Enfield Gouges

[ArtyMan]

Hey guys, I have a problem and was wondering if the Enfield Gods could chime in with some advice.

Today I took my No4 to the range, and put about 80 rounds of new ammo through it, and was having a hell of a time sighting the rifle in. When I managed to get on paper (the rifle was shooting about 3 feet high and a foot left at 50m ), the groupings were about 8ish inches! this is fully rested, testing the rifle, not the shooter. I also tried a few brands of ammo through it, all were performing VERY poorly.

This rifle is new looking inside and out, the barell is mirrored and shiny, with strong, clear rifling. When i proceded tonight to detail strip it, to clean it, i found this....

are these gouges normal (i assume not), would they affect accuracy? what are they from etc.. etc... and would the stock rubbing against the reciever and the barell cause poor accuracy?

any help would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks

 

[LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1]

Two words, Pipe Wrench. Looks like someone tried some home gunsmithing. They would most likely effect accuracy. Looks like Someone either tried, or did swap out the barrel and was too cheap to use, or did not know of a proper barrel rig.

 

[Ryan j]

.....looks nice....

Pipe wrench/hammer marks; could have something to do with your group sizes. I wonder what the threads look like underneath that mess?.... You should have the headspace checked before shooting it anymore also.

 

[louthepou]

I also like the mark on the right side of the receiver (second picture), it even looks bent on the third picture! And there's even a dent on the part that receives the king screw (the metal bushing that should sit there probably doesn't fit?) Artyman, I'm afraid butchers got to it and did a pretty messy job, unfortunately.

Lou

 

[ArtyMan]

luckily its just the pictures, i just checked it,nothing is bent, and everything fits ok

 

[ArtyMan]

is there anyway to fix this mess?

 

[purple]

Yup,it's a pipe wrench.

You did'nt mention any case separations on firing,so headspace is probably OK. It would be a good idea to have it checked anyway.

Beyond this the bedding needs to be checked as you should see better groups than you are. The seat for the front guard screw collar(bushing) is distorted and must be corrected. It looks like you could dress the peened edge down flush with a file and perhaps open it up internally with a Dremel as necessary so that the guard screw collar can bear evenly.There are a couple of recent posts on this forum which discuss correct bedding. It would be useful to check these out to establish proper wood to metal fit. While the bore may appear strong, you should also check the condition of the crown. A lot of MILSURPS show puckered or gouged muzzle crowns which is highly detrimental to accuracy. Also,excessive muzzle wear due to the incorrect use of pull-throughs was a common problem with the Lee-Enfields.

 

[cantom]

Very sad. Can you return this rifle? Just bought it? Demand a refund! I'm not kidding. You got screwed.

 

[John Sukey]

One should check the fit of the forend and make certain it is NOT bearing on one side or the other of the barrel. Forends sometimes warp a bit.

 

[ArtyMan]

The rifle cycled and fired with no problems. I will have to look at the stock bedding situation tomorow, thank you for all the input guys

 

[Vimy Ridge]

Lesson here to strip and thoroughly check rifles when buying.

 

[Pblatzz]

is there anyway to fix this mess?

It looks like the marks were filed a bit to let the stock ring go on. All you can do is file them smooth or flush with the rest of the barrel.

 

[cantom]

Lesson here to strip and thoroughly check rifles when buying.

Pretty hard to do....how often does anyone get a chance to strip a rifle down at a gun show or online?

He has a pretty damned good case for returning this rifle.

 

[ArtyMan]

The rifle was bought off a friend who has never used it. I called him last night and he said he would take it back no problems, but I am wondering if this rifle can be saved

 

[#4mk1(T)]

From your photos the visible damage is confined to the barrel. If a replacement barrel could be sourced you could take it to a competent gunsmith and have it swapped out. The trick will of course be finding said barrel. Another possibility would be to use the wood and fitting from this rifle to restore a sporter bubba. Ether way you go you will wind up with a non-original rifle that you have more into than it’s worth. It is possible someone with out the necessary experience and equipment was already trying to fix the same accuracy problem you have encountered.

 

[Vimy Ridge]

Pretty hard to do....how often does anyone get a chance to strip a rifle down at a gun show or online?

He has a pretty damned good case for returning this rifle.

I was referring to the inspection period after receiving the rifle if buying here. If the seller isn't willing to let you strip it during inspection I would pass. If I bought something like this from a store or gunshow I would be demanding a refund. Anyway, I hope you can get this rifle sorted out.

 

[cantom]

The rifle was bought off a friend who has never used it. I called him last night and he said he would take it back no problems, but I am wondering if this rifle can be saved

The damage is also on the receiver, re the ring where the kingscrew inserts.

That rifle is badly abused by a dreadful hacker and I wouldn't own it at any price. Take the refund with thanks. Best advice you'll get.

 

[Vimy Ridge]

The damage is also on the receiver, re the ring where the kingscrew inserts.

That rifle is badly abused by a dreadful hacker and I wouldn't own it at any price. Take the refund with thanks. Best advice you'll get.

X2 I do think that's the best option. Probably better for your friendship too!

 

[ArtyMan]

thanks everyone for your input, i'll keep you informed on what happens!