Bolt/sear issue on Enfield-action Parker Hale

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tlavoie

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I've got a Parker Hale rifle with an Enfield action, one I picked up used maybe 20 years ago. I'd lent it out to a relative for a few years, and eventually got it back... with a different bolt. I would have asked "WTF?", but for all the sense an answer would contain, I would have been as well off to ask the rifle. I did well to get the rifle back, in this case.

In any case, now that it's back, I have found one odd glitch. I don't know if this is related to the bolt change, or if that change was made to try to improve something. I did have a scary incident years before lending it out, where Winchester-branded .303 stuck the bolt closed, with a live one in the chamber; Imperial never caused issues. The problem now is that once the bolt is all the way back, it catches on the sear when moved forward again. A light tap of the trigger, and it goes into battery with no issues.

I haven't tried firing it in this condition, but it feels solid enough. I'd appreciate any advice on the matter. :confused:
 
tlavoie said:
I've got a Parker Hale rifle with an Enfield action, one I picked up used maybe 20 years ago. I'd lent it out to a relative for a few years, and eventually got it back... with a different bolt. I would have asked "WTF?", but for all the sense an answer would contain, I would have been as well off to ask the rifle. I did well to get the rifle back, in this case.

In any case, now that it's back, I have found one odd glitch. I don't know if this is related to the bolt change, or if that change was made to try to improve something. I did have a scary incident years before lending it out, where Winchester-branded .303 stuck the bolt closed, with a live one in the chamber; Imperial never caused issues. The problem now is that once the bolt is all the way back, it catches on the sear when moved forward again. A light tap of the trigger, and it goes into battery with no issues.

I haven't tried firing it in this condition, but it feels solid enough. I'd appreciate any advice on the matter. :confused:
Click to expand...

The firing pin isn't bent down is it?
 
The action requires some fine tuning, I believe. I'm saying this because I've refurbed one Lee Enfield that had the exact same problem. You'd need to remove the forend, then adjust ever-so-slightly the sear. While at it, making sure it's the right one for that rifle... I think the No1Mk3 sear is different than the one for the No4.

Mind you considering the history of your rifle, I'd also consider having everything else checked - as cantom suggest, the bolt's parts; checking the headspace too.

Lou
 
The tip of the sear sounds as if it is catching on the edge of bolt lug as it moves forward in the trackway. Yup, probably due to the change of bolt and the lug being thicker.

Take a real close look at the small lug on the underside of the bolt and see if there is a shiney line scratched on the lug surface to show where the sear is rubbing.

Two ways of fixing. One is to file a small chamfer on the front edge of the bolt lug. This won't stop the interferance, but will allow the sear to jog under the lug's edge and the bolt to close.

The other and prefered method is to center punch the receiver close to the edge of where the sear rests against the body inside. With the bolt removed insert a long center punch from behind to about 1/16 from the edge and give it a small tap to mark the metal. Inspect to see if it is in the right spot then whack it again to make it a little deeper. Refit the bolt and keep checking the action. If it still catches whack it a little more. What this does is displaces metal at the edge which adjusts the sear's resting position. Only needs a small divet to move a tiny amount of metal to adjust to make the sear clear the lug. If you move it too much, it screws up the double pull off and sear engagement.

I'll poke around and see if I can find the PDF page from the Cdn Armourer's manual that has pics to show what I just tried to explain.

Anyhow, only easy when you know how. Would literaly take 60 seconds to fix, but you could also screw things up royaly if done wrong. A big help, aint I?
 
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Awesome help, thanks all. To answer the fcantom's question, the firing pin appears fine. The last suggestion sounds closest to the problem I think, not that I'll claim to be an expert. Checking headspace is something I'll look up as well, since I did read somewhere that there were something like different sized bolts used to get a good fit for a specific rifle. Since I know it's different from what I had, there's obviously some question there.
 
tlavoie said:
Awesome help, thanks all. To answer the fcantom's question, the firing pin appears fine. The last suggestion sounds closest to the problem I think, not that I'll claim to be an expert. Checking headspace is something I'll look up as well, since I did read somewhere that there were something like different sized bolts used to get a good fit for a specific rifle. Since I know it's different from what I had, there's obviously some question there.
Click to expand...

I've swapped bolts between rifles and changed cocking pieces and never had this problem before?
First thing I'd do is change the cocking piece out and see if the problem goes away.
Englishman's suggestion also sounds quite correct.

But yes, since the bolt was changed out for an unknown one, I'd like to have a good look at it (including headspace) before altering the receiver.
 
But if you do lend a gun, let it be an old sportered Enfield. :D

Personally I would have asked the WTF question, as this family member might have the original bolt sitting an a drawer somewhere.
 
I just did a similar repair. As some have already mentioned, the firing pins is most likely bent at the back of the bolt. Parker Hale sporters, for the record have a lighter spring than the military which gives a softer closing action. Since the bolt has been replaced you need to check the lug engagement and the headspace. Is the custom model or the economy sporterized military Parker Hale?
 
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