Removing Enfield No.4 Barrel?
- Thread starter mmattockx
- Start date
every experienced smithy I have discussed rebarrelling enfields with has told me to make that relief cut before i even attempt to untwist the barrel. Then lots of penetrating oil and proper fitting vice and wrench. The relief cut removes all the shoulder tension and way less chance of tweaking a receiver and ruining it.
I mainly mess around with the no 1 rifles though but I'm sure the barrel removal challenges are the same.
I mainly mess around with the no 1 rifles though but I'm sure the barrel removal challenges are the same.
Yeah, the barrel is no issue. Making it work through the action will be harder. I don't think feeding will be a problem, it almost feeds from the .303 mag with no modifications, but the mag adapter and ejector may be more challenging.
Mark
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
strangely enough..... I now have 3 receivers without barrels and sitting in my project bin is a .431" blank and a 44RemMag reamer arrived yesterday
looks like we are both working on the same project
Good deal. Post pics of how the mag, adapter and ejector solutions go. I'm just starting to get moving on this, so I assume you will be well ahead of me on the actual work.strangely enough..... I now have 3 receivers without barrels and sitting in my project bin is a .431" blank and a 44RemMag reamer arrived yesterday
looks like we are both working on the same project
Mark
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
T
definitely looking at some sort of sandwich blocks and an ejector built in as well.
tried to get a desert eagle mag at the last auction but the price was crazy.
definitely looking at some sort of sandwich blocks and an ejector built in as well.
Define crazy? CSC have had them in stock off and on for something like $70 (going from a leaky memory). I thought that wasn't too bad. RDSC shows them on back order for $85, which is getting up there somewhat.
Mark
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
I recall them going north of $100, I stopped bidding at $60
The biggest downside to the Savage style locknut is the work to make that custom nut. Its a couple of hours work, which if one considers typical shop rates, makes it a fricken expensive nut.
No4 receivers aren't as hard as some of the Enfield Pattern 14s and 17s, the biggest worry with pulling barrels on No4 rifles is deforming the metal of the receiver ring. It has to be gripped on the outside because there aren't any internal lugs for an inside type insert.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
About the only way that I have unscrewed Lee Enfield No. 4 barrels - I never pulled a barrel from a Lee Enfield No. 1 - my barrel vice is sort of "home made" with 1 1/2" bore - held together with two fine thread 5/8" bolts. I bought 12" long lengths of 1.5" Aluminum rod from Amazon.ca - cut them circa 1 1/2" long - I have been able to bore matching taper inside those to grip snuggly to the taper area on the Lee Enfield barrel - I never used the "knox form", which I understand some systems use. I am able to split the inserts with Carbide Blade in my mitre saw. Insert barrel into vice - then strip of paper, then the aluminum shims - my big torque wrench registers to 150 foot-pounds (200 Newton Meters) - at least 1/2 turn past that with snipe on strong arm - almost tight enough to get the aluminum in shims to flow. The Action Wrench is a set-up from Brownells - a plate on bottom of No. 4 action to protect that threaded spigot and same diameter top head as used on Small Ring Mauser - snug up those bolts. If 4 foot snipe and feet off floor is not enough to move it, then judicious smack with 8 pound sledge hammer on action wrench handle. Barrel does not turn - something has to give - always careful look and re-measure for broken stuff, because it sounds like I broke something when it lets go - when I wanted to salvage both the barrel and the receiver.
