Lee Enfield stripped butt screw

marsden

marsden

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Hey guys,
Got a Lee Enfield mk111 from a fellow cgn. Will not name him as i supect he was unaware of the problem.
It came in two parts; needing the butt to be screwed on.
The screw (LOL, needs a long screw driver) is stripped.
any advise is very welcome.
Cheers,
 
The last 1/4 inch of the butt stock bolt is square.....The forend has a metal tab that holds the butt stock bolt to prevent the butt from coming loose.
Remove the forend BEFORE attempting to screw in the butt stock bolt or you will split the forend.
If the last 1/4 inch of the bolt is stripped it has probably been taken out without removing the forend. Clean up the threads with a small file and you should be OK.
 
Thanks for posting gents.Yes, the gunsmith and I went over all that. The stock is NOT cracked or split, the screw is simply stripped. This was a cheap but worthy gun to play with.
We will have removed the forend... but it's buggered.
The only option i can (we can) think of is an apoxy "a perment fix" which will not allow me to remove the butt (whatever.. a cheap gun) are part it out.
The sad part is all matching # from 1918.
 
The fore end is buggered? If its just the butt bolt you should have no troubles finding a replacement. If the butt socket threads are shot you could repair it I'm sure. I've bought taps in British thread types through Tracey Tools in the UK or through BritishFasteners in the US. I'm not 100% sure there is enough meat there to heli-coil the butt socket threads but there may be. I'm sure one of those two companies will know if kits are available to do so. Take a good look at the threads on each side and see what you have there to work with.

I'm not sure off hand what thread pattern that bolt is but I'm sure it's available in a drawing over at milsurps dot com if you do some digging in the knowledge library. The more I work on these girls the more I learn damn near nothing is un repairable on them.

Also If the fore end is split in the draws now that also is fixable. A few weeks from now I'll be posting a thread about a wood set I rebuilt from one end to the other to save it from scrap. It's pretty easy to do, just need a drill, dowel, wood glue, furniture stripper, and some raw linseed oil to make the repair.
 
Thankyou flying pig. I will look at my options. Just a shame to have to fix an old girl that was advertized as a working rifle.
I have had great dealings on EE; This fell a little short of what was offered.
Live and learn I guess.
 
Try using the newer style butt bolt without the square end. Usually, only the first part of the threads is ruined from cross threading the square ended bolt. The newer style bolt will often fix the problem. It is highly unlikely that the entire thing is stripped, unless King Kong tightened it.
 
I've got a spare stock bolt you can have:

DSCN7570.jpg


As you can see, it's not a "wasp-waisted" bolt, but it should work for you. Send me your mailing address and I'll pop it in the mail.
 
The Bolt, Stock, Butt of the SMLE rifle is made of "Gun Iron" and is 5 inches long, 7/16 inch diameter and it is British Standard Whitworth threaded, 14 to the inch.

This is a 55-degree round-topped, round-bottomed thread.

You can START with a common 5-inch long by 7/16 National Coarse (also called UNified Coarse) bolt, but the threads will be a 60-degree SHARP V-thread.

You bring this American-size Bolt to correct British specification by modifying the threads by running a Whitworth DIE over them, re-forming the threads to the correct pattern. This will do. BSW and NC threads are the same PITCH, so this is already 14 to the inch, just a different form of thread.

BETTER would b to get a 5-inch unthreaded Bolt or a 6-inch threaded bolt, chop off the extra inch and make your own threads with the Whitworth die or a Lathe. The squared Tip and the Slot will have to be done separately.

BEST of all is finding a bucket filled with originals, in grease.

When installing, make sure you have a Stock Bolt Washer in place first. A very light coating of Grease prevents Rust.

The forged WAISTED Bolt was original during the Great War, straight bolts often being used interchangeably during refits. THREADS were held consistent on this part from LM through the end of production.

Hope this is a little help.
 
If you need help finding a place with taps/dies for the bolt or threads in the socket I just bought a few from a company in the UK called Tracy Tools. They were excellent to deal with and my bits and taps were here in about 3 weeks.
 
I've seen repairs where someone has brazed the threads in the butt socket and then tapped them. That plus a new bolt and things are back (almost) to where they should be.
 
What does "stripped" mean? Are there no threads left? Frankly I find it impossible to believe that someone could strip threads of that size without deforming the butt socket.

Or did the bolt rust into the female threads in the socket and someone cut the butt and bolt off and drilled out the stub of the bolt with too large a drill, ruining the threads in the process?

Photos would help a lot.
 
Thankyou stevebc. bolt was at my door this morning. Problem solved. All locked up tight. RRCo.. yes, it happens and the thread can be "stripped" without deforming the butt socket.
I will pay it forward steve.

Thanks again
 
I cant make the gun show. I have a a small biz to take care of.I hope you will get, or happen to find your way down this end of the country.
I owe you a beer or two.
 
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