Bolt Disassembly

I'm a relative newbie to the Enfield world so please pardon me if this is a dumb question. When disassembling the bolt for my No1 Mk3***, do I remove the bolt retaining screw before or after removing the firing pin retaining nut?
Thanks
Jon

There's two parts I've never heard of. You need a tool to strip the firing pin and cocking piece...do you have that?

I´ve never really needed that tool.

I have. It only takes one...doesn't sound like he's really prepared anyway. I'm waiting for him to come back and see where he is in this...

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Originally Posted by villiers

I´ve never really needed that tool.

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Do tell!!
Before I bought the real thing I made one out of a curtain rod.

Many don't really require the tool but then I ran into an Ishapore that was so locked up it bent the lugs off the tool. Still haven't got that one apart. To the original poster- I've found quite useful you-tube videos for disassembly/ reassembly of some actions that were new to me. You can usually tell from the video whether the guy knows what he's doing or not. Or better yet locate a good book (there are books by Stratton about both No. 1 and No. 4 rifles and they're cheap).

Ridolpho

I have Stratton's book and the tool is on order.
Jon

Some early No1's use the bolt head on the specially shaped striker collar to remove it. But really, most Armourers agree that however good some of the crunchies are, field stripping should be just that! Stripping sufficient to clean the rifle. NOTHING more!

Mind you, as yet, we don't know what he means by the mysterious bolt retaining screw and the firing pin retaining nut..........

That should've been the striker keeper screw. I have never had a SMLE bolt apart and was trying to go by memory from the picture in Stratton's book. I see now that what I thought was a separate piece (I called it the firing pin retaining nut) is an integral part of the striker itself. So, the question now is: after I remove the striker keeper screw, does the striker simply unscrew out of the cocking piece?
Thanks, and sorry for the bad nomenclature. I can do everything to my M1's asleep and blind-folded but I'm pretty much a noobie to the world of SMLE's.
Jon

Should just unscrew - with a proper tool (which often breaks if the lugs are too hard or deforms if they are too soft, esp. if dried up oil has gummed the threads of the striker)

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Originally Posted by musketjon

does the striker simply unscrew

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As stated, it does. Provided it's going to be easy. That's what Ridolpho was referring to giving him trouble. I guess we'll see.

A trick I use is to wind the firing pin in further, exposing the thread, sometimes if the pin is not flush, but exposed, the threads get peened over, making it very difficult to unwind.
A quick wipe with a file, then unscrew the pin.:thup:

It is not just the thread that can be tight.

There is a little parallel section forward of the thread in the cocking piece and just forward of of the threaded end of the striker. These parallel surfaces were machined to VERY close tolerances and are actually what keeps the two parts in line during all of the bashing around of cocking and firing..

Any corrosion in that parallel region or on the threads will make disassembly "interesting". It may take a few weeks in penetrating oil or plain old diesel fuel to persuade them to separate without destroying your tools.

Thank you all for your responses. I have not received the tool yet. I'll keep you posted on the results.
Jon

Get yourself one of Ian Skennerton's Small Arms ID Series booklets on the SMLE. It has the Illustrated Parts Catalogue copied with PROPER parts nomenclature. It makes life easy for you and the poor sod trying to pick parts for you when in need! They are the big pricey sum of $10!!

Gentlemen,
The bolt tool arrived today. I removed the striker keeper screw, removed the bolt head, and the striker unscrewed without any problems at all. A typical case-book example. Thank you all for your responses.
Jon