SSA 1917 SHTLE No1 MkIII* barreled action photo study

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tplumtree

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Hey gents, I thought I'd share this interesting piece with you that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at the Kamloops gun show. I was doing my usual quick scan through the tables looking for Enfield stuff when I came across this dirty old SHTLE with a sportered stock and $40 price tag. It was more or less complete with matching receiver, bolt and barrel. The magazine and the trigger guard assembly was included although these are not shown in the photos as I have stripped it down. As I already had a sporter Lee Enfield in one hand, and the price was good for a parts rifle, I gave the friendly old-timer at the table his $40 without question and carried on. The rifle was a hell of a mess when I got it home and began to strip it down. It was absolutely packed full of grease and dirt, and truly the filthiest old scrap of iron I've ever seen.

After a couple of hours of cleaning I started to pay attention to some of the markings and realized that there was no maker's stamp in the usual place on the right side of the socket. That's when I noticed the "SSA" stamps on top of the socket and again on the barrel. Turns out this is a "Peddled Scheme" rifle, and a relatively rare in terms of total production of No1 MkIII rifles - I emphasize relatively rare. Anyway, I was pretty pleased with myself until I cleaned the bore and noticed a dark patch inside near the muzzle. Sadly, I discovered that the barrel has a bulge. No wonder that nice old timer told me she shoots real straight with a twinkle in his eye! Not sure who got the better of who in that deal, but anyway I share these pictures for your interest.

By the way, there are plenty of forum discussions on the web regarding the interesting story behind these SSA Lee Enfields so I won't bother to repeat the info here. http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=27084


























 
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A gap between the barrel & receiver is nothing to worry about on a SMLE only a No4 as they breach up differently, i have a few rifles with the gap & they have the original barrels.
 
There should be a lead crush washer in there also. It held things in proper alignment until the Proof round had been fired.

The Proof round actually expanded the chamber and jammed the threads together very tightly.

No problem.
 
What's a lead crush washer Smellie?

Yep the gap between action and barrel is very normal on an SMLE. It was not necessary for the barrel to torque up on both face and shoulder and would only have slowed up production requiring more time to achieve the finer tolerances.
 
It's a thin washer made out of lead.

Lead is a 'dead' metal which deforms easily and has a tendency to stick to iron.

The lead washer is inserted between the Body and the Barrel. When the Barrel is tightened, the lead washer distorts slightly and adheres to both Body and Barrel, holding them in alignment until the Proof round is fired.

Once the Proof round is fired, things are TIGHT. Some of those old Barrels are on so tight that it almost takes Paul Bunyan to get them off.... yet they turned ON by finger-power. Get the old Barrel off, you will find that screwing on a fresh one is easy, almost TOO easy. Solution is simple: fire a Proof round and everything is locked-up TIGHT.
 
I must say, after removing a number of SMLE barrels, I've never come across a lead washer. I've always understood that barrels were torqued up and wouldn't have required the aid of a lead washer.

Interesting.
 
HarryD said:
I must say, after removing a number of SMLE barrels, I've never come across a lead washer. I've always understood that barrels were torqued up and wouldn't have required the aid of a lead washer.

Interesting.
Click to expand...

Ditto, but will check with my gunsmith as he is very old school & would have done it many many more times than me.
Will post some pics of some of the gaps on my SMLEs tonight, have a couple on the computer from a thread on this a while back.
 
I have seen a couple. Don't see many because there aren't replacement Barrels so we don't remove many!

Use one when installing the new barrel for sure. They just turn on with finger-power; Proof round sets them up okay.
 
All of these have their original barrels, so if you see a gap on a SMLE or a Longlee, don't worry about it.

1918 SSA with a gap


The gap on my 1923 MkV


& a 1893 LSA MkII Metford


& here is a barrel that is one turn out, as you can see, this would be obvious.
 
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