No1Mk3 SMLE full restoration - from scratch

[Vigilant]

Yeah the place that was holding it for me is also a gunsmith (seems very experienced) and said he can get me the bolt when I get to that stage, he reckons he has seen some in worse condition as well. Some screws come out with elbow grease while others ill have a crack at every day and keep oiling till they budge. I will be borrowing an impact screw driver i think for some of them.

The magazine i can't get out, I have opened the magazine release and oiled the space around the magazine with lots of elbow grease but i cant get it to budge, i think its due to it being held in place still as you can see in the bottom left where the catch is rusted onto the magazine.
http://i.imgur.com/fdLqrhs.jpg

Should I try and sheer it free between the magazine and trigger?

[browningautorifle]

If you can get the whole trigger guard out then it would be easier to just soak the whole affair in Kroil or some such. That should come out provided the screws will play...

[Simon P]

Depending where it came from the magazine could of been welded or pinned to stop from being removed, seen quite a few like that out in Germany & Italy

[browningautorifle]

the magazine could of been welded or pinned to stop from being removed

I sort of doubt it, considering the history of this one.

[Vigilant]

It was all good, i managed to "wrestle" with the trigger and magazine housing and pulled the whole lot free in one piece as suggested. It must have loosened the magazine as it slid out as if nothing was wrong when i tried after.

Just have six screws and the pin holding the sights in place, the six screws ill need to use an impact driver i think as ill end up stripping them otherwise.

I know the pin holding in the sights only comes out one way, does anyone know which way I should force it out from? there doesn't appear to be a visual indication to it.

[browningautorifle]

. It must have loosened the magazine as it slid out

It was just bound up because of the rust.

I know the pin holding in the sights only comes out one way

The front sight pin will come out either way...no difference...just use a slightly bigger drift to start and then the tiny one to clear.

[Flying10uk]

Soaking rusted metal in Diesel can work wonders but can damage any remaining finish left on metalwork so beware.

[browningautorifle]

any remaining finish left

I think we're past that in this case. Yes, diesel does work well for that sort of thing.

[Aragorn243]

That's a lot more than surface rust. Some may qualify as that but there's some deep pitting in the receiver/trigger/socket area. Soaking in white vinegar will also remove the rust, and remaining finish (I do see some)

[browningautorifle]

remaining finish

I don't think there's any there. There's hard red rust and finer dry red rust...but I don't believe there's any blue left. I'd love to have it in hand to see for sure though. Still think it just need a complete glass bead to clean it.