No1Mk3 SMLE full restoration - from scratch

[CINDERS]

Better than trying a screwdriver bit in the drill press when you're alone.

Betchya that was fun Jim while it whirled around or created havoc !

[browningautorifle]

Well, not quite like that...

[M2phil]

It looks like a great project, entirely restorable. You might have a decent bore there. Unless it was fired with corrosive primed ammunition and left to rot, you have a good chance of actually finding lands and grooves. Its funny how often I've gotten rusty old rifles like your SMLE (and worse!) but with a nice bore under the crud. That rust will come right off with 0000 steel wool and oil or solvent. I have always had success with Hoppe's no.9 solvent. The advice about the screws and using a liquid wood stripper is right on. NO sandpaper on that stock, please! Best of luck!

[browningautorifle]

Its funny how often I've gotten rusty old rifles like your SMLE (and worse!) but with a nice bore under the crud.

True that, I bought a 760 Remington from my past Father-in-law and looked down the bore to see a black hole. The rest of the gun wasn't stellar and was covered in dried out motor oil. I pulled a new brush through a couple times and an oiled cloth a couple times...then looked to find a mint bore. Mind, it wasn't covered in dry red rust... But we ARE waiting for you to get a bore brush down there and tell us.

[Vigilant]

I will definitely keep you guys posted with pics, and im sure i will need all the help i can get being the first time ive handled fire arms before I would love to bring it back to working condition. Ill let you guys know about the bore and such when i get the rifle back, its currently being held at a local gun store until my fire arms license goes through in the next couple of weeks.
I think it was found in a lagoon near my house several decades ago then it used to sit above our slow combustion stove, so the extreme heat all the time during the winter would have kept the moisture out of it, it was only recently now that im older that i found it again

I noted the wings on the hand guard straddling the rear sights is bowed quite a bit, would it be worth to buy a new used guard or try and level it out, im aware that that are extremely fragile, would be a shame since it looks like all the wood is matching.

[browningautorifle]

in a lagoon

Unreal...

[Peter Laidler]

Can I be a bit more brutal - and realistic than most of the forumers so far, in a most respectful way.............? Looking at what you've been lumbered with I'd say that the very FIRST thing you need to do before youy even think about starting the de-rusting treatment is this. Scrub the bore like it's going out of fashion. If it's crap at the last 6" of muzzle then don't bother flogging this dead horse.

If the bore is OK, then listen to this. ALL RUST IS SURFACE RUST. There ain't no other sort! Take the bull by the horns and accept that this isn't an all singing and dancing £20,000 Purdy work of art but a 1926 ex Military battle rifle. It will NEVER be anything else!. Now strip it using the best technique you have and have the whole lot totally fine grain bead blasted. It'll leave a slightly matt but pitted surface but no rust. Then take it to a local agricultural implement repairer/manufacturer and get him to phosphate it in the phosphate tank. That will a) get rid of the rust and b) chemically seal the steel surface. Then paint it with a hard bake paint. That is just what the military have been doing since 1944 and still doing it to this day. You could leave it a dull grey phosphate finish but if you do, just keep it oiled.

[Vigilant]

Just thought id give you guys an update, the rifle is registered and all that jazz so its back in my possession. Ive taken some better pics here SMLE - Album on Imgur

Currently in the process of breaking it down, just need to keep oiling the screws over the next few days as some of them don't want to budge while others will come out quite easily.

[CINDERS]

Reckon it would have been fun to carry slung on the shoulder with the front band like that

[browningautorifle]

Well, this ought to be good. I'd suggest doing what Peter said, and scrub the bore as much as possible. Still, it would be good to see this de-rusted and all. You still need a bolt and the mag may not survive the de-rusting... Some screws may be hard to deal with too.