Cock on Opening Lee Enfield conversion kits

[303Guy]

Just curious, I've heard these were once available - my gunsmith/ex armourer told me these were once available. He didn't say whether he ever fitted any. I'm just wondering how well they worked and what the kit comprised of. Of course these would have been used on Lee Enfield sporter conversions.

Information

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[jmoore]

I've seen the conversions for the "other" Enfield, but not the SMLE/No.4 type action. The utility would be questionable without some sort of fancy single stage trigger. And even then it wouldn't make a benchrest rifle out of 'em. But if such conversions were done, the knowledge might come in handy one day!

I did do a "speed lock" assembly once. Worked, but saw no real practical benefits. Wolff "Blitzschnell" mainspring and a lightened, short stroke cocking piece:

[303Guy]

Interesting. I thought about shortening the anvil but then the stiff MLE trigger would remain. I'd have thought shortening the seer would achieve the same result and lighten the trigger considerably without changing the bent to an unsafe angle. Of cours one cannot simply shorten the seer but I was wondering whether the kit had a shortened seer and a stiffer spring.

On an aside, I've always had a problem with the strait sided cocking piece - yours is a solution to that.

[jmoore]

I thought about shortening the anvil but then the stiff MLE trigger would remain. I'd have thought shortening the seer would achieve the same result and lighten the trigger considerably without changing the bent to an unsafe angle.

Not sure what an "anvil" is, but you can adjust the pull weights somewhat by controlled angle changes. Any significant sear face alteration does run the risk of having the safety no longer function, but that's true of most bolt guns. Can't tell you how many Winchester Model 70s I've seen with non-functioning safeties! Unless the pull is particularly hideous, I'd just leave it be.

Just exactly which L-E type are you wanting to mod?

Not much meat left on this cocking piece:



And obviously the safety is useless:



It was only done because the cocking piece was already broken!

[303Guy]

Oh, I'm not actually planing on modifying one but it would be an MLE. I do have one with a modified draw which if the bolt is slammed close will fire! I have to do something with that one but I was going to reset the draw angle to original. What I want to see is the striker draw back on pulling the trigger and return when the triggI haven't gotten round to that one yet. I'd change it to a SMLE two-stage if I can find the parts. The safety will still work but the cocking piece would have to be drawn back a little to engage it.

[Peter Laidler]

The No8 bolt was a cock on opening affair. What's the advantages of this method? Nobody could ever explain it, even while I was an apprentice during theory lessons. The only sort-of explanation was that some .22" ammo was rubbish so that in the event of a missfire, you just lift the bolt, cock and fire again.

Against that was the Ordnance regulations that stated that in the event of a missfire you eject the missfired round and set it aside for disposal. Only you didn't..... you rotated it in the chamber until it DID fire. End of problem!

[Rumpelhardt]

After years of using cock on opening rifles I got a couple Lee-Enfield's and a Swedish Mauser. I now actually prefer cock on closing . Is there supposed to be some advantage to cock on open?

[jmoore]

Is there supposed to be some advantage to cock on open?

A couple: you can use a stronger striker spring which means that it's easier to lighten the entire assembly and still get good ignition. The other is that there's less shock loading on the sear when the bolt is operated quickly, so you can more easily incorporate trigger and sear assemblies capable of light pull weights and single stage letoffs. Neither is important from a military standpoint. Or even from most practical standpoints! But it makes benchrest shooting easier.

[Rumpelhardt]

That does mirror my experience though I always put it down to my Remington 700 with a Timney trigger and Winchester model 70 with it's very good factory trigger both being adjusted to a very crisp 3 lbs.. I never associated trigger pull with the operation of the action.

[Curator]

Dayton-Traiser offers a cock-on-opening conversion for the No3 Mk1 rifle also known at the P-14 (and M-1917) or the American Enfield Rifle. This conversion comes with both after market trigger and new firing pin spring. Probably a good idea to harden the bolt surfaces altered afterward but what you end up with is a Remington M30 rifle action.