Enfield No.4 Mk1

Bonden · November 28, 2015, 08:51 PM

Well I inherited an Enfield No.4 Mk1. Unfortunately it's been sporterized and it needs a good cleaning but I'm just happy to have my grandfathers gun. Can anyone tell me why the magazine drops down when pressing on the lever in front of the trigger? I would post pics but every time I try to download an attachment it fails.

shuvelrider · November 28, 2015, 09:56 PM

That should be the magazine release to remove the mag, although that rifle was designed to be charged by stripper clips when you open the bolt. The mag held 10 rounds.

kilimanjaro · November 28, 2015, 10:17 PM

You're releasing the magazine catch lever. Clean and lightly lube the magazine, reinsert, and leave it alone. You load through the open bolt, either using strippers of 5 rounds, or single rounds.

The safety is the thumb lever on the left side of the reciever, near the back of the bolt. Rotate flat for safe, rotate upright for ready.

The bolt should be removed for cleaning. Unload the rifle. Lift the bolt handle, pull it back to the stop. Push the bolt removal key, the small knurled block you see on the open bolt near the reciever guides, up to it's left. Making sure the rifle is unloaded, pull the trigger back and pull the bolt all the way out. Replacement is the opposite procedure.

Bonden · November 28, 2015, 11:08 PM

Thanks, Kilimanjaro. After playing around with it a little I figured it out. I just got this gun today. The action is incredibly stiff. Is this normal for this gun? I'm more used to Mausers to tell the truth.

Steve in PA · November 29, 2015, 12:18 AM

Probably needs a good cleaning. I have the same rifle and the action is very slick.

lamarw · November 29, 2015, 10:51 AM

This is a recent thread that may help you: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569269

There is a lot of helpful information on this rifle on the internet. You will learn a lot and get a lot of enjoyment from reading it.

wogpotter · November 29, 2015, 02:12 PM

It absolutely should not be "stiff".
Check things like the safety catch/lever to make sure its not assembled wrong or partly engaged before you damage something.

kilimanjaro · November 29, 2015, 02:32 PM

These were the fastest bolt-action rifles of WWII, hands down. The action should not be 'stiff'. Go down to the sewing shop and get a little can of sewing machine oil and put a few drops of it on moving parts, then disassemble and clean it up thoroughly. All you need is a little oil, no tools required for basic cleaning.

If you're not comfortable doing the work, take it to a gunsmith and pay them to disassemble, clean, inspect, lubricate, and reassemble.

There are numerous YouTube videos about these rifles, you should be able to get it running smoothly yourself.

Bonden · November 29, 2015, 09:46 PM

I hear ya guys thanks for the advice. I bought the Hoppe's No. 9 Cleaning Kit which comes with some lubricant. Will this suffice for the bolt? I also grabbed some extra cleaning patches and some Break-Free Gun Cleaner.

In the mean time I've taken the bolt/magazine out and have been working on cleaning out the dust accumulation.

kilimanjaro · November 29, 2015, 10:23 PM

Between Hoppe's No. 9 and the Break Free stuff, you're good to go. Give it a good cleaning, take your time. If you have an old toothbrush, toss that in your kit.

No need to take the action out of the stock or anything like that.

You'll want to rub the stock down with some wood moisturizer as well, sounds like your No. 4 has been in the closet for decades.

T. O'Heir · November 30, 2015, 02:18 PM

Give it a bath and have the headspace checked. Thousands of 'em have been assembled out of parts bins without bothering to ensuring the thing is safe to shoot.
And slug the barrel. No. 4 barrels can vary in groove diameter from .311" to .315" and still be considered ok. Issue is that there is no loaded ammo or reloading bullets bigger than .312"(it's .311" or .312" only). Isn't unsafe to shoot a .311" out of a larger barrel, but accuracy will be bad.
The stiffness might be from trying to open the bolt with the safety on. However, they usually pop right open with a light flick on the bolt handle. Remember that it cocks on closing, not on opening like the Mauser.
"...You load through the open bolt, either using strippers of 5 rounds, or single rounds..." Or you just load the mag and put it in. Nobody loads an Enfield singly.

Erno86 · December 1, 2015, 12:01 PM

Make sure the front section of the Enfield's bolt is completely screwed in.

November 28, 2015, 08:51 PM	#1
Bonden Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2015 Posts: 8	Enfield No.4 Mk1 Well I inherited an Enfield No.4 Mk1. Unfortunately it's been sporterized and it needs a good cleaning but I'm just happy to have my grandfathers gun. Can anyone tell me why the magazine drops down when pressing on the lever in front of the trigger? I would post pics but every time I try to download an attachment it fails. Last edited by Bonden; November 28, 2015 at 09:07 PM.

November 28, 2015, 10:17 PM	#3
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	You're releasing the magazine catch lever. Clean and lightly lube the magazine, reinsert, and leave it alone. You load through the open bolt, either using strippers of 5 rounds, or single rounds. The safety is the thumb lever on the left side of the reciever, near the back of the bolt. Rotate flat for safe, rotate upright for ready. The bolt should be removed for cleaning. Unload the rifle. Lift the bolt handle, pull it back to the stop. Push the bolt removal key, the small knurled block you see on the open bolt near the reciever guides, up to it's left. Making sure the rifle is unloaded, pull the trigger back and pull the bolt all the way out. Replacement is the opposite procedure. Last edited by kilimanjaro; November 28, 2015 at 10:23 PM.

November 29, 2015, 12:18 AM	#5
Steve in PA Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 1999 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 756	Probably needs a good cleaning. I have the same rifle and the action is very slick. __________________ Steve

November 29, 2015, 02:12 PM	#7
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	It absolutely should not be "stiff". Check things like the safety catch/lever to make sure its not assembled wrong or partly engaged before you damage something. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

November 30, 2015, 02:18 PM	#11
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Give it a bath and have the headspace checked. Thousands of 'em have been assembled out of parts bins without bothering to ensuring the thing is safe to shoot. And slug the barrel. No. 4 barrels can vary in groove diameter from .311" to .315" and still be considered ok. Issue is that there is no loaded ammo or reloading bullets bigger than .312"(it's .311" or .312" only). Isn't unsafe to shoot a .311" out of a larger barrel, but accuracy will be bad. The stiffness might be from trying to open the bolt with the safety on. However, they usually pop right open with a light flick on the bolt handle. Remember that it cocks on closing, not on opening like the Mauser. "...You load through the open bolt, either using strippers of 5 rounds, or single rounds..." Or you just load the mag and put it in. Nobody loads an Enfield singly. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 28, 2015, 09:56 PM	#2
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	That should be the magazine release to remove the mag, although that rifle was designed to be charged by stripper clips when you open the bolt. The mag held 10 rounds.

November 28, 2015, 11:08 PM	#4
Bonden Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2015 Posts: 8	Thanks, Kilimanjaro. After playing around with it a little I figured it out. I just got this gun today. The action is incredibly stiff. Is this normal for this gun? I'm more used to Mausers to tell the truth.

November 29, 2015, 10:51 AM	#6
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	This is a recent thread that may help you: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569269 There is a lot of helpful information on this rifle on the internet. You will learn a lot and get a lot of enjoyment from reading it.

November 29, 2015, 02:32 PM	#8
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	These were the fastest bolt-action rifles of WWII, hands down. The action should not be 'stiff'. Go down to the sewing shop and get a little can of sewing machine oil and put a few drops of it on moving parts, then disassemble and clean it up thoroughly. All you need is a little oil, no tools required for basic cleaning. If you're not comfortable doing the work, take it to a gunsmith and pay them to disassemble, clean, inspect, lubricate, and reassemble. There are numerous YouTube videos about these rifles, you should be able to get it running smoothly yourself.

November 29, 2015, 09:46 PM	#9
Bonden Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2015 Posts: 8	I hear ya guys thanks for the advice. I bought the Hoppe's No. 9 Cleaning Kit which comes with some lubricant. Will this suffice for the bolt? I also grabbed some extra cleaning patches and some Break-Free Gun Cleaner. In the mean time I've taken the bolt/magazine out and have been working on cleaning out the dust accumulation.

November 29, 2015, 10:23 PM	#10
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	Between Hoppe's No. 9 and the Break Free stuff, you're good to go. Give it a good cleaning, take your time. If you have an old toothbrush, toss that in your kit. No need to take the action out of the stock or anything like that. You'll want to rub the stock down with some wood moisturizer as well, sounds like your No. 4 has been in the closet for decades.

December 1, 2015, 12:01 PM	#12
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	Make sure the front section of the Enfield's bolt is completely screwed in. __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell