1944 Long Branch No.4 MkI* issue

vermintrex

vermintrex

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Hi,

I just received my first Lee Enfield in the mail yesterday. It's a 1944 Long Branch No.4 MkI* that has been marked for "sold out of service". It has a FTR bolt with no serials, but is correct for a Long Branch. The furniture looks to be either FTR or repro, the forestock has a nice milsurp walnut/BLO look, the buttstock has an ugly polyurethane finish that I'll be trying to refinish to match the rest although I can't tell if it's the same kind of wood as the forestock. There are no markings I can see anywhere on the stock.

My issue (which was not disclosed by the seller...grumble) is the trigger. It rattles..as in freely dangles with at least 1/2" of play..zero tension whatsoever. When I take up the "first stage" 0lb trigger it will eventually encounter tension and has what I think is a normal "second stage" and the rifle seems to dry-fire just fine. Has anyone encountered this before ? I have no experience with No.4 MkI*'s so I don't know if this is a common issue such as a worn or missing spring, or if it indicates something worse like a irreparable modification of the trigger group by bubba.

I did search google but found very little that sounds like my issue. I have other milsurp's and I'm quite aware that these rifles have seen service and tolerances might not be quite what they were when they left the factory, but this trigger can swing like a pendulum just by rocking the rifle back and forth.

Bore is a nice shiny 2 groove...at least it's in good shape : )

I'll try to get some pic's up for general curiosity, but I won't have a chance to pull the trigger group till I've researched how to strip the rifle.

Hope I've described the issue clearly enough....thanks for any feedback !

just realized I have the wrong model in the title, should be: No.4 Mk1*
 
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I'm guessing you have the No4 Mk1/3. These had the trigger receiver mounted like the No4Mk2 during FTR. My Mk2 trigger feels great. When you first put your finger on the trigger when rifle is un-cocked, it should fit tight against about 1/2" of pressured travel till it stops. If you grab the trigger at rest in the uncocked condition, you can move it freely forward about 1/2". Is this what you are referring to? If so I believe This is normal.

My No 1MkIII is similar but not as nice as the Mk2 trigger feel in my mind.It is sloppier at rest when uncocked. Is this your first Enfield rifle?
 
RememberTheSomme said:
I'm guessing you have the No4 Mk1/3. These had the trigger receiver mounted like the No4Mk2 during FTR. My Mk2 trigger feels great. When you first put your finger on the trigger when rifle is un-cocked, it should fit tight against about 1/2" of pressured travel till it stops. If you grab the trigger at rest in the uncocked condition, you can move it freely forward about 1/2". Is this what you are referring to? If so I believe This is normal.

My No 1MkIII is similar but not as nice as the Mk2 trigger feel in my mind.It is sloppier at rest when uncocked. Is this your first Enfield rifle?
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Hi, thanks for responding. Yes, first Enfield.

The trigger is moves freely without a hint of tension in the first stage, cocked and un-cocked. When I say moves freely, I don't mean a "feather" light first stage pull. I mean it is in contact with nothing and is just swinging on it's fulcrum. Like I said I haven't had a chance to disassemble it yet so I'm not sure if it's got the trigger hanging from the receiver instead of the trigger guard, but either way it shouldn't be swinging completely loose, of that I'm pretty sure.

Thanks for the help !
 
Vermintrex don't get too upset earlier on I'm thinking it's normal, my No1 MkIII is very loose compared to the receiver hung and lightly used No4Mk2. Others will chime in with vast more experience with more than two rifles and very limited experience like me. My No4 feels perfect as the tension between the pin and the trigger holds it snug to where its travel should start. The No1 with probably alot more use on the trigger itself and being on the guard is way more loose. Sounds like yours. Stay tuned alot of Enfield experience will chime in for sure.
 
My LB has a ton of travel. In fact it has the worst trigger of all my rifles. It's still my favourite though...
 
When you guys say it's normal...do you mean it's normal for an No.4 Enfield straight off the assembly line....or a typical characteristic of a well worn No.4 ?

I found one diagram where it points out 2 lobes on the trigger that provide contact with the sear for the 2 stages of tension. But even if the first lobe was completely ground off (why anyone would do that is beyond me) it still doesn't look like it would allow for the amount of free play mine has. Is there a way to tell if my trigger is hung from the guard or receiver without removing the group ?

And just to clarify...it's not the amount of travel that concerns me...it's that it swings freely without much more than blowing on it.

Sorry for the guess work on my part, I realize this would be infinitely easier to diagnose with a picture of the trigger group, just haven't had a chance since I only got it last night. I'll try to get something up asap.

Thanks for the help !
 
dannyd123 said:
Its normal out of the factory. Dont worry. My FTR'd no4 is identical to what you described, and it was like new.
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ok...makes me feel better. definitely sounds more common than I thought was possible.

Thanks guys !



Edit: just realized I had the wrong model...sorry, definitely an Enfield noob. It's actually a No.4 MkI*
 
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