Monday, September 29, 2008

The Enfield saga continues

I got a replacement firing pin for my Enfield No4 MK1 after some confusion, and was happy to play with it some more. When I ordered the firing pin, the one they sent did not fit my cocking piece. Unsure if they sent the wrong part, or if I had mismatched parts, I sent my broken firing pin back and asked them to send the right part, or charge me for a different firing pin that fits the threads on the broken firing pin. The correct firing pin was sent back with no explanation, so I wasn't sure if my parts were matched. I still had another issue with my Enfield, the bolt head catch for removing the bolt was very stiff, and difficult to get all the way down.

So it was time to take the Enfield down for a detail strip to look at these issues and to get reacquainted.

The first thing I noticed was that the cocking piece had "MK2" stamped lightly into it. Looks like the cocking piece and firing pin were from an Enfield MKII. When I took off the stock to get access to the bolt head catch, I realized it moved freely. Apparently the stock is what was keeping the bolt head catch from becoming fully depressed. After a bit of testing to confirm this, I took out my knife, and cut a small channel in the wood under the catch and reassembled. It moved a bit more, but it was still stuck. I thought about it a bit, and then realized the solution was simple. I reassembled the parts, and got a large punch and a hammer. I used a piece of cloth between the punch and the catch, and wacked it with a hammer. It was stuck down, and after slipping my knife under it, it popped back up, and moved freely.

The stock didn't have an opening of any kind on it for the bolt head catch, which leads me to believe this stock was for a Enfield MK1*, which didn't have a bolt head catch.

So my wartime (two groove barrel) enfield, beat all to hell, with a MK2 firing pin and cocking piece, and a MK1* stock replacing the (what must have been) beat up stock, leads me to believe this Enfield has been to hell and back.
It just occurred to me that there are no import marks on this rifle. The metal is pretty beat, and the worn finish plays tricks with the light, but I'll have to give it another examination to be sure.

Oh yeah; I saw a hot blonde at the gun store. But the price was not right. After learning so much new stuff about my MK1, buying a brand-spanking-new, perfect condition, post-war MK2 has less appeal.
Maybe if the price goes down... According to a friend of mine who works at the shop, I'm pretty much the only guy who's interested in those "classic" arms.

1 comment:

NotClauswitz said...

Buddy of mine has a hot blond like that, fresh from the wrapper - he won our WWII Bolt Action Match with it. I want an SMLE made right in Enfield Lock - because my Aunt lived in the next-town over and it's a nice place, that part.