No4 bent striker to compensate for worn boltway - Acceptable?

[jss]

Is it now or was it ever considered acceptable practice to bend the striker just forward of the cocking piece thus maintaining engagement with the sear to prolong the life of a No4 Mk1 with a worn boltway?.

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[muffett.2008]

Put your helmet and flak jacket on quick.

[Peter Laidler]

Absolutely not ever, ever, never, not ever in a thousand years. A worn boltway is a worn boltway is a worn boltway and that indicates a worn body which indicates a ZF rifle - depending on the opinion of the examiner/inspector with the calibrated inspectors bolt. But bending the striker, even a little bit, will cause more problems than it answers.

But in short, the answer is NO. Might I just ask who told or suggested that it might be........?

[XL39E1]

I think Peter means its NOT acceptable!

[jss]

But in short, the answer is NO. Might I just ask who told or suggested that it might be........?

I hasten to add that no-one has suggested that it is acceptable.
I bought it like that and it seems likely that this method has been used to maintain the correct two stage pull as the boltway/bolt body has worn to the stage where the second stage pull is virtually non existent. The rifle is a parts rifle based on a 41 BSA action which together with the 6 groove? CMK barrel with ringed chamber should really have been consigned to the scrap heap long ago, but I have been learning the hard way!. Several experts have looked over the rifle mostly shrugging their shoulders in a non-commital way, but the opinions differ widely so I have been lost to know what to do with it.
I believe that with a new bolt body and striker, a bit of filing to allow the sear upward slightly with possibly a sliver off the right hand lug if necessary, a correctly matched and fitted trigger guard and bushing, the forend refitted, the bolt lugs stoned, No3 bolthead and/or possibly a new barrel........................!
Nice wood though!.

[XL39E1]

Try first a new cocking piece with a square angle, you might find yours is angled backwards which reduces the engagement with the sear, then try a new trigger which has two pronounced "blips". Yours might be worn which also would reduce the engagement!
Third option is to try a new sear, then a different trigger guard. I would not of thought that the boltway is worn! The bolt body and action are the last things to change.

---------- Post added at 12:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 AM ----------

Another thing to try first if you have not already done so, just remove the trigger guard bushing and re-assemble, might just be its a bit to long.

[RJW NZ]

Wow .. what a suggestion, lol, glad you asked here instead of ignoring it.

This is a hot subject with me since I sent a round off close to a buddy a few years back when I released the safety on a 1 mk3 and the rifle went off instead, it did turn out to be a worn bolt groove allowing the striker knob faces to ride over the sear, and the rifle was scrapped.

I like the suggestions here about trying the different parts before going all ZF, but I have a thought too, what about rummaging through a box of bolts and look for a tighter fitting bolt? If you pull the bolt back and look at the side play you'll soon see that different bolts will have different side play. If your bolt is serialed to the rifle and therefore keepable, just don't shoot with it. Take the pin out to disable it, and tie a note to it, not to be used, and shoot with the better fitting bolt, but put the other in a drawer to travel with the rifles ownership.
I think there's a good chance the others suggestions will bear fruit too,

Actually, I've been playing with bent firing pins and the pins fit into the bolt body is so precise that if the pin is slightly bent it won't enter the tunnel and will jam.
Can you compare the gap between the striker knob front and the bolt body with another bolt to see if they look the same?

Good on ya for asking.

[Thunderbox]

Bending the striker a small amount to restore a trigger pull has been a common "quick fix" in gunsmiths for decades; probably since the first Enfields.

Its not military practice, but then the civilian gunsmith or owner has never usually had access to hundreds of free spare parts from which to find a substitute cocking piece.

I'm not saying its desirable practice - just that it was done from time to time.

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest JSS, why not just take it to one of the reputable gunsmiths, there's a few already piped up on this thread, and see what they say. \it might be that all it needs is a good look over and a bit of easy, simple work and it'll be fine. But leave bodgery or Bubbaisation to the old British cars that they made in your neck of the woods such as Cowley and Abingdon

[jss]

Thanks for the very helpful replies as usual. I was hoping you would say scrap it but on the other hand.......
I think the bent striker has caused wear in the hole at the rear of the bolt body which doesn't help but when I tried other newish bolts with straight strikers, the second stage was still virtually absent even though the bolt was tighter fit.
If only we were allowed to hold a big box of bits, but we would probably have to dismantle rifles like this to get them.
And how far do you go and how much do you spend to keep alive a rifle that you cannot sell on with a clear conscience, especially in light of limited FAC slots.
Every time I look at my Enfields, I find something else wrong with them. Very much like those old British cars they used to make just down the road but which we enjoyed so much!.