote:

The S under the bolt head.

Probably means that it was factory sighted with open sights for conversion to No.4 (T). This mark was stamped on th RH lump at front of receiver, No.4 rifle sniper rifle.

The Broad Arrow Mk2, Skennerton, P97



Thank you for the information Twodogs I picked this up on the CMP forum I donā€™t have the book to prove it but I believe it to be true:
Another hard-to fake item is the tiny D6E stamp on the left or right side of the wrist on the BSA rifles. ONLY the snipers have this stamp. In his book on the Enfield "T" sniper, author Peter Laidler refers to the "D6E" stamp as an "on site Enfieldexaminer/inspection stamp. He recalls the man , through worker interviews, as "Enfield Examiner D6, based at the Harrow Rd. Holland's Works was the affable Harry Hardwick, now sadly deceased"... These wartime brit rifles really can tell a story.. 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 9:44am
Just remember to check which headspace standard they are made to. There are 2 differing specs.What you need as a gauge measuring 0.074", never mind what its called.
Sounds odd I know but there's an 0.074 "coin type Gauge for the Mosin that is perfect for the Enfied as a FIELD, but I believe marked as a No Go?

GO           NO-GO        FIELD

(One dimple) (Two dimples) (Three dimples)

GO = 0.064"          NO-GO = 0.067"      FIELD = 0.074".

is the spec you want.



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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 10:12am
Originally posted by Shamu Shamu wrote:

Just remember to check which headspace standard they are made to. There are 2 differing specs.What you need as a gauge measuring 0.074", never mind what its called.
Sounds odd I know but there's an 0.074 "coin type Gauge for the Mosin that is perfect for the Enfied as a FIELD, but I believe marked as a No Go?

GO           NO-GO        FIELD

(One dimple) (Two dimples) (Three dimples)

GO = 0.064"          NO-GO = 0.067"      FIELD = 0.074".

is the spec you want.

Thank you Shamu
I have read that 303 & 30/40 Kraig are the same headspace gauge 
If you find a link for that Mosin Coin type that would work I would appreciate it.
Jeff


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 12 2021 at 7:06pm
Firewerks IIRC



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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 4:09am
SAAMI specs for headspace for .30-40 Krag and .303 British are indeed the same:  .064 min, .071 max






Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 8:46am
Small correction if I may, probably "auto incorrect".
30-40 Krag (Jorgenson)


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 10:01am
Yup, dang auto correct!  I just fixed it. 




Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 1:26pm
The Original scope serial number 14619 visible on the wrist. 
The rifle serial is B34591 made by BSA in 1944.
It looks like a very nice No4Mk1T sniper rifle.
Only thing to of minor concern is the un-numbered bolt. That should be checked for fit and headspace.
Once proper fit is confirmed, put the serial number on it to avoid confusion.
I would suggest using the services of "Brian D*ck" at BDL in the USA for checking it out.


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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 1:33pm
Originally posted by Zed Zed wrote:

The Original scope serial number 14619 visible on the wrist. 
The rifle serial is B34591 made by BSA in 1944.
It looks like a very nice No4Mk1T sniper rifle.
Only thing to of minor concern is the un-numbered bolt. That should be checked for fit and headspace.
Once proper fit is confirmed, put the serial number on it to avoid confusion.
I would suggest using the services of "Brian D*ck" at BDL in the USA for checking it out.

Thank you Zed for the information 
By any chance do you have a link to Brianā€™s business?
If you donā€™t want to post it you can send to via a pm 
Thank you šŸ™ 
Jeff


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 2:43pm
http://www.BDLLTD.com%20" rel="nofollow - www.BDLLTD.com


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 4:34am
If you do send the rifle to Brian, which I think is a great suggestion, have him do a full inspection.  Remove the forend and confirm the bedding is in good shape.  He can check bore condition, check for proper striker protrusion from the bolt head, as well as the previously suggested checks.   After that, you will be confident itā€™s safe to fire. 






Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 7:49am
Thank you Mike for the Link and Geoff for the added suggestions hope to get it before the end of this month 

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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 12:12pm
Well Gentlemen 
Sent funds & my 03 
No going back now I have dipped my toe into the enfield rifle club 

Good news I guess he even had a bayonet for it


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 12:22pm
If you want or need more, let me know. I have a couple I can part with...


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 12:49pm
The Apprentice, you did very well for your first Lee Enfield, a genuine No. 4 Mk I(T) sniper!  Congrats!  And let me know if you decide to sell it some dayā€¦




Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 1:36pm
Mike I hope to get pictures of the bayonet tonight if I do Iā€™ll post them so you can see them it would be nice to see if it is the correct one 
If not it looks like you have the correct one covered ā˜ļøšŸ¤©šŸ¤©šŸ¤©
Do I see correctly that some were maxed by singer sewing machine company ?

If so you guys will have to asked about my singer šŸ˜‚ 

Geoff thank you for the tips advice and Wisdom šŸ™
If I ever decide to sell it Iā€™ll put it up here first but I plan on keeping it for quite some time right next to my 1903a4
Safe buddyā€™s šŸ˜‚


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 3:40pm
Scope questions 
The mount looks like it is held from the scope to the rifle wire 2 round knurled thumb screws
If I take this off to clean around the base will I loose my Zero I watched a couple of you tubes but thought I should run it by you guys first ?

Sorry for all the questions.
Jeff 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 4:23pm
No, you will not lose the zero. When you remount the scope bracket to the pads, start with the rear thumb screw and then the front thumb screw to where both are a couple of threads in then, tighten the rear thumb screw finger tight and then do the same for the front. Work back to the rear tightening as you go and then back to the front. I originally had a reproduction No32Mk1 on my rifle. It never lost its zero. I have a 10x40 Bushnell Tactical on it now and after at least a dozen or so On and Off's, it still retains the zero.


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 4:36pm
You had also mentioned about the correct bayonet for the rifle.
Believe it or not.  The majority of all rifles were matched to whatever bayonet was on hand at that time.
 I do have an unissued Long Branch/Canadian Arsenal stamped No4 MkII bayonet with a No4 MkI scabbard with the Canadian Arsenal stamp and the frog is dated 1944 with a Canadian Arsenal marking.


Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 7:39pm
the bayonet is canadian as is the scabbord and frog although im not certain i would guess by the condition not seen much use 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 16 2021 at 8:59pm
Funds made it to the old owner 
Heading to Oregon tomorrow 
Thank you all for helping me 


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 16 2021 at 9:21pm
Any of you guys have this book ?


Is it a good detailed one ?



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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 17 2021 at 8:12am
Stratton is becoming "Dissapeared" because some of this information is erroneous.
(Its an older book & research has discovered some things that weren't known when it was written.)
This seems to be the collectors little darling this year, but that may well change too.
https://d3d71ba2asa5oz.cloudfront.net/40000725/images/mb1070__02.jpg


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 17 2021 at 10:17am
yes , had/have both - you need both as there are areas one covers the other doesnt , these are both part of a series that require buying more than one to get full coverage but well worth it 

the "lee enfield story" also by skennerton is considered the bible in our realm and worth every penny of what you might find one for , ian signed mine when i bought it from his website back a lifetime ago for about $65 , i suspect it will cost a bunch more to purchase today - last two times i looked was 2007 and it was $130 and again in 2011 it was $199 , this is a hard bound book of over 500 pages , lots of photos , charts , documents

there is a couple bayonet books as well if your into the accoutrements , "british & commonwealth bayonets" by skennerton , "Spirit of the pike" by graham priest are both hard bound and comprehensive in our specific area , 

but a great general coverage resource is "bayonets" from janzens notebook will be helpful across the board 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 17 2021 at 11:08am
Originally posted by A square 10 A square 10 wrote:

yes , had/have both - you need both as there are areas one covers the other doesnt , these are both part of a series that require buying more than one to get full coverage but well worth it 

the "lee enfield story" also by skennerton is considered the bible in our realm and worth every penny of what you might find one for , ian signed mine when i bought it from his website back a lifetime ago for about $65 , i suspect it will cost a bunch more to purchase today - last two times i looked was 2007 and it was $130 and again in 2011 it was $199 , this is a hard bound book of over 500 pages , lots of photos , charts , documents

there is a couple bayonet books as well if your into the accoutrements , "british & commonwealth bayonets" by skennerton , "Spirit of the pike" by graham priest are both hard bound and comprehensive in our specific area , 

but a great general coverage resource is "bayonets" from janzens notebook will be helpful across the board 


I plan on getting the Skennerton  Book, I understand I have all 3 of the Charles Clawson books back when they were very affordable.


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 17 2021 at 7:40pm
you have a great start on your library , you need the stratons and the skennertons to round it all out , not everything agrees between them but by using them all you get a full picture of the current knowledge in this arena , maybe someday someone will put a newer picture together but as time passes alot of the resources are evaporating to time 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 22 2021 at 6:15pm
Thread update:
Rifle made it to Oregon safe and sound I spent most the day cleaning it very Thoroughly found some hidden treasures in the butt stock did my best to clean up the rifling in the boar had lotta dark brown matter coming out on the patches I scrubbed and scrubbed it and scrubbed it and patched it for quite some time did they use cordite in these rifles and it was cordite hard on the rifling I had a heck of a time to try to take the bolt out,
It wasnā€™t so hard once the scope was off but the scope holds the rear sight and place it wonā€™t allow the Bolt to come out thatā€™s a piece of information I had to work my way through.
 the stock really looks good put a couple coats of boiled linseed oil on it like I do on my grand stocks and it cleaned right up and it sucked right in anyway Iā€™ll post some pictures from you guys had some questions earlier on that I didnā€™t have answers for a couple guys want to know what the board looks like so I got a couple more pictures and a couple pictures of some of the areas that I never had seen before .
Iā€™m gonna start saving up now one of the forum members is going to help me out with some brass bullets and a bayonet.
After that save up for a Field and no go gauge
 take a look at that oiler and tell me if thatā€™s original Oiler please
Thank you guysšŸ™
Jeff


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 23 2021 at 4:23am
Cordite loaded ammunition and corrosive primers were common in WWII.  Cordite burns hotter than NC powder and eroded the throat faster than powder.  While the rifle was in service, it would have been kept clean, but once sold out of service, a previous owner may have shot corrosive ammunition without cleaning the bore immediately after shooting. You should be able to loosen the fouling/rust with a bronze brush.  Let the bore soak with Hoppes overnight, clean out with dry patches, wet patch with Hoppes and repeat. 






Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 23 2021 at 7:12am
Yes!
Let the chemistry do the work. Not the brush.

More bores have been damaged by excessive brushing than anything else.
Wet the bore thoroughly with Hoppes at night leave muzzle down on newsprint.
next day patch out & repeat.
keep going & it will eventually get all the crud out.



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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: December 23 2021 at 9:00am
Thank you guys for the input the previous owner never shot it as he was afraid of damaging the scope .
 so to my knowledge it hasnā€™t been shot since it was owned before him and I did learn that this rifle came out of the East Coast many years ago Iā€™ll continue to run Hoppeā€™s down the bore and try to get it cleaned up thanks for the help.
Jeff


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 23 2021 at 12:06pm
I didn't envisage "pouring" it in.
WackoStar

Probably 3 or 4 well whetted patches will be plenty.
You should see green or blue "flowers" on the newsprint every morning.
Just run 4 or 5 dry patches through, Do Not pull them back, dump them. See if you can find a nice cylindrical jag too, the usual flat loop tips do a poor job of evenly contacting the bore. Then follow with 3 or 4 more wet ones.
Have patience, when the flowers go away you're done, but it will take time.
It took 77 years to scrape it all in there it won't come off in a few days.



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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 23 2021 at 5:14pm
Yes, as Shamu says.  Took me years to figure out this was the he best way to clean the barrel.  However, your barrel may have rust in the bore, so a one time scrub with a bronze brush pushed all the way thru the bore, carefully pull back in all the way to the chamber, and repeat six times.  Then swab out with patch soaked in Hoppes, it will probably come out black.  

Donā€™t ever plug the barrel and pour Hoppes down the bore and leave it there.  I made that mistake.  Once.

Hopefully your barrel is not badly pitted, but in that photo it seems to be pretty dark.

I leave the rifle in my Tipton rifle cleaning vice which keeps the barrel pointing at a slight downward angle and put a drip pan under the muzzle.  I usually clean the bore out in the morning and again at night.  Twice a day for a week should do the trick.  No need for excessive scrubbing (except that one time with the brush to loosen any rust and hard caked fouling).  Move the rod slowly and try not to bend the rod so it wonā€™t rub on the lands. 






Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 24 2021 at 3:43pm
Absolutely!
A slight muzzle down angle is even better.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 05 2022 at 8:03pm
Originally posted by The Apprentice The Apprentice wrote:

Originally posted by Shamu Shamu wrote:

Just remember to check which headspace standard they are made to. There are 2 differing specs.What you need as a gauge measuring 0.074", never mind what its called.
Sounds odd I know but there's an 0.074 "coin type Gauge for the Mosin that is perfect for the Enfied as a FIELD, but I believe marked as a No Go?

GO           NO-GO        FIELD

(One dimple) (Two dimples) (Three dimples)

GO = 0.064"          NO-GO = 0.067"      FIELD = 0.074".

is the spec you want.

Thank you Shamu
I have read that 303 & 30/40 Kraig are the same headspace gauge 
If you find a link for that Mosin Coin type that would work I would appreciate it.
Jeff


Here is a link to a EU company selling a three set of Head Space Gauges for the Lee Enfield.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, looks like a fantastic rifle.


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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 1:04am
Aussie 
I never did see the link?

Here is a link to a EU company selling a three set of Head Space Gauges for the Lee Enfield.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, looks like a fantastic rifle.
[/QUOTE]


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 8:05am
https://www.tectal.at/en/lee-enfield.303-british/25/headspace-gauge-set.303-british/lee-enfield" rel="nofollow - https://www.tectal.at/en/lee-enfield.303-british/25/headspace-gauge-set.303-british/lee-enfield


Sorry about this.   I pasted the link in the body and "inserted" using the editor.  I have not used these but they appear well made, and about market price of a domestic set, if you can find them in the USA.  The challenge is most "off the shelf" No-Gauges are not really what you want - as you have been advised above, you need the "Field Gauge" at 0.074"  There is a company in Illinois called Forster products that makes a 0.074" cylinder shape headspace gauge for the .303.   If you email "Scott" at Tech Support he may have one in stock, as an option.  mailto:tech@forsterproducts.com" rel="nofollow - tech@forsterproducts.com

https://www.tectal.at/en/lee-enfield.303-british/25/headspace-gauge-set.303-british/lee-enfield



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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 8:55am
hanks for the link.
Can you do us a favor & also post it down in the "links" section?
Thanks.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 9:07am
I put both sources into the LINKS section under a new post called ".303 Head Space Gauge Suppliers"

Let me know if this was what you requested.



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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 12:50pm
Perfect, thanks.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 1:42pm
The oiler is a WWI made, not 100% but it may or may not have been issued to WWII rifles.
More likely a correct oiler would have been one of the plastic ones.

Very nice rifle by the way.


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Lead from the front; eliminate all obstacles...


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: January 06 2022 at 2:42pm
Oilers weren't "patterned" just like slings & so on so there's no "correct" It perfectly fine to have a brass one! They weren't "building historical artifacts" they were shoving guns out the door as fast as possible. If the had a brass bottle & it wasn't being recycled as a strategic material (salvaged from a condemned gun or whatever) they'd use it.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 10:16am
Just a update I have been busy getting some reloading supplies and dies rounded up 
I wanted to ask the group if this is a Appropriate Sling for my rifle I havenā€™t found anything about slings in my book so I thought about asking here.


https://www.gunbroker.com/item/918916461" rel="nofollow - https://www.gunbroker.com/item/918916461





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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 10:21am
PM me


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 10:56am
It seems you are already in good hands with Goosic!

PS. I have never seen this sling before - but it appears well referenced.




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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 11:04am
Originally posted by AussieShooter AussieShooter wrote:

It seems you are already in good hands with Goosic!

PS. I have never seen this sling before - but it appears well referenced.



Iā€™m beginning to think Michael is sitting in a warehouse full of 303 British Enfield  stuffšŸ˜‚


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 11:33am
.... Hug.....


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 11:46am
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

.... Hug.....


Gentlemen I think you would call this the mother load everything!!!!!!šŸ’ÆšŸ¤—ā˜ļø



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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 11:53am
I'm missing the No2Mk1 revolver because I sold it and I'm missing the most important item, the Transit Chest simply because I refuse to pay 1500.00 for a box...


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 12:01pm
Itā€™s crazy isnā€™t it.  I bet hundreds of them were broken up for firewood over the years. 


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 12:20pm
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

Itā€™s crazy isnā€™t it.  I bet hundreds of them were broken up for firewood over the years. 

I live about 8 miles away from the old Umatilla Army depot that was built during WWII and tru the years you would not believe how many chicken coops, Barns and shacks were built with those wood army boxes most of them 3/4ā€ pine boards all recycled before it was cool to do it


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 10:24pm
there was a lot of recycling before we were told to do it , it just happened because it made sense , today the govment seems to think they have to require it instead of letting it happen - i think there is a lot of money changing hands ............and a bunch of commies trying to control you , 

next we will see a special police force to round up those that disagree .........oh ya , that happened and is happening again , one of these days we need to make communism an undesirable thing again , 

sorry , a bit pi$$ed off with todays news , off my soapbox , its a shame that so much war surplus got relegated to the waste stream , but at the time folks wanted to be rid of the war and all that reminded them of it , they wanted jobs to move forward and were looking at the waste as potential low cost improvement of life quickly , lot of government purchased pine that was very useable in daily life , cant blame them for that , 


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 6:21am
Goosic, photo's like this make me droooooool!   Awesome.   I was bidding on a pair of Australian WWII wire cutters - traditional, like the ones in your photo, and I had to tap out.   Not as expensive as a transit chest, but there is only so much one can pay for things - they were the same wire cutters made for every farmer in Australia and would be worth about $5 at a flea market, but put the D^D and we are talking hundreds.   Yep, I'm guilty too.

What do you think the armourers from the 1940s would think of us crazies??   You paid How Much for a box????  It so much fun!




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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 8:42am
WW II British Sniper CES.




Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 8:42am
Those wire cutters cost me a grand total of $9.95 from an antique shop in Scottsdale AZ. The intresting thing is the one on the right was made by the Sunbeam Co. The only Sunbeam Co. I am aware of made bread...


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 8:48am
Originally posted by terrylee terrylee wrote:

WW II British Sniper CES.


The charging clips seem to be a redundant part and this has been my contention, in that the sniper should have been issued a bandolier containing at least 5 loaded magazines.  I would have gotten into trouble by going to the base armourer and withdrawing, "spares." 
Very nice photo Terrylee...


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 8:59am
TerryLee - did you have to assemble this overtime, or was it a complete kit you found.   Very nice!


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"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 9:03am
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

Those wire cutters cost me a grand total of $9.95 from an antique shop in Scottsdale AZ. The intresting thing is the one on the right was made by the Sunbeam Co. The only Sunbeam Co. I am aware of made bread...


Being a Ford guy I am well aware of Sunbeam Tigers , I wonder if they made these cutters during the war I did notice they made motorcycles during the war but not much else that I can find.


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 9:08am
Originally posted by terrylee terrylee wrote:

WW II British Sniper CES. 








Terry I canā€™t believe how cool this set up is both you and Michael are very blessed šŸ˜Š 
Maybe some day I can complete mine 

I did learn that my rifle was purchased from the east coast a few years back I wish he could have gotten the wood storage box as well . 
Thank you for the pictures so I can research these items 
Goals 



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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 9:17am
A different "Sunbeam" was also a long-lived automobile maker, probably more likely than the bakery! Thumbs Up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Motor_Car_Company" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Motor_Car_Company


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 9:52am
I must sincerely apologize.  Its not Sunbeam. Its Sunshine and dated 1945/6? Australian made?


Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 12:19pm
Falklands era British Sniper CES. (Both rifles are Enfields)




Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 12:26pm
Terrylee: Do you shoot any of these?


Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 2:35pm
Goosic, Yes, but not regularly, since I prefer my Enforcer.  However, I can report that the L42 is deadly accurate within the limitations of its No. 32 derived scope. The No.4 Mk 1 (T) is also very good, but not to the same degree. I also occasionally shoot the L1A1, but without its IWS, since I do not have access to a range which is open at night! Terry  


Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 3:05pm
I love the SLR . GRUNTED IT AROUND IN AUSSIE ARMY.


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 14 2022 at 3:08pm
You need to visit with me. I have 24/7/365 access to the range I'm associated with...


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: April 19 2022 at 5:55pm
Originally posted by The Apprentice The Apprentice wrote:

Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

When bolts were fitted by military armorers, the rifle serial number would be added to the back surface of the bolt handle.  Bolts are not interchangeable, they must be fitted to the individual rifle.  So, as Goosic said, this is a ā€œnew boltā€ likely fitted by a previous owner. 


I plan on ordering no-go and field gauges from pacific tool & die after I get it , 
I have checked a couple of my 1903a3ā€™s and a few m1 garands so unless there is a extractor issue I feel comfortable doing this task, As for the bolt lug fit I may need further help with.
Thank you Geoff & Goosic for warning me on this 


Well Guys it took me some time but I am circling back on my bolt since it was not serial numbered so I go a clymer no go gauge I placed it be hind the extractor slowly feed it into the chamber and got the bolt to close to about %80 it felt like it didnā€™t want to go anymore 


So gentlemen do we call this a success?


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 19 2022 at 6:36pm
Yup.  Whatā€™s the rim thickness on the gage? 

Make sure you clean the back edge of the chamber well, any built up crud here will give a false reading. 


Posted By: Marco1010
Date Posted: April 19 2022 at 6:53pm
I could be wrong here but the bolt head looks like it might not be sufficiently wound in.
hard to tell in the photo.


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: April 19 2022 at 7:07pm
[QUOTE=Marco1010]I could be wrong here but the bolt head looks like it might not be sufficiently wound in.
hard to tell in the photo.



Marco how can I check for sufficient bolt wound ?


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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: April 19 2022 at 7:08pm
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

I must sincerely apologize.  Its not Sunbeam. Its Sunshine and dated 1945/6? Australian made?
these are like the ones I tapped out of.  I did some research on the Sunshine company and it was a fascinating history.  Iā€™m a bit sketchy on the details now, but the founder of Sunshine invented some of the core farming technology and sold it to Massey Ferguson.  I thought it was interesting. 

-------------
"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates


Posted By: Marco1010
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 1:44am
there is a mass of info on this forum about headspace, bolt heads and acceptable amount of "Clocking"  ie how much the bolt head should move.  be worthwhile having a read, you will be well repaid with the knowledge, also if unsure post a question, the amount of collective knowledge here with the members is awesome. and everyone loves responding.

great rifle you have there, would love one for my collection.


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 3:56am
I think itā€™s just a shadow we are seeing.  Just make sure the bolt head is screwed all the way down onto the bolt body before inserting the bolt assembly into the receiver.  If it was off by one turn, I donā€™t think the bolt would turn very far at all. 

With the bolt out of the receiver and the bolt head screwed all the way down, the bolt head should not over turn too far past the bolt body rib.  Someone here will have a photo or sketch of this check. Iā€™ll dig one up this morning if no one else posts something.  




Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 4:11am
The maximum bolt head overturn is 20 degrees or 3/16 inch when measured at the outer corner of the bolt head. 




Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 6:28am
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

Yup.  Whatā€™s the rim thickness on the gage? I believe it to be .067ā€

Make sure you clean the back edge of the chamber well, any built up crud here will give a false reading. 

Geoff this is what I think I have I went with the no go gauge:

Originally posted by Shamu Shamu wrote:

Just remember to check which headspace standard they are made to. There are 2 differing specs.What you need as a gauge measuring 0.074", never mind what its called.
Sounds odd I know but there's an 0.074 "coin type Gauge for the Mosin that is perfect for the Enfied as a FIELD, but I believe marked as a No Go?

GO           NO-GO        FIELD

(One dimple) (Two dimples) (Three dimples)

GO = 0.064"          NO-GO = 0.067"      FIELD = 0.074".

is the spec you want.




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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 6:35am
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

I think itā€™s just a shadow we are seeing.  Just make sure the bolt head is screwed all the way down onto the bolt body before inserting the bolt assembly into the receiver.  If it was off by one turn, I donā€™t think the bolt would turn very far at all. 

With the bolt out of the receiver and the bolt head screwed all the way down, the bolt head should not over turn too far past the bolt body rib.  Someone here will have a photo or sketch of this check. Iā€™ll dig one up this morning if no one else posts something.  




 Ok I have never un screwed the bolt I will have to remove it and try to figure out how to unscrew one apart 





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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: The Apprentice
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 6:39am
Thank you for posting Geoff I will try to figure it out I want to see how she shoots

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New to Enfieldā€™s


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 20 2022 at 7:55am
It's pretty simple.  You do not need to take the bolt apart.  Just remove the bolt from the receiver and turn the bolt head with your fingers until it contacts the bolt body, don't tighten it; the bolt head needs to make a 1/4 turn to get the bolt back into the receiver.  

Before you reinstall the bolt, check for bolt head over rotation per my last post. It's probably fine, but best check this while the bolt is out.   

When you do remove the bolt, and turn the bolt head to check for over rotation, it should not turn very far, if you make one full turn; then your headspace measurement was off, you need to repeat it.  

If the bolt is not closing on the 0.067 NOGO gage you have a nice tight headspace that will minimize brass stretching, which is very good for long case life.    

If you don't already have a book on the No. 4 Rifle (operation and maintenance) now would be a good time to get one Smile 


   



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