1944 L.E. No.4 Mk 1 - what should the rifling look like?

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dieseldog6

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Hi all,

I've been away from CGN for quite a while, but I'm happy to return to the best source of firearm info and comaraderie in the the country.

I have a 1944 Lee Enfield No.4 Mk 1 with matching bolt that I'm probably going to sell. Before I do, I'd like to get an idea of what the rifling should look like on a decent, shootable barrel. The rifling on this one looks "soft" to me. There's no real edge to the lands. Is that normal or does it indicate severe wear?

I had to clean it for a long time to get all the built up fowling out. It looked totally smooth before that. The muzzle end doesn't seem to have much rifling showing. I can try to get a good barrel photo if it'll help. I want to try to be certain of what I'm offering for sale before posting on the EE.

Thanks.

LE%20No4%20MK1%201944%20BL%2016653%20%231.jpg
 
Pictures of the muzzle and even the rifling (difficult to do, but not impossible) would help a lot.
 
I've seen very very dirty bores that looked smooth, but ended up being actually ok after lots of cleaning.

I'd be surprised if your 44 LE ended up having a worn-out barrel... I've seen really pitted, but worn-out? But everything's possible!

Lou
 
I seem to remember hearing of a trick to see if the muzzle is worn out:

Take a loaded round with a standard jacketed bullet and gently insert it into the muzzle of the rifle If your bullet goes into the muzzle up to the case neck, chances are the rifle's barrel is quite worn.

I don't know the history of that rifle, but its condition doesn't appear that it's been around the block enough times to be 'shot out'.

Hey, I'll gladly take it off your hands for $100. :D
 
Here's what I could come up with to show the rifling at the muzzle. It looks to me like there's still a lot of spots of fouling left that's remaining in a spiral pattern due to the cleaning brush. Any tips on getting the last of it out? Is boiling water recommended?

BTW - a backwards bullet stops in the muzzle before the casing touches, so that's obviously a good sign. I also want to check head space. The bolt head is a #3.

LE%20No4%20MK1%201944%20BL%2016653%20%239%20-%20muzzle%20rifling.jpg
 
Looks decent; you could let solvent sit in the barrel for a few hours (plugging the muzzle before going to bed, fill with solvent, drain the next day); in the worst case I saw, this helped a lot. Yours is far from that worst I saw.

What you could also do is to go to the range and fire a few shots... And then clean it again.

Lou
 
I have seen bores so clogged with copper that they looked worn out, but after much effort with a good copper cleaning solvent, they "became" excellent. Don't give up.
 
You take a fine picture.
Lee-Enfield rifling isn't square like other most rifles. It's like this ( ). Looks worn but isn't. Check the headspace. Matching numbers gives no guarantee that the bolt head hasn't been changed at some time. Slug the barrel too.
Like Lou says, put a rubber stopper(a bullet lightly tapped into the muzzle will work too) in the muzzle, fill the barrel with regular solvent and leave it for 24 hours. Then clean as per normal.
 
I believe there are commecial foaming bore cleaners available that are supposed to be the proverbial cat's ass as well, you can give that a try!

Not to mention a .30 cal brush to push the crud out, if not already done!
 
gyates93 said:
I believe there are commecial foaming bore cleaners available that are supposed to be the proverbial cat's ass as well, you can give that a try!

Not to mention a .30 cal brush to push the crud out, if not already done!
Click to expand...

Wipeout: leave it in overnight. Great stuff.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll probably give it another go with plugging and solvent overnight.

After searching about headspace and reading all the stuff from linked sites I have no concerns at all about excessive bolt wear. Actually, the bolt is locking up so tightly that I think a #2 bolt head might be better. I tried to measure the space between the back of the long lug and the receiver with a dummy round in the chamber and I couldn't even really fit a .002" feeler gauge. The rim thickness was no more than .060" thick, so the current headspace is apparently very tight. I suppose this makes it a bit more attractive if I decide to part with it. ;)
 
dieseldog6 said:
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll probably give it another go with plugging and solvent overnight.

After searching about headspace and reading all the stuff from linked sites I have no concerns at all about excessive bolt wear. Actually, the bolt is locking up so tightly that I think a #2 bolt head might be better. I tried to measure the space between the back of the long lug and the receiver with a dummy round in the chamber and I couldn't even really fit a .002" feeler gauge. The rim thickness was no more than .060" thick, so the current headspace is apparently very tight. I suppose this makes it a bit more attractive if I decide to part with it. ;)
Click to expand...

Like I said, there's a crisp $100 dollar bill waiting for it! :p

Looks like you've got yourself a real nice rifle. If you start into shooting it, you may not want to part with her!

Until you see the price of ammo, at least. :D
 
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