SMLE Trigger work and handguard question.

[tsquared82]

You have what is not an uncommon problem with some civilian owned LEs. It sounds like the rifle has been assembled but the trigger has not been set up and adjusted with those parts on that rifle.

The trigger is mounted to the trigger guard. Consequently, the relative position of the trigger to the sear can be effected by the woodwork and how the guard is fitted.

Check to make sure that the trigger guard's mag well loop portion is straight and flat (it sounds like yours could be bowed) and that it sits right down into the inlet and bears along the bottom of the inletting along its length.

The front trigger guard screw must be tight and the steel bushing in the hole is correctly set in length (not too long).

You don't mention if this is how the rifle came to you. A previous owner could have assembled it with random parts and and not gone through the procedure to fit them properly and adjust.
This trigger guard mounting of the trigger was an issue in so much that Enfield actually did an update to the design on the later No.4 Mk.2 to remove the trigger from the guard and hang it from a support on the receiver to eliminate the problem of trigger pull off going out of adjustment.

Your problem can be fixed, you just need to read up on adjusting pull off. The resource is here if you do a search.

Rivets for the hand guard spring clip? You might have to make them. It is the tiny brass washers that are impossible to find.

I should have prefaced that I have assembled this no1 mk3 with nearly all NOS parts.... foolishly thinking that I could drop in and play like an AR15. This has been a 3 year project and am getting antsy to finish it. I also have reproduction whitehead scope mounts as I intend to replicate a first war sniper.

So, I have read Laidler's trigger pull off documents. If I understand right, I need to buy a fist full of triggers and possibly trigger guards and see which fits best as there are some slight variations. THEN, I would work on stoning the first stage as the sear demands?

Thank you for your time!

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[Alan de Enfield]

I should have prefaced that I have assembled this no1 mk3 with nearly all NOS parts.... foolishly thinking that I could drop in and play like an AR15. This has been a 3 year project and am getting antsy to finish it. I also have reproduction whitehead scope mounts as I intend to replicate a first war sniper.

So, I have read Laidler's trigger pull off documents. If I understand right, I need to buy a fist full of triggers and possibly trigger guards and see which fits best as there are some slight variations. THEN, I would work on stoning the first stage as the sear demands?

Thank you for your time!

These rifles were the last of the 'Hand Built, Victorian Era Rifles'

Every one was hand built with each part hand-fitted by Armourers who knew what to do, how to do it, and the effect it would have on adjacent parts.


These rifles are the exact opposite of 'plug & play'.

I built my 1st one up piece by piece "0ne piece at a time" (ala Johhny cash) sourced from every corner of the planet. Eventually everything was together and functioning, but it JUST WOULDN'T COCK.

Eventually traced the fault to the forend fouling and stopping it cocking. Replaced the forend with one off my No1 MK3 410 shotgun and it worked.