Lithgow #1 MK 3* - Bolt Problem?

[snowkiwi]

I have recently purchased a 1941 Lithgow #1 MK 3*, that has had a heavy barrell fitted to it at some time in its past life. It is also fitted with a Parker Hale aperture sight. Bought it on an impulse, so, took it to the range for a test fire. I checked the head space using "Go" "No Go" guages prior to going to the range, all seemed fine. However, first shot, the bolt fired, the cartridge however did not! When ejected, there was no firing pin mark on the primer, although when inspecting the bolt, the firing pin was visibly protruding from the bolt head.
Please, can any one suggest what my next step should be?

Information

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[tbonesmith]

Look at the article on fitting bolts and boltheads. Index of Peter Laidler's on-line series of articles.......

[Bruce_in_Oz]

How fast did the striker fall?

A couple of decades can turn oil, (especially the wrong oil) into someting like molasses. I have encountered more than a few rifles of various genres that have been "lubricated and preserved" with engine oil, or worse, linseed oil. A few years ago, in my "other" job, I even encountered an issue machine gun that had been slathered in linseed oil and left in a nice warm and dry armoury for a couple of months: lots of paperwork for me and a big serve of attitude adjustment for the miscreant digger responsible.

If you couple internal sludge with a mainspring that has been left cocked for a number of years, it could definitely slow things down a bit.

If, on the other hand, you have excessive headspace to the tune of .050" or more, seek professional help. The way a SMLE feeds from the magazine, the rim should be caught under extractor before the bolt handle is turned down. Even with a very limp extractor spring, if the bolt bits are OK, there should be a striker mark. I assume that the un-struck round is being extracted OK.

[Alan de Enfield]

Striker protrusion - how far was it sticking out ? - I would have thoght that even if it undersize that it wouldstill have left a slight mark

Did the rifle cock OK ?
Broken spring, broken striker ?
Can you push back the tip of the striker back into the bolt head easily ? Is it 'flopping about' ?

Stripping the bolt should show you anything obviously wrong.

[Thunderbox]

Possibly the bolthead is unscrewed by one turn, or the cocking piece is fouling inside the boltway somehow.

Rifle really needs to be looked at by someone familiar with Enfields. Post some decent pictures - there might be some visible issue we can help with.

[snowkiwi]

Thanks for the advice. The rifle did cock o.k. There seems to be plenty of spring pressure, the striker can be pushed back into the bolt head assy. relatively easily. The bolt head was screwed in correctly. I think I will strip the bolt and clean everything up. Can any one give me the dimensions for making a firing pin removal tool? as I do not have one, and purchasing one could be a while away!

[snowkiwi]

O.k. I now have an removal tool.... But, after removing the bolt head and soaking the bolt first in Breakfree, and then in WD40, I still can not dismantle any further. I am thinking of using a heat gun, to heat the area around the outside of the bolt, approximately where the internal thread is, while maintaining pressure on the removal tool.

Do you think this will damage the bolt in any way?

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Godzone.

[paulseamus]

Don't heat the bolt.

The firing pin screws into the cocking piece not into the bolt body.

Make sure that you remove the small locking screw from the rear of the cocking piece before you start unscrewing the firing pin.

Paul

[Peter Laidler]

I can see this one going pear shaped somehow. Don't ask...., just a feeling in my bones. A bit like the looooooooooong saga of the non closing bolt!

[snowkiwi]

Well as is often said, ""Perserverence is necessary to establish perfection"", yes the cocking piece screw was removed, but it would appear that the bolt thread was burred, and possibly been wet at some stage. After repeatedly soaking in every known product, the firing pin showed signs of very slight movement, so with a combination of gradually tweaking backwards and forwards over a couple of days, it has finally given up and become free from the cocking piece.

Thanks for all your help