Removing an Enfield Barrel.

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MarkdevCanada

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Hello all: I've got an enfield No 1 MkIII with a shot out barrel that I'd like to remove. I presume that are special wrenches to hold the receiver and the another to hold the barrel. Anyone have any idea where I could find them.

Thanks & cheers
Mark
 
I think I could make a barrel wrench, its just a hole with a flat spot, but the receiver wrench is a bit more. Does anyone have plans for a such a thing?

Cheers
Mark
 
No 1's are breached up in two spots, on the front of the reciever and inside the reciever at the breach end of the barrel, gotta admire the work, they can be a real nightmare to get off. Do you have a replacement barrel? You can not change the bolt head like a No 4 to get the correct headspace!! If you are close to Edmonton, we have a proper breaching fixture for No 1's and No 4's and can do them.

Scott
 
The breech of the barrel not only has the flat, but is tapered. Makes fitting the blocks a bit tricky. Easier to fit the blocks just in front of the breech.
Receiver wrench is two piece. One wraps around the top of the receiver, the other on the bottom flat, with provision to clear the front trigger guard screw lug.
I have found SMLE barrels easier to detach than No. 4s.
No. 4 barrels are timed pretty consistantly. SMLEs less so.
 
m39a2 said:
No 1's are breached up in two spots, on the front of the reciever and inside the reciever at the breach end of the barrel, gotta admire the work, they can be a real nightmare to get off. Do you have a replacement barrel? You can not change the bolt head like a No 4 to get the correct headspace!! If you are close to Edmonton, we have a proper breaching fixture for No 1's and No 4's and can do them.

Scott
Click to expand...

What do you mean by breached in 2 spots? Do you mean how the barrel mates or contacts with the receiver?
 
The receiver has two shoulders - one internal, one external. Have a good look at the barrelled action, you will be able to tell if the barrel has contact at both. No. 4s use the external shoulder, 98 Mausers, the internal.
If the barrel coming off is a scrapper, cut a relief groove just in front of the receiver ring; this will ease off some of the torque. Again, if it is utter junk, grab the breech of the barrel with a pipe wrench. Hold the receiver in a good fitting wrench, you don't want to tweak it.
In theory, a No. 4 barrel pulls up about 14 degrees before top dead centre, and uses about 120 ft.lbs of torque to index.
If your replacement barrel doesn't index, a lathe and perhaps a reamer are going to be needed. If it indexes, but headspace is off, you will need either a reamer, or a sack of boltheads.
 
MarkdevCanada,

Listen to the folks who are telling you the SMLE is not the rifle to learn rebarrelling on. There are more ways to screw up your receiver than there are to get it right. You need the proper wrenches, a dummy bolt and a knowledge of what you're doing. For a one off you are much better off paying someone who has the proper tools and some experience with Enfields. There is a thread on the CSP SMLE forum by a British armourer on rebarrelling Enfields. You might want to read it before you tackle the job.
 
Tiriaq, Bolt heads won't help with a No 1, there is only one size. They went with different bolt heads for the No 4 but the No 1 was done the "Old fashioned" way!

Edmonton is not that far away, let me know if you want us to do the work and I'll have Kenin tell me how much. Do you have a barrel to replace the old one? If not, this project could prove more costly than the rifle is worth!

Scott
 
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