No.1 MkIII Help

tjdrent

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
84   0   0
Interested in restoring a Enfield No.1 MkIII (Sporterized) back to original full-length stock, and sights. Any suggestions on where to start..... and what parts will I need to get started. I guess some reading material wouldn't hurt either....

Thanx
 
First of all, is the sporterised rifle you have in a condition capable of being restored?
Has the barrel been bobbed? Sights ok? etc.
 
Gibbs505 said:
First of all, is the sporterised rifle you have in a condition capable of being restored?
Has the barrel been bobbed? Sights ok? etc.

Sorry what is a bobbed barrel..... The rear sight is origninal the front is not.

Sorry I am new at ths

thanx
 
Pictures will help a lot. On that note, you have to find out if anyone has cut or ground down anything on your rifle. To be sadly truthful, if any parts have been cut or drilled, it won't even be close to worth it. A bobbed barrel means someone cut a bit off the end of your barrel.

What you need to do is do a search in the threads here to find older posts of this kind, look on google, and post some pics. It can cost around $50-$100 to restore a typical bubba job, if you can make your own wood. (I haven't sourced out wood).
 
I have just read a great book that will fit your needs.
"Accurizing & Shooting Lee-Enfields" by Brian Labudda & Ian Skennerton.
ISBN 0 949749 81 8
This book covers history, accurized, all of the original equipment & tooling, with lots on the sights.

Good luck

Paul
 
tjdrent said:
Sorry what is a bobbed barrel..... The rear sight is origninal the front is not.

Sorry I am new at ths

thanx
Bobbed=cut short by a would be gunsmith!

Any such alterations would make restoration a useless project.
 
tjdrent, Wood will cost you about $100.00 from Springfield Sporters.com, then add about $30 to $40 for nose cap, barrel band and swivel, inner band and screw, tension spring and screw, rear sight guard and a few other small parts. Numrich also has a good supply of No.1, Mk.III parts and folks on this forum willl also have some parts or advice they are willing to part with. Be aware that when you are done the rifle may still only be worth the sum of all it's parts but it will at least be back in it's original profile. Collectors will argue endlessly about the value of such a restoration as you contemplate but in the end its your call and it can be a good learning experience and you will meet some nice folks. Check out the top of the barrel near the muzzle. The new front sight may be covering the original front sight mounting points. If they are there under the current sight then the barrekl most likely has not been shortened or " bobbed " Get the Skennerton small arms identification series booklets on the No.1, Mk.III SMLE and it will give yopu all the parts nomenclature and illustrations you need of the proper parts. I think it costs about $20.00. I am sure others here will be able to recommend other books as well. be warned though, you get bit properly by the Enfield bug and there is no cure. Good luck, Joe
 
Other than any cut or otherwise machined parts, check the headspace before you spend any money. If it's bad, there's no point going any further. No. 1 bolt heads are not numbered like those of a No. 4. The only way, other than having the barrel machined and rechambered, to fix bad headspace is to try a bunch of bolt heads with proper guages. It gets to be an expensive nuisance having to find/buy a handful if the headspace is bad.
 
Back
Top Bottom