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    Legacy Member tatou's Avatar
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    This is why you fully inspect your new rifle...

    I'm in the process of restoring a NZicon carbine and i always like to strip down rifles for a thorough cleaning.
    Look at the gunk in the extractor spring
    Well i got this surprise…. the bolt head tread portion is cut and so is the striker tip.
    ''Luckily'' for me i had a spare striker and i also have a spare bolt i can take the bolt head from.
    Attachment 109928Attachment 109929
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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Legacy Member gerard488's Avatar
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    I am not sure how the cut threads would affect headspace, the bolthead in front of the threads would be the same length. Also, the collar on the striker would stop against the back of the threaded portion so the striker tip would have to be shorter in order to get proper striker protrusion.

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    Advisory Panel Surpmil's Avatar
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    Probably the firing pin tip broke off or was cut at some point and a previous owner thought he could fix the problem by regrinding what was left and shortening the thread so that the collar on the firing pin could travel far enough forward to hopefully get the stub of the firing pin to project far enough to strike the primer.

    That was no doubt a failure, as the cocking piece would then slam into the rear face of the bolt with ever dry or live firing, so the firing pin was welded and ground back to something like original dimensions. There was no repairing the cut thread of course.

    To be charitable, this may be a souvenir of hard times rather than Bubba at his best.
    Last edited by Surpmil; 07-16-2020 at 12:43 AM.
    “There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”

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    Legacy Member tatou's Avatar
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    Like gerard488 said i'm not sure headspace would have been affected by cutting the tread portion ?
    The striker tip is shorter than on the other and welding evidence is visible on it so it was ''reconstructed'' at some point.
    I wonder if the spring force would have been affected since it would have had to extend further, until the collar made contact with the shorter tread portion ?
    Like i mentioned these come from a NZicon carbine and like many of them it is stamped DP... so i don't think it's too far-fetch to assume the striker was also cut at the time of the stamping.
    Someone worked on it operational again.
    In any case i was more interested in it for its collector ''value'' than for it's shooting capability .... (i'm not really interested in shooting any DP rifle)
    I know there isn't much monetary value in it but i feel any NZ carbine is still somewhat desirable and deserve to be dressed up again.
    I'll post better pics of the striker tomorrow and of current rifle condition

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    Legacy Member Mk VII's Avatar
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    Somebody using No.4 striker, instead of the proper one?

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    Contributing Member smle addict's Avatar
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    Just a thought (and a wild guess): Is it possible the previous owner broke the tip off of the firing pin, then turned the firing pin out (unscrewed) one or two turns to salvage what he could? If the fin was unscrewed, then the collar run foul against the base of the bolt head, necessitating shortening that as well.

    As Surpmil pointed out, this may have been an expedient fix to keep the carbine in the field.

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    Legacy Member tatou's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk VII View Post
    Somebody using No.4 striker, instead of the proper one?
    Nope the pin is way too long for that.

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    Legacy Member tatou's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smle addict View Post
    Just a thought (and a wild guess): Is it possible the previous owner broke the tip off of the firing pin, then turned the firing pin out (unscrewed) one or two turns to salvage what he could? If the fin was unscrewed, then the collar run foul against the base of the bolt head, necessitating shortening that as well.

    As Surpmil pointed out, this may have been an expedient fix to keep the carbine in the field.
    It was broken off at some point for sure ... by who, we will never know.
    One thing for sure is who ever tried to repair it wasn't a qualified gunsmith (god i hope not)
    Here's a few more pictures.
    The first is of the rifle when i got it ... at first glance it looks rater nice.
    Attachment 109939

    Next one... the collar doesn't even touch the back of the cut bolt head. It is fully inserted.
    Attachment 109940
    Attachment 109941

    You can see holes in the welds making the integrity of the repair rater sketchy to say the least. The repair is also crooked.
    Attachment 109942
    Attachment 109943

    No idea what happened at the back but someone seems to have thought hitting it would help things.
    Attachment 109944

    And last but not least the repaired tip being too thick for the hole he decided to enlarge the hole.... yet like i mentioned and showed above it is still too small.
    Guessing by then he just gave up on ''fixing'' it.
    Attachment 109945

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    Contributing Member smle addict's Avatar
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    Yeeesh… who knows what happened there. At least it's in the right hands now, and you are doing it justice.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tatou View Post
    It was broken off at some point for sure ... by who, we will never know.
    One thing for sure is who ever tried to repair it wasn't a qualified gunsmith (god i hope not)
    Here's a few more pictures.
    The first is of the rifle when i got it ... at first glance it looks rater nice.
    Attachment 109939

    Next one... the collar doesn't even touch the back of the cut bolt head. It is fully inserted.
    Attachment 109940
    Attachment 109941

    You can see holes in the welds making the integrity of the repair rater sketchy to say the least. The repair is also crooked.
    Attachment 109942
    Attachment 109943

    No idea what happened at the back but someone seems to have thought hitting it would help things.
    Attachment 109944

    And last but not least the repaired tip being too thick for the hole he decided to enlarge the hole.... yet like i mentioned and showed above it is still too small.
    Guessing by then he just gave up on ''fixing'' it.
    Attachment 109945
    Bloody hell! That's some first class bubba work, looks like a blacksmith had a go with a big hammer and a forge, between making horse shoes!

    Well done for saving her, I have a soft spot for NZicon issued rifles, well done!

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