Removing Lee Enfield Firing Pins

[Cantom]

I just ordered a complete bolt assembly after the tool (with ample amounts of lube) didn't budge it....and I broke the tool.

I bought a really nice tool recently, it worked easily on the first bolt I tried it on. Second bolt...wasn't moving and I made the decision to leave it as it was, I don't want to break the tool. I wonder if the threshold is, whatever you can get apart using a good tool by hand, take apart. Otherwise, maybe they were meant for each other...

Someone got into the fact that sometimes there's some nasty varnish on the threads plus some thread damage/burred threads that make it almost impossible to get apart.

[Claven2]

Worst case, throuw the bolt into a can of diesel fuel and let it sit for a few weeks. Then try again. Inevitably, some of them will just never come apart. You could cut the firing pin off at the cocking piece and replace both the pin and cocking piece if you still can't salvage it. Only go that route though if you NEED to replace the pin or cocking piece due to wear or breakage, etc. Otherwise, leave it as is.

[Cantom]

Worst case, throuw the bolt into a can of diesel fuel and let it sit for a few weeks. Then try again. Inevitably, some of them will just never come apart. You could cut the firing pin off at the cocking piece and replace both the pin and cocking piece if you still can't salvage it. Only go that route though if you NEED to replace the pin or cocking piece due to wear or breakage, etc. Otherwise, leave it as is.

Something occurs to me...If you pull the cocking piece back as far as it can go and clamp the firing pin shaft just behind the bolt with vice grips or similar, would you be able to just put an adjustable wrench on the cocking piece and thread it right off? That might work even on the really tough ones...or does the projection on the bottom of the cocking piece hit the bolt (I'm at work) ?. Maybe just that little bit of movement you can get by doing that would get it started moving...once apart you could clean up the vice grips marks on the pin.

Cutting the pin off and replacing the pin and cocking piece is another idea I hadn't thought of...might be worth it if you want to keep that numbers matching bolt on this rifle.

[jjwelin]

Try Kroil....

[Cantom]

I have a plan to remove those impossible cocking pieces:

1) Remove firing pin retaining screw
2) Spray assembly with Kroil.
3) Let soak awhile.......
4) Pull cocking piece out to maximum extent
5) Clamp Vice Grips 12LC on to firing pin near cocking piece with the non serrated portion right at nose in attempt not to mark the firing pin up
6) Using adjustable wrench, attempt to turn off the cocking piece counter clockwise- the setup of the bolt does allow for enough swing to get it turning
7) If it still won't move, use heat on cocking piece, hopefully just enough, not enough to bugger the finish and heat treatment- there is a sear contacting surface here after all...actually, for this reason perhaps it's better not to use heat...
8) If it still won't come off, use an angle grinder or Dremel tool with cutoff wheel to cut the firing pin off as far away from the cocking piece as possible, so you can clamp the firing pin remains in a vice- then it should be easy to thread it out of the cocking piece. This way you only lose the firing pin

[gunasauras]

I use the firing pin removal tool that Brownells sells. Even with stubborn rusted in firing pins, It has always worked for me. I soak the whole bolt in tranny fluid for a day or two on real bad ones. Soaking in water also works sometimes if they are rusted bad. The water seems to re-activate the rust and makes dis-assembly a lot easier.

[conifergreen]

I made one out of 3/8 inch steel brake line. Used a bench grinder and dremel to cut the notches. I have used it successfully on three No.4`s but I have one bolt I gave up on. Haven`t tried real hard on that one yet.The nut driver sounds good.

[robertscheib]

Glad I learned of probable difficulties with Enfield f/pin removal AFTER I was finished!!
I just completed strip cleaning and reassembly of two No4-Mk1's [my first Enfields] acquired recently from "BIG5" - as I've learned from experience with other bolt-action milsurps I soaked both bolts in "CLP- Breakfree" for a couple days while working/cleaning on other parts of the rifles. Both bolts came apart/reassembled easily using a tool included with an Enfield "accessory kit" from SARCO. I think the preliminary "soaking" was probably the key to success here.??

[Cantom]

Glad I learned of probable difficulties with Enfield f/pin removal AFTER I was finished!!
I just completed strip cleaning and reassembly of two No4-Mk1's [my first Enfields] acquired recently from "BIG5" - as I've learned from experience with other bolt-action milsurps I soaked both bolts in "CLP- Breakfree" for a couple days while working/cleaning on other parts of the rifles. Both bolts came apart/reassembled easily using a tool included with an Enfield "accessory kit" from SARCO. I think the preliminary "soaking" was probably the key to success here.??

It sure didn't hurt...but some of them do come apart very easily, some of them are well nigh impossible...depends if it's your day...

[Alan de Enfield]

Try this way :

Without a tool you can remove the pin :
Unscrew / Remove bolt head.
Put the bolt body in a padded vise, pull back the cocking piece, clamp the pin (between the bolt body and the cocking piece) with a set of locking pliers (mole grips) and unscrew the pin. Beware - You may cause damage to the pin if it is very tight and the molegrips slip.
But it worked well for me on a No1