How to Check For Problems on Your SMLE No1 Mk3 and No4 Rifles
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- Make sure to check these things on your Enfield Rifle!!! The British designed Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) is a finely tuned and delicate weapon, especially the Model No1 Mk3. I recently had the chance to drive to Edgefield, SC to visit Brian Dick, owner of BDL LTD. He shared some vital Lee Enfield Knowledge that I just had to make a video about. His many pro tips are helping me along on a SMLE No1 MkIII restoration project I took on not too long ago.
Some other tips not mentioned in the video
Check Firing Pin Protusion:
Choosing a donor stock for a project: Many of these rifles have been stored in cosmoline, which makes the wood turn dark and softens it. This increases the chances of cracking and breakages in the wood. It's best not to choose an oil or cosmoline soaked stock. Some Australian stocks were made with light colored and very fragile wood. Over time, this wood has been prone to cracking and breakages. It's best to stay away from Australian forestocks.
How to clean and strip the wood stock for refinishing: Some people may use oven cleaner and water. Brian recommends using clear ammonia. His method is to have the wood sit in the ammonia and then sponge it down. Use a toothbrush to get in all the nooks then wash it with water. Set in in the sun to dry.
Refinishing the stock: Once the stock is stripped of the old finish, he uses raw linseed oil (not boiled) to rub on the wood. He lets the coat dry a bit and then uses 0000 steel wool dipped in linseed oil to apply remaining coats.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:41 Proper Disassembly
2:35 Checking the forestock
5:15 The Bolt
7:28 The Receiver
8:52 Barrel
9:45 The SMLE Project Headspace
10:22 Disassembly Pro Tips
11:14 Let me Know Your Thoughts
💥💥💥
#smle #militarysurplus #protips
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@Battlefield_Curator
Disclaimer: I am not a certified gunsmith, I am just sharing knowledge from what I retained. You should see a certifed professional gunsmith for disassembly, instructions, repair and maintenance. nance Collectibles and antiques are known as alternative assets in the financial world. We are not financial advisors nor do we give legal financial advice, please talk to a professional. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Information contained in the content is based from personal experience, opinion, or available on the internet. Gun enthusiasts should read the owners manual and consult a firearms expert to fully understand the weapon. These historical relics and products commonly available in stores all across the United States. Our videos are for entertainment purposes.
Brian is amazing. I was one of the "early buyers" of the RTI SMLEs, and got burned with one that had absolutely no rifling (and a .303 cartridge tumbles down it). I sent him the barreled action and a replacement NOS Indian barrel and swapped it in one day for a very affordable price.
Lol yep he told me about how the gauge just fell right down the barrel of one of the RTI Enfields he got in a couple of years ago. The bad receiver and barrel I showed in the video is from RTI, I got those as part of a parts gun from them though.
@6:00 That was exactly my problem. Couldn't get the bolt to lock for 2 hours, had no idea why. One twist and everything was fine. THANK YOU!
You’re welcome
I just bought a No 1 Mark 3. Thanks. This was very informative and I couldn't resist subscribing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@BattlefieldCurator that bit at about 2:11 proved valuable at getting the fore stock off. I must have gunk from 3 nations in there.
Thanks Dan! Really great and important info there. I'm a Canadian (Quebecois actually) viewer and up north there is have a TONE of old bubba’d SMLEs and No4 floating around. I’m currently in the market for a Lee-Enfield, so I'll be armed with great knowledge for my next purchase!
I think bubba’d SMLEs are one of the most common bubba’d rifles around. Glad to provide this information to ya and thanks for watching! Cheers 🍻
Thank you Dan for giving us this awesome information👍
You’re quite welcome 😎🍻
Great content as usual. Pro Tip- buy a basic set of Pachmayr Gunsmith screwdrivers for less than 20 bucks online, and stop ruining those screw heads!
Great advice 😁
Brian is awsome. He rebarreled my no.1 for me
Yep, he’s stays busy!
Thanks Dan !! great info there. I am still waiting on my Hunters Lodge 1916 Spanish Short rifle LOL. That will be my next project and video.
Ah ok… I’m also working on a Spanish 1916… just haven’t gotten around to it full time yet
@@BattlefieldCurator That's awesome, I saw one of those I believe in a surplus store.
Great video, had a 1916 and 1918 No 1 Mk 3 that I sold a few years back and decided to buy another so I found a sporterized 1917 BSA that I plan on restoring soon.
Right on! Good luck and have fun! 😁🍻
thank you. very informative..
I just recently bought a no4 mk2 Irish contract in mint condition... happy to join the lee enfield family
Nice!
I got one too, barely a scratch on it and for $400
Great insight
I've had my No4 Mk2 over 10 years now. I think 12 to be exact. I'm about to scope it with 1x6 power. I've got the BadAce Tactical mount for that, and I'm planning on getting the Addley Precision mount later to compare. Thing shoots great. All matching except the magazine. And after that, my Mosin 91/30 is getting accurized and scoped as well.
Ow! Great vide, very informative. I’m just going to buy a Kar98
Lol
A very good informative video. I own a couple of Enfield’s and want at least one more in 303
I just snagged a 2A1 and No 4 in a lot at RIAC, both sportered, going to be quite a process to hunt down all the bits for them. Fairly easy rifles to get into in a practical sense, but some parts are just not easy to source
Awesome! Try Sarco Inc, Cebtury arms int, Apex part, Liberty Tree collectors, and numrich
Or get a few DP rifles from J&G sales or Century arms and hope they have good parts
@@BattlefieldCurator grabbed a DP stock for the 2A1 already, that’ll be done once my LTC order gets here with the metal. Ended up with a repop stock from Britain for the No 4, we’ll see how that is when it gets here in a few weeks
For some years when the initial WW2 foreign surplus began to arrive, the requirement for sale was that the importer (Century Arms) inspect and only allow useable rifles into the U.S. for sale. Both of my SM:Es have a Century Arms stamp on them.
While I have seen some really good early imported surplus rifles, I have also seen some that were subpar. When I asked a gunsmith about the quality of older surplus, he stated that during the 50s and 60s, the British were exporting some of the lower quality rifles (No1MkIII and No4 MK1) that may have even been out of spec. Some of them were even refurbished to look nice on the outside
he put a new barrel on for me on my no1 mk3. he is the leading Enfield gunsmith in the country,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I would definitely agree, he has an abundance of Enfield knowledge!
I have one it has on the left side to be a British 303 and 1916 under it the barrel has H on it what is it can you help out on this
I had a sporterized #4 mk 1 and the ‘new old stock’ I purchased didn’t have the metal that the cut down stock had in between what you call ‘the draws’ I’m not sure if it’s original or what.
Hmmm not too sure, if you have Facebook or Instagram you can send me a photo of both of them and I can do some research
Is there an issue using No 1 Mk III magazines on No 4 Mk I* rifles? Will they function as well as the magazines ordinarily issued with the latter?
The magazines are different, but some people foolishly convert a No1 Magazine to fit a No4. Waste of a No1 magazine IMO
@@BattlefieldCurator Thanks for the reply my friend. Can you spare a minute to explain why a No 1 magazine won’t operate or won’t operate reliably in a No 4 rifle?
My 1916 BSA stock is warped a little :(
Based on info from bloke on the range from TFB TV my rifle is not up to spec, no wonder is always favored right. Gonna hold onto it tho since its a Fianna Fail rifle. One rifle im working on is 1942 Savage No4 Mk1* that I replaced the bolt on. (came with the OG Savage made bolt but it was out of spec) I may send this fella my Savage to check for locking lug contact and to see if he could rebed the rifle since there is no negative barrel pressure which is critical for accuracy.
Ah ok, yea I didn’t really go over stock warping, but it is a problem with some SMLEs, especially if stored or used in moist environments
BSAs are rare because, being made in England at the Enfield factory (as opposed to Isapore, India, or Lithgow, Australia), they saw more hard use. Hold onto it!
When ejecting my empty cases my bolt feels like it gets hung up on something what could it be ?
Could be a number of things, I’d take it to a gunsmith
IT could be a Lee Enfield the marking are so small hard top see but what I can tell it looks like all British markings on it IT ALSO HAS MATCHING NUMBERS ON BARREL AND RECIVERAND H ON BARREL
Great video. Prussian blue, not Persian blue
😂😂😂nice sporter bruh
Great information, but rarely will a gun shop, let you disassemble a firearm.
True but it could help out if you already own one
Or just keep an eye out for exterior issues
"Hollow ground"