Enfields: a lesson and a question

[Pblatzz]

like a shop that has C/|\ stamps remarking rifles and pistols to increase their value

Hummm....Want some salter on that rifle?

There has been rumors regardsing the high number of C Broad arrow markings showing up on rifles for a while.... SMLE's, Revolvers, etc..

 

[purple]

Bolts and bolt heads did become unservicable in use and were replaced when necessary.To quote para 78 of Cdn Army EMEI dated 27 Jun 55 in connection with replacing boltheads which overturn in relation to the bolt;" If a new bolt head overturns in the old breech bolt the later will be replaced,and the number of the rifle will be stamped on the rear face of the bolt lever upon completion of the fitting".

I do not see any profaning of anything by re-stamping a bolt to match the rifle once correct bolt fit and headspace has been established. I once had the opportunity to examine a big box of new,un-issued,and obviously unserialized, No4/No7 replacement bolts in 25CFSD Montreal. I suppose that they eventually made their way to the smelter along with other surplus weapons and related spares.

And to respond to the question,it does work out well for me personally as I have the assurance that I can match all of my bolts to my rifles as a safety precaution before firing them.

 

[Gary D]

You know what, I still think that smells like sh*#.

If you run out of adjustment with various boltheads on an existing bolt you can swap out bolt bodies until you find a longer one which will get the headspace within tolerances. The next step is to file out the new bolt s/n,re-stamp with the rifle's s/n,and then re-blue or re-park the bolt. I've done this with a couple of Long Branches and it works out very well.Nowadays it seems easier (and cheaper) to find a replacement bolt than a long bolthead.

That is BAD advice! L-E bolts can't simply be swapped, unless you have several to choose from and can find one whose lugs bear evenly. Usually the bolt that guys think is longer only seems longer because only one lug is bearing, thus forcing the bolt farther ahead in the action. If bolt bodies came in different sizes, the firing pins would have to, as well. I have and have had dozens of L-E's, and all five bolts in my No.4's ,as well as six spare bolts in my parts box are the same length. A mix and match test showed that only one bolt was able to interchange directly, due to the lugs bearing unevenly. REMEMBER, in the rear locking Lee action, BOTH lugs must bear!! The common misconception seems to be that the solid rib does the locking, and the small lug is merely a "safety lug". That is NOT the case! A poorly fitted bolt will, in time, match itself to the rifle as the one bearing lug compresses its seat. Of course, as it does so, the headspace opens up again. Then you're back to square one. A mismatched bolt could even be dangerous with hot loads.

You are correct sir. My post was short and did not get into the aspect of checking the bolt bearing surfaces which is essential when selecting and fitting a replacement LE bolt.

OK so you were in a rush, but thought instead of writing something to the extent of "But be sure to make sure both rear locking lugs on the new bolt bear evenly" you chose to write "The next step is to file out the new bolt s/n,re-stamp with the rifle's s/n,and then re-blue or re-park the bolt. I've done this with a couple of Long Branches and it works out very well."

as the guy reading that transaction it sounds more to me like you got called and were trying to CYA.

Now as to quoting military service manuals for procedure, that's great if this is actually being performed by an armourer in a base shop, but it's not. We all know that there is a far greater resale value to rifles with matching S/N, so lets not pretend otherwise, that's just insulting. You will also note that nowhere in the REME instructions did it say anything about grinding of old serial numbers and re-bluing. Every LE I've ever seen that had parts re-fitted in service had the old number struck and the new # added. Obviously showing that the part is not original to the rifle, but that it is a replacement for that specific rifle hence forth. But you weren't doing this, you were eliminating the old S/N and making it appear that the bolt is the original. And based on your initial post it's not entirely convincing that you were properly fitting the bolts in the first place, and not just swapping them and re-numbering.

In a Hobby dominated by collectors, IMO this is nothing short of fraudulently altering a rifle. Better Bubba than a fraud.

 

[purple]

Hey Mr Gary,give it a break. I'm not a gun dealer.I use and maintain my firearms to satisfy myself,not self-appointed gun collector cops,judges,or gurus,and I'd like to think that most people do likewise.

I've owned a wide range of military surplus rifles going back to the days of $18-$30 Enfields and $40 Springfields in the early 1960s. And yes,I've perpetrated some very diabolical and nefarious deeds to maintain them and improve their appearance including swapping out a lot of wood,changing components such as barrel bands and buttplates,re-finishing stocks (although I've never done a No4 stock because I've always had an abundance of very nice ones).Why,I've changed out components on M1917 Enfields to make them parts correct and done the same on M1903 Springfields.I've built some 2 dozen Garands from parts and re-barreled a number of Springfields and No4 Lee-Enfields.And let's not even discuss the amount of re-parkerizing I've done or the many touch-ups of edge wear done with a spot of blueing.

Some of my crowning indignities and frauds occurred 30 plus yrs ago when I accumulated all parts for a C No7 for less than $50,proceeded to build the rifle and even "serialized" it with my old regimental number. I also confess to having a LB No4 with a CAL 7.62 bbl commercially re-blued during the same timeframe. You know I even re-barrelled a 1942 LB with a very tight Brit barrel back then. And let's not even talk about sporterizing various Enfields,Mausers,and Springfields which all worked out to be very good hunting rifles. My last big mis-deed occurred as recently as 2 years ago when I took a LB 74L rifle with original barrel and bolt and a grotty assemblage of Brit parts that I had gotten from behind a farmer's door for $100 and re-built it with all mint LB parts including a mint set of maple wood.

Anyway,I hope that you and other folks enjoy your hobby in the way you like it.I'll continue to enjoy mine as it suits me.

 

[louthepou]

Anyway,I hope that you and other folks enjoy your hobby in the way you like it.I'll continue to enjoy mine as it suits me.

See now that's one thing I agree with!