BSA No1 MKIII screw sizes
- Thread starter Fremen
- Start date
MOST of the screws you will be needing will be Enfield thread, an early version of Whitworth and designed by him: 55 degrees, rounded tops and bottoms.
Also, they will NOT be to our pitch standards.
There are also some REAL oddball ones in there, screws which will fit nothing else ever made.
There is a convenient CHART over at enfield rifles dot com; you can get to it by googling "enfield rifle screw chart".
Be prepared for a truly mind-altering experience.... without the inconvenience of LSD!
Best thing is to find screws from dealers: expensive, but they work.
Important point: many Number 4 and 5 screws are similar but will not work. SMLE screws are ALL rounded-tops; Number 4 and 5 screws are ALL flat-top.
Hope this helps.
Also, they will NOT be to our pitch standards.
There are also some REAL oddball ones in there, screws which will fit nothing else ever made.
There is a convenient CHART over at enfield rifles dot com; you can get to it by googling "enfield rifle screw chart".
Be prepared for a truly mind-altering experience.... without the inconvenience of LSD!
Best thing is to find screws from dealers: expensive, but they work.
Important point: many Number 4 and 5 screws are similar but will not work. SMLE screws are ALL rounded-tops; Number 4 and 5 screws are ALL flat-top.
Hope this helps.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Known as the "enfield inch" the thread sizes are an "in house"pattern, NOT BSF or BSW.
As smellie said, buy the screws you need from the dealers.
The Noi4 uses standard Brit threads
As smellie said, buy the screws you need from the dealers.
The Noi4 uses standard Brit threads
x2 on the weird threads on Enfield SMLE screws, but I think the question was regarding screw bit sizes.
Screwdriver with changable tips is the way to go. Make sure that the screw bits that you buy (for your screwdriver) are good quality and have parallel ground tips. Regular tapered blade screwdrivers will cam out of the slot and chew things up.
Enfield screws tend to have narrow slots for the size of the screw head. You may need to do some grinding.
Don't try unscrewing tight screws if the blade does not fit the full width of the slot, or again, chewed heads will occur.
Screwdriver with changable tips is the way to go. Make sure that the screw bits that you buy (for your screwdriver) are good quality and have parallel ground tips. Regular tapered blade screwdrivers will cam out of the slot and chew things up.
Enfield screws tend to have narrow slots for the size of the screw head. You may need to do some grinding.
Don't try unscrewing tight screws if the blade does not fit the full width of the slot, or again, chewed heads will occur.
Missed, that Englishman; I use solid-shank screwdrivers rather than mess with bits.
Further on the Number 4 and 5: threads are BA standard: British Association.
This is a 47-1/2-degree rounded thread on a metric standard, generally numbered 1 through 10.
Taps and dies are available at a GOOD machinists' supply.
There are also a few sets around which developed legs and walked out of Long Branch, many years ago.
Does ANYONE know where to find taps and dies for the SMLE??????????
Further on the Number 4 and 5: threads are BA standard: British Association.
This is a 47-1/2-degree rounded thread on a metric standard, generally numbered 1 through 10.
Taps and dies are available at a GOOD machinists' supply.
There are also a few sets around which developed legs and walked out of Long Branch, many years ago.
Does ANYONE know where to find taps and dies for the SMLE??????????
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- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Oddly enough I do have a couple of sets of metal plates used for cleaning up buggerd smle screw threads. dated 1943
