Enfield Rifles - Barrel Float

Barrel Float

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Category: Enfields
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URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14303
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 4:31pm
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Topic: Barrel Float

Posted By: JesSmith
Subject: Barrel Float
Date Posted: December 07 2025 at 5:48am

he!!o,

New member here hoping for help. I have been offered a no4 mk2, 1955 Fazackerley but have questions around the barrel float; there is zero float.

After watching Bloke On The Range describe what to look for when buying a LE i noted the need for the barrel to have very slight sideways movement and spring back and to be bedded on the wooden foregrip nose and are to be slightly raised under finger pressure and spring back down. This one has zero movement up, down nor side to side.

Any thoughts on this please?

The wood has been removed at some point, I believe to slightly darken the woodwork, if it has been replaced incorrectly I.e. clamped hard onto the barrel is this recoverable by resetting the forest key or does the issue sound terminal.

Many thanks

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Jrs

Replies:

Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 08 2025 at 5:11pm

It should, ideally have 3.5 to 5 Lbs of DOWN pressure at the muzzle.

Now dry wood, bubba playin' "smiff & so on may be involved. But it may just be bone dry warped wood.

There should be some free play up, left & right, but none down. At rest it should be BDC at 6 O'Clock, even when tapped.

Now if its been a target rifle there may be some "Packing" involved. The only way to tell for sure is to remove the handguards & look inside.

I'm not sure what you're referring to as "the forest key"?

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

Posted By: DarioPirovano
Date Posted: December 08 2025 at 6:33pm

Before buying ask if you can shoot it to try it.
If it shoots good leave it alone.
No4 mk2 rifles all have new forends and hand guards, it can be precisely fitted with no lateral play, for the upward movement of the barrel that’s strange you got to check if someone didn’t put cork or some kind of shimming under the front handguard, if not just place some shims under the metal between handguard and forend to relieve, I would never remove wood.

Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 09 2025 at 1:23am

Not much else to add, except that this can be easily fixed.

I would not reject a rifle for this. More importantly, is the barrel in good condition? How does the rest of the rifle work? Matching bolt and action serial number? Does it have the Mk 1 micrometer sight fitted?

If you get an opportunity, loosen the front trigger guard screw (main screw), grasp the butt stock and the fore-end, with a push/pull motion does the fore-end move forward or aft? This condition is harder to fix.

If you do buy the rifle DO NOT remove the fore-end until you learn how to do correctly. NEVER try to separate the fore-end from the barrel at the muzzle. The fore-end must be kept parallel to the barrel as it is removed. Otherwise you will damage an important wood bearing surface where it contacts the sear lights (aka “the draws”) and end up with the condition I described above.

Posted By: JesSmith
Date Posted: December 09 2025 at 2:52am

Many thanks All for your kind assistance,

It has never been a target rifle conversion and does have the correct ladder sights.

I will get the chance to shoot it this weekend, better still also be shot by a friend who has shot No4 mk2 for some years so he should be able to say whether it compares we to his own. Fingers crossed then.

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Jrs