Hi all, first post the forums besides shopping on the equipment exchange. When my dad was around 18 he bought a lee Enfield no4 mk1 .303. Recently in 2017 he found out through trades and sales of family and friends he found that my uncle had it. He bought it back off of my uncle (neat to get your first rifle back after roughly 40 years) but finding now that the bolt will not close. Doesn't seem to want to travel all the way forward to allow it to lock in place. He's debating on taking it to a family friend gun Smith but I was wondering if there was anything we can do, maybe there's a trick to it? For some reason i cant post pictures on here even though i see others posting? I hear there is a no4 mk1 and a no4 mk1*. Thanks in advance, bgmack.
.303 no4mk1 bolt won't close
- Thread starter Bgmack
- Start date
In order to close the bolt, The flip part of the bolt head has to be fed into the track on the right side. As you close the bolt up to about a 1/4 inch to close, push down on the flip over part of the bolt to let it go down to engage the track that keeps the bolt in the breech.
Take the bolt out and trying turning the bolt head in one more rev. That should do it.
Is the rear sight a peep sight on the bridge?
If os, is it a LongBranch made rifle? If so, the bolt head might be out of the track. There is an open palce in the lower rail for the bolt head to drop down, about a half inch before the bolt closes. Only Longbranch and Savage have this feature.
Is the rear sight a peep sight on the bridge?
If os, is it a LongBranch made rifle? If so, the bolt head might be out of the track. There is an open palce in the lower rail for the bolt head to drop down, about a half inch before the bolt closes. Only Longbranch and Savage have this feature.
Only Long Branch and Savage made the No.4Mk1*. Only the No.4Mk1* and No.4Mk1/3 have this feature. (The latter being a No.4Mk1* with it's trigger attachment modified in a post-WWII factory refubishment.)
Hi guys, sorry no pics yet. Spent the weekend playing wjth my newly acquired sks. Not sure if anyone is still watching this thread but I played with my old man's 303 this weekend while he was away for work. The bolt head is threaded all the way into the bolt. Also the bolt is for sure running 100% in the track. But the bolt still seems to be about 2mm shy of being pushed all the way in. I can get the bolt handle about 1/2 way latched down, but not all the way down to be ready to fire. Hoping this weekend to work with on the .303 with my dad to see if we can figure it out.
Still watching. I'm curious and would like to know.
I have had that kind of trouble myself. Maybe not exactly the same, but when it has happened, the problem was that my safety was partially on. Problem solved when the safety was pushed off.
I have had that kind of trouble myself. Maybe not exactly the same, but when it has happened, the problem was that my safety was partially on. Problem solved when the safety was pushed off.
So now remove the bolt and screw the bolt head into the body until it stops. Look to see what made it stop. Is the head tight up against the front of the bolt body, or is there a gap meaning the threaded part of the bolt head is hard up against something inside of the bolt (or the threads are bad)? If the bolt is screwing all the way home then the bolt head is way oversize or there's something in the breach blocking it. If the bolt head isn't screwing in all the way in then the firing pin is too far forward or there's something in the bolt body blocking it. But just to be sure, it's not as simple as you unscrewing the bolt head one too many turns before trying to insert I into the receiver? Because that would cause what you are describing.
OK - it appears you've ruled out the bolt head being loose by a turn. What may be happening is that the bolt head is binding with the bolt body as you close the bolt. With the bolt removed install the bolt head till it stops - note the position of the bolt head relative to the bolt body - use the bolt rib as a reference.
Now insert the bolt into the receiver and try to close the bolt. Check your "witness" mark - the bolt should stop short of the mark. If it stops at the mark, you have a binding problem. (Fixable, BTW...)
Now insert the bolt into the receiver and try to close the bolt. Check your "witness" mark - the bolt should stop short of the mark. If it stops at the mark, you have a binding problem. (Fixable, BTW...)
