NO4MKII Bolt

[ssj]

Maybe you just are not engineers and/or consider that your life depends on the tools in front you and know how things can go wrong. and/or have the nature that you just want to know how it works. So for 40 odd years I have had a tendency to strip second hand things down to make sure they are safe and not worn so I can trust them when I come to use them.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Alan de Enfield]

Maybe you just are not engineers and/or consider that your life depends on the tools in front you and know how things can go wrong. and/or have the nature that you just want to know how it works. So for 40 odd years I have had a tendency to strip second hand things down to make sure they are safe and not worn so I can trust them when I come to use them.

Its a good job we are all different otherwise it would be a boring world.

If I want to find out how an 'Enfield' works I'll buy the bits and pieces and build one - if I have a perfectly good one (my unmolested Savage is shooting less than 1 MOA) then I'll leave it alone. I would have no interest in stripping it 'just because I can'.

I get a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from re-creating a rifle from 'nothing', and, sourcing the parts from all over the world is part of the challenge and 'fun'

[Peter Laidler]

I wonder if all the enthusiastic amateurs treat your cars in the same manner. After all, you use them more, for longer and treat them far harsher to boot. Anyone game for a total suspension strip down this weekend chaps? What about a simple job like the induction system - or all of that ignition stuff.

Reminds me of a lad here who'd worked on a few cars and set about his pals pride and joy MGC rear wheel bearings. He treated the taper rollers like a set of ball-races. A little knowledge and all that....

[Seaspriter]

I wonder if all the enthusiastic amateurs treat your cars in the same manner

I have owned cars all my life and, until the mid-1990s have understood the inner workings of every part. (Today, it's far too complex with all the electronics, which increased the size of the shop manual from one 2" thick volume to two volumes, one just dedicated to electronics). I own a restored 1993 Buick "Woody" Wagon, and have the shop manual that describes every inner working. If something goes wrong, I can decide to have a mechanic do the repair or do it myself. Not every electronic module is repairable, some must be swapped out, but I know enough about every function in the car, how it works, and what its symptoms of wear look like. My 1993 has full instrumentation (analog, not digital) as a diagnostic alert. If the valves start rattling, I can pull the heads, do a valve job, and torque the head to specs. If the fuel injectors need replacing, that's a job I should do. Last month the radiator needed replacing -- easily done myself. Installed a new ignition system two months ago. But if the automatic transmission fails, it goes to a mechanic -- I don't have the tools, knowledge, experience or lift. Brakes are the most important safety device -- I let the mechanics do that work, even though I could do it myself. Knowing my car is important; it too is an extension of me. On my 1968 Mustang (since sold), when the engine was worn after nearly a quarter million miles, my buddies and I pulled the engine on a Saturday morning, rebuilt the engine, reinstalled it on Sunday, and we had it on the road in the evening. Ran like it was new. What a joy. Tried upholstering, but realized it was a skill-set that I'd probably never master, so re-upholstery is farmed out.

Wish cars today were simple to work on -- guess that's why I like the old cars, old boats, and old guns -- there's beauty and joy in simplicity for those things that were designed well from inception -- like our lovely Enfields, Springfields, M-1s, M-14s, Colts, and Winchesters. I look at a modern AR-15 and it seems like it came from Darth Vader. A rifle or carbine without real wood to me feels menacing. On most guns I have owned, the stock furniture is removed, the wood fed and stabilized, and the finish redone to glorify the beauty of the wood grain. Rust on an old gun is always treated, delicately. A 20th century military rifle in my collection should be able to be fired without worry or doubt about safety or accuracy. Every part should be inspected -- especially springs, hammers, magazine feeding, etc. Too many historic guns I've purchased were worked on by someone else who didn't know what they were doing -- wrong or missing screws, parts put on backwards, missing or broken or worn out or wrong parts, etc. I don't want to get blown up by inheriting someone else's mistake because I went to the range without inspecting my weapon. If the job requires a qualified gunsmith, that's who's going to do the work. And I don't want to transfer a gun to a future generation and hurt someone's grandson because of my negligence.

[Ridolpho]

I wonder if all the enthusiastic amateurs treat your cars in the same manner. .

Peter: My British bikes I certainly do- fortunately they remained pretty simple right to the bitter end! When I rode my Triumph Bonneville to work it seemed like an hour of wrench time for every half hour on the road. Unless you have a personal mechanic working for you, the only way to enjoy them is to learn how to keep them running. I look at the old rifles the same way. They reward commitment. Regards.

Ridolpho

[CINDERS]

There was a time when you could see all the bits like on my Holden HG Stn Wagon with the 186 Red motor which I could service and tune up (Having been in Garages for 5 years) which was I reckon holdens best 6 out now I flip the lid on the SV 6 6 speed manual car (mid life crisis car could not afford a Walkinshaw SS) and just gawk at it and close the lid after checking the levels one thing you can do. A few things stand out in my head from the garage days,
VW fastbacks are a pain in the butt to work on,
The Valiant slant 6's distributor was in an absolute dog of a place to replace the points on
The Tasmans voracious sump which from memory took 18 pints as the gear box was integral to the sump being an East Wester
Replacing an exhaust flange gasket on a mini cooper is a pain in the rear
And finally replacing the spark plugs on my dads statesman required one to lay on the ground under the car to get No.7 plug out as there was no other way I even had a special ratchet with pivot head and a uni joint but too much junk in the way to even reach it from the top
One compensation of the last garage I worked at was it was in Floreat close to a beach and a high end earners dwelling area and boy there were some very dirty windscreens that needed cleaning when the girls came in bikini clad Oh My???

[WNO1958]

TO Original Poster:

1. There is nothing different about a No4MKII bolt that an No4MKI bolt.

2. Mount bolt securely in a padded vise.

3. Insert firing pin removal tool to engage slots in firing pin.

4. while pressing down strongly on tool turn it counter clockwise. It should move. IF not, add leverage to tool (i.e. place a small pipe around one handle of tool) and turn

This should work but realize the firing pin is in there tight.

If there is evidence of grease/cosmoline soak bolt in penetrating oil (KROIL or similar)to aid disassembly.

Note: Measure firing pin protrusion before disassembly. Set for same amount on reassemble. If you do not know how to check firing pin protrusion - LEAVE BOLT ALONE - DO not disassemble.

Walter

[Seaspriter]

No.4 bolt disassembly

Thanks for the detail. From a prior post on this site, more details:

As Bruce in Oz noted in an earlier post:
"Check that you indeed have the correct pattern of striker. Both SMLE and No4 are .250" diameter and have "fine" threads. HOWEVER: SMLE thread is 1/4" x30 TPI "Enfield Special"; No4 is 1/4" x 26."
There is more to fitting a new striker than you think or are being lead to believe. You CAN do it, so can everyone else but the striker and bolt head together control 7 important aspects of CORRECTLY setting up a bolt the correct way.

Getting the correct shape is important to prevent primer ruptures that will, themselves, cause rapid destruction of your striker AND bolt-head face, by way of high-velocity / high-pressure gas jets. (Like miniature plasma cutters).

Check that you indeed have the correct pattern of striker.

Both SMLE and No4 are .250" diameter and have "fine" threads.

HOWEVER: SMLE thread is 1/4" x30 TPI "Enfield Special"; No4 is 1/4" x 26.

Furthermore, whilst the threaded portion needs to be a "close" fit, the KEY to system "longevity" is the fit of the parallel sections on the tail of the striker and in the cocking-piece itself.

The striker must be effectively a "zero-tolerance", virtually interference fit in the cocking piece, otherwise it will shake itself sloppy in very short order. A "loose" fit will mean very poor consistency of trigger-pull for a start; ranging to major issues with operation of the safety lever and catch and potentially dangerous engagement of the sear with the cocking-piece.

If the tip of the striker is "adjusted" too much, effective protrusion will fall below specified minimum and ignition reliability will suffer.

The path to "happiness" is in several stages:

Select a striker that, by itself, gauges correctly for protrusion with the bare bolt-head you intend to use.

Ensure that the parallel section of the striker just forward of the thread is NOT, under any circumstances, below 0.250" diameter

If you have plug gauges or a "hole micrometer", check that the diameter of the parallel part of the bore in the cocking-piece is not MORE than .0.250. This assembly is not a "racing fit", rather, a seriously precise one.

Ensure that the cocking piece has not been " adjusted" such that the full bent (front face) is "radiused" or otherwise "modified". Any deviation from correct length, perfect flatness (and at the correct angle) is cause for rejection. Attempting to "recover" a dodgy cocking-piece, by regrinding the front face, will likely lead to breaking through the case-hardening AND result in misalignment with the locking lever / safety catch in the "cocked" condition; NOT a good thing.

The ideal solution is to start with a NEW striker and cocking piece and proceed carefully. You will need a properly robust striker tool and a solid vise with "soft" jaws (or the original "special tool") to secure the cocking-piece. You will also need patience and a sense of adventure / humour. A dab of graphite grease on the threads and parallel surfaces is useful as well.

Sure, the proper way for an armorer. Why make a mountain out of a mole hill? This is a simple problem that could be corrected in about 10 minutes by any average Joe without all the complications. I've done it numerous times on all sorts of weapons. I did a thread here on an Yugo M48 that was popping primers because the FP was too long. Not saying Bruce is wrong or off base just there's an easier way from point A to point B.
Take some 320 grit sandpaper and carefully reshape the tip. Then polish with whatever you have around to polish metal and be done with it. Check that your protrusion is within spec "which can be found around here somewhere" and off to the range.

While you have the thing apart, you may as well replace the striker spring (EXACTLY the same component in SMLEs and No4 / 5 rifles), as well; it may have been there a while.
PLEASE read and then read again a short article wot I writ a year or so ago about how to do it properly including the permissible overturn (affected by the striker) lift (affected by the striker) and so on and so on. Including the all important firing pin protrusion of between .040 low and .050 high.

Firing pin protrusion specification
Minimum = .040
Maximum = .050
35thou is a bit short, 50thou more like it.

And don't forget, that every time you change a bolt head - and some seem to do it constantly for some reason or other - it will change the FPP, overturn, lift and so on

[Peter Laidler]

Or, if you'll forgive me for coming straight to the point once again and without apology, if it ain't broke then don't fix it. Just leave the bloody thing alone! I've had my No4T for more years than I even care to remember and know its history before that and it ain't been stripped once.

Where else in the world, except on the forum would you get a single 4 month part/segment of a 3 year (but 5 all in) Armourers apprenticeship on a page of A4.

Maybe Gary can tell us whether the Omega Wristwatch forum advise owners to remove the back to clear, say, a sticking balance spring or speed the mechanism up '....a bit' or remove the engine to oil the stem. After all, that's just a mechanical gear train

[Surpmil]

Well let's not forget that the machinery for RSAF Enfield was purchased in the USA back in the late 1850s...

A leading Chinese rocket scientist did say that "Americans are born with monkey wrenches in their hands". He thought it was an insult, as his kind used to be ever so proud of their three inch finger nails signifying their disdain for manual work of any kind.

Though these days they do seem to be learning to like monkey wrenches more and more!

Besides Germans are actually the largest, or at least the most self-identify ethnic group in the USA: about 50 million descendants today.