Pure noob here! Problem with Enfield bolt..

Rickyy101

Rickyy101

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Hey guys, kind of embarrassed about this one haha. Just picked up my No 4 Mk 1* Enfield and I'm having a problem with the action. I'm sure there is nothing wrong, just my ignorance..

When I put the bolt in, I can't get it to open or close.. help :(
 
Rickyy101 said:
Hey guys, kind of embarrassed about this one haha. Just picked up my No 4 Mk 1* Enfield and I'm having a problem with the action. I'm sure there is nothing wrong, just my ignorance..

When I put the bolt in, I can't get it to open or close.. help :(
Click to expand...

Check the safety. Its the lever on the top, left side of the action. The bolt wont open or close of the safety is on, which is having he lever all the way back. Pushing it all the way forward turns the safety off. Could be the bolt head or the rail too, as Sunray had mentioned.
 
I've seen two different designs.

One, the spring that retains the bolt is at the farthest back part of the rail. Insert bolt, rotate head, pull bolt back so it is tight back and press the bolt head down until you feel it click. Slide forward.
PROBLEM: Some of those retaining springs build up loads of crud under them. If it looks dirty in there, remove the stock and flush out and clean under that spring. Little bits of grit and dried grease/cosmo are really good at jamming that up.

There may be a gap in the rail further forward. Saw this ones a long time ago, don't remember much except the bolt head traveled to that point, then rotated over there.
 
H Wally said:
I've seen two different designs.

One, the spring that retains the bolt is at the farthest back part of the rail. Insert bolt, rotate head, pull bolt back so it is tight back and press the bolt head down until you feel it click. Slide forward.
PROBLEM: Some of those retaining springs build up loads of crud under them. If it looks dirty in there, remove the stock and flush out and clean under that spring. Little bits of grit and dried grease/cosmo are really good at jamming that up.


There may be a gap in the rail further forward. Saw this ones a long time ago, don't remember much except the bolt head traveled to that point, then rotated over there.
Click to expand...

Yup my gap is farther up.

macadoodle said:
post a picture with the bolt in as far as it is going in right now, so we can see whats happening.
Click to expand...

No pics! Alright well, I got the bolt to close, but I had to hold my finger on the trigger, and when I cycled the action I would have to keep my finger on the trigger or else the bolt would just fly back. And there is also no click when I pull the trigger.. :(
 
Next time you have a problem, post a pic, even a crappy one.
Or leave the vowels out of your Question and we will buy them from Vanna White. :)

Kidding!..... Don't be shy about asking questions....some day in the future some one may have the same problem too.
 
No question is a dumb question pal. We're all rookies in some fields, and more so in others. I used to have issues with the bolt head screwing in when I was new too. *smiles*
 
I've owned No4's literally since I was a child, so what happened last week when I was putting my No1 back together? Yup, didn't have the bolt head screwed on all the way, it happens to everyone at least once - you should have heard the language :D
 
That was one of the military exercises to get men to know their rifles. The rifle would be laid on the ground,safety on, bolt out. The head would be unscrewed one turn, the cocking piece turned to the wrong groove. The mag would be removed, and the mag platform. The sight would be adjusted to 600 yards, and 5 dummy cartridges would be laid loose next to an empty charger. The bayonet would be laid next to the rifle. On "Go!" the men would run to their rifle, assemble it, fix bayonets, load the empty charger, load the rifle, set sights to 300 yards, and "fire" five rounds. Fastest man wins. This was with the SMLE, of course. With the No.4, I'm not sure if they still did this exercise. Everyone should try it!
 
Long ago a fellow brought his Lee Enfield to me and said the bolt was broke. Those rifles were only worth about $25 at the time, but he asked me if I wanted to buy it for $5 for parts?
I did.
As it turned out I did more to that #1 mk3 than any other Lee Enfield I have ever had. I made a complete stock for it out of really dry white poplar. When sealed up and finished and the extra ears cut off, it was the lightest LE I have ever had.
I even put a K2.5 on it and as a point of interest, I made a one shot kill on a mule deer buck at 350 yards. The deer was across an opening, facing me on a downhill slope and feeding with his head down. That gave me about a two foot window error of distance aim, where a hit anywhere in the back would be fatal. He dropped in his tracks and the antlers won that years big buck contest in Prince George.
Not too bad for a rifle with a "broken bolt!"
 
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