LEE-ENFIELD SMLE NO. 1 MK. III, NO. 4 MK. 1, AND NO. 5 MK1
Rifle Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield - SMLE (Great Britain)
Lee-Enfield Mk.1 rifle - the original "Long" Lee-Enfield, made in 1900. Note the dust cover on the bolt, magazine cut-off and lack of the rear receiver bridge with its charger clip guides
SMLE mk. III*, made in 1916 (cutoff already omitted from design)
same rifle, other side (volley sights also omitted)
SMLE mk. III* (latter known as SMLE No.1 Mk.3); this one was made in 1919
SMLE No.4 Mk.1
SMLE No.4 Mk.1(T) - sniper version with scope, mount and cheek rest on buttstock (shown with magazine removed)
SMLE No.5 Jungle Carbine
pre-1916 Lee-Enfield volley sight (at left the "volley" front sight, mounted on the left side of the stock, just ahead of the traditional rear sight. At right - the diopter rear "volley" sight, mounted alongside the safety on the receiver)
safety switch on the SMLE Mk.III* (note the absence of the "volley" rear sight) image by Alan Blank
magazine cut-off on the early SMLE rifle. "Volley" rear sight in folded-down position
.303 British cartridge with Mk.VII bullet in charger clip and alone
Caliber Action Overall length Barrel length Weight Magazine capacity
Lee-Enfield Mk SMLE Mk. III (No.1 SMLE No.4 SMLE No.5 Jungle .1 Mk.3) Mk.1 carbine .303 British (7.7x56mm R) Manually operated, rotating bolt 1260 mm 1132 mm 1129 mm 1003 mm 767 mm 640 mm 640 mm 478 mm 4.19 kg 3.96 kg 4.11 kg 3.24 kg 10 rounds in detachable box magazine
Headspace
Headspace adjustments can be easily accomplished with the Lee-Enfield, simply by replacing the bolthead. As the Enfield rifle was a military, combat designed rifle there are actually two sets of specs listed for headspace. These are:
Remember that the .303 is a rimmed cartridge, so headspace is the distance between the bolt face and the cartridge rim. Unlike the rimless cartridge, which draws it's headspace from bolt face and the cartridge shoulder. For the SMLE/No1 family of Enfield's adjusting headspace can be accomplished by swapping different boltheads until one is found to produce the desired distance. This is necessary because the SMLE was only manufactured with one size of bolthead and the unit armourer stoned the bolt face to correct for headspace. In designing the No4/No5 family of Enfield's, this minor headache was cured by producing 4 different bolthead sizes. This allowed the unit armourer and now the private owner to simply select the correct bolthead to quickly adjust headspace to specs. Each No4/No5 bolthead is numbered 0, 1, 2, or 3. Each number specifies an increase in length, nominally .003 of an inch.
A Brief History of the Lee-Enfield .303 The Lee-Enfield series of rifles was born in 1895 as a marriage between the magazine and bolt action, designed by the J. P. Lee, and the new pattern of barrel rifling, designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) at Enfield. Originally known as Lee-Metford, this design was adopted by British army in 1888 and used a Metford pattern rifling with shallow groves, intended to be used with ammunition loaded with black powder. Introduction of the smokeless powders in the form of the Cordite showed that the Metford rifling was very short-living, so it was soon replaced with Enfield rifling, with 5 traditional land and grooves and left hand pitch. Early LeeEnfield rifles, officially known as a ".303 caliber, Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield", were carried by the British army through the Boer war (South Africa) of 1899-1902, and Boers, armed with their Mausers, taught to the Brits some hard lessons. And, unlike some other Empires, Brits were quick to learn. In 1903, they introduced a new design, which improved over the older LeeMetfords and Lee-Enfields in some important respects. The main improvements was the introduction of the "universal" rifle idea. The common thinking of the period was to issue the long rifle for infantry and the carbine for cavalry, artillery and other such troops. The Brits decided to replace this variety of sizes with one, "intermediate" size, that will fit all niches. This "one size fits all" rifle was called ".303 caliber, Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, Mark 1", or, in short SMLE Mk.I, where "short" referred to the length of the rifle. This rifle passed some improvements during the following pre-WW1 years, finalizing in the 1907 as a SMLE Mk.III. Development and introduction into service of this rifle was accompanied with constant complaints of some "theorists", which stated that this rifle would be no good neither for infantry, nor for cavalry, so RSAF was set do design another rifle, patterned after the German Mauser, which also should be more suitable for mass production, than the SMLE. This rifle finally appeared in 1914 as an ".303 caliber Enfield Pattern 1914 rifle", or simply a P-14. With the outbreak of the Great war British troops were still armed with the "poor" SMLE Mk.III rifles, which soon turned far from any "poor", giving some hard time to the Germans. In fact, the SMLE Mk.III was a really good rifle, quite accurate, reliable and suitable for rapid and accurate firing. British soldiers were rigorously trained for both individual and volley fire marksmanship, and were routinely capable of firing 30 aimed shots per minute, which was quite a rate of fire for any non-automatic rifle. There were times when advancing Germans were impressed that they were under the machine gun fire, when Tommie used their salvo-firing techniques. During the war time the basic Mk.III design was slightly simplified to better suit the mass production needs, with omission of "volley" sights and magazine cutoffs, and with some production shortcuts. When the World War One was over, there were no questions of quality of basic SMLE design, but some improvements were suggested and introduced in later patterns, such as peep-hole, receiver mounted sights. These "interwar" patterns were not issued in any significant quantities until the 1941. In 1926, Britains, quite confused with numerous 'Marks' and 'Marks with stars' of their weaponry, decided to adopt a new numbering system, so the SMLE Mark III became the "Rifle, No. 1 Mark 3". The "Rifle No.2" was a training version of the SMLE No.1 but chambered to .22LR ammunition. The "No.3" was assigned to the P-14 rifle, which was used in limited numbers. And the "Rifle No.4 Mark 1", widely known as a SMLE No.4 Mk.1, appeared in 1941. This was an improved and strengthened SMLE design, with heavier and stronger receiver, which also was faster and easier to machine, and with heavier barrel. The stock shape was shortened at the front part, giving away with the characteristic Mark III snub-nosed appearance. The barrelmounted open rear sights were replaced with the receiver-mounted peep-hole sights, which were
micrometer-adjustable. The latter feature was substituted by the simplified flip-up rear sights for wartime production, and this version became the No.4 Mk.1* rifle. By the end of the World War 2, when British and Commonwealth troops (also armed with SMLEs) started to fight in jungles of the South-East Asia, it was soon discovered that a "short" SMLE was still not short enough for the jungle combat, so a carbine version was adopted late in the 1944 in the form of the No.5 "jungle carbine". This gun was somewhat lighter and handier than No.4, but suffered from the "wandering zero" problems, which meant that the point of impact wandered during the time. The muzzle flash and recoil were also too strong, despite the flash-hider and rubber buttpad. The last, and by some opinions the finest "general issue" version of the SMLE was the No.4 Mk.2 rifle, which appeared in 1949. It was made by higher peacetime standards of fit and finish, than a wartime No.1 Mk.3s and No.4 Mk.1s, and served with British army until the mid-1950s, when the self-loading L1 SLR (semi-auto copy of the Belgian FN FAL) rifle in 7.62mm NATO was introduced into general service. But some SMLEs were left in military service, as a training, target and, especially, sniper rifles, known as Enfield L39 and L41, rechambered to the new standard 7.62mm NATO ammunition, and served well until the late 1980s, when there were replaced by the L96 sniper rifles. It should be noted, that SMLE rifles were produced and used not only in the UK. Australian, Canadian and Indian factories turned out more than million of the No.1 rifles with various improvements, which were used during both World wars and thereafter. During the WW2, Britain also acquired quantities of SMLE No.4 (marked No.4 Mk.1*) made under contract at the Savage Arms company in USA. In the 1950s, Indian Isaphore arsenal turned out some SMLEs rechambered to the 7.62mm NATO (.308 win) ammunition. These are distinguishable from .303 caliber rifles by the more squared outline of the magazine. Total numbers of all 'Marks' and 'Numbers' of the SMLE made during the 60 years in various countries is not less than 5 000 000 (yes, five millions) rifles. The SMLE is a manually operated, rotating bolt-action magazine fed rifle. The Lee-designed SMLE magazine is a first easily distinguishable feature. It holds 10 rounds of ammunition in staggered column form, and while the magazine itself is detachable, it is not intended to be reloaded when detached from rifle. Early Lee-Enfields (Long Lee-Enfields and SMLEs prior to Mark III) were loaded only by single rounds via the top receiver opening. Latter, the clip (charger) loading was introduced, and a rear receiver bridge with charger clip guides was added to the design. Some of the earlier marks were then retrofitted with charger loading ability during the 1907 - 1910. To load the magazine, one must use two standard 5-rounds clips. Loading by loose rounds was still available, but some care must be taken when loading cartridges into clips or in the magazine, due to the rimmed ammunition cases. Prior to the 1916, all SMLEs (and earlier Long Lee-Enfields) were issued with so called "magazine cut-off" - a simple device, located at the right side of the receiver and intended to cut off the cartridge supply from magazine to the action when engaged, so rifle could be used as a single-loader, and ammunition in the magazine could be saved for the hottest moments of combat. This was an outdated idea even when it was first introduced, so it was easily discarded when the need to speed up production arose. The magazine itself should be detached only for cleaning, maintenance and repair, and every rifle was issued with only one magazine. The magazine catch is located inside the trigger guard. The bolt action, another invention of the James Paris Lee (along with magazine), is the other most famous feature of the SMLE. The rotating bolt has two lugs that lock into the receiver walls
at the rear part of the bolt, thus saving some part of the bolt length and bolt pull, when comparing to the forward lugs locking. This shorter bolt pull, along with charging handle, located at the rear part of the bolt and bent down, lent itself to quick reloading. Add a relatively high capacity magazine with fast clip reloading and here you have one of the fastest practical rates of fire along with contemporary designs. The SMLE was a striker fired gun, with cocking on the bolt close action and a dual-stage trigger. The bolt head with the extractor was a separate, non-rotating unit, screwed into the bolt body. The safety was located at the rear left side of the receiver and was easily operated by the firing hands' thumb finger. One notable feature of the Lee bolt action was that the bolts were not interchangeable between different rifles of the same mark Each bolt must have been fitted to its respective action, thus making the production and in-field bolt replacement more complicated. The insufficient headspace problem on the pre-No.4 SMLEs was solved my manual sandpapering the respective bolt head, and since the No.4 rifle, there were 4 standard sizes of the bolt heads, from which armourer could select one, most suitable for the particular action. The sights of the Mark III / No.1 Mk.3 SMLEs were a combination of the barleycorn front (an inverted V-shape) and V-notch adjustable rear sights, mounted on the barrel. The front sights were protected by the two "ears" on the stock nose-cap. Latter the front sight were changed to post type, and the rear - to the U-notch type, and since the introduction of the No.4 rifle the barrel-mounted open rear sight was replaced with peep-hole one, mounted on the receiver, which made the sighting line much longer and improved the long-range accuracy. Sniper No.4 Mk.1(T) rifles, made during the WW2, were equipped with detachable optical scope mounts at the left side of the receiver. The scope was carried in the separate box when not in use. No.4 Mk1* rifles, made during the WW2, were equipped with the simplified, two position aperture (peephole) sights, marked for 300 and 600 yards ranges only. Pre-1916 Lee-Enfields were also equipped with interesting device, called the "volley" sights. This device was mounted at the left side of the stock, ahead of the magazine, and was used to provide an indirect fire capability at the ranges from 2 000 and up to outstanding 3 900 yards (1800 - 3550 meters). While the individual marksmanship at such ranges with rifle was nonsense, the salvo firing by large squads at the distant and large targets (such as tight infantry or cavalry formations) can do some damage to the enemy. This was, obviously, an idea of the pre - machine gun and pre - light artillery period, and it was happily dropped during the WW1. The famous by its distinguishable shape stock of the SMLE featured a semi-pistol grip, a steel butt plate with a trapdoor and a compartment in the butt for tools and cleaning equipment. The "flat-nosed" forend covered the barrel up to the muzzle, and has a small stud, protruding forward under the muzzle for bayonet mounting. Most SMLEs have a small brass disc inset into the right side of the butt, which was used for regimental markings (unlike the German Mausers, where the similar steel disc was used as a bolt unit disassembly tool). The conventional sling swivels were mounted on the frond handguard band and under the butt. Mk.4 No1. (T) Sniper rifles also featured an additional wooden cheek rest on the top of the butt for more comfortable sighting while using the scope. In general the SMLE were ones of the best bolt-action battle rifles, fast firing, powerful and reliable. While being less suitable for "sporterizing" than Mausers, they are still popular among civilians as hunting and plinking weapons, and also as a part of the history. The key deficiencies
of the SMLE were probably the rimmed ammunition and non-interchangeability of bolts, but the advantages of this design were mush bigger and Lee-Enfields in all its guises served the Britain and the British Commonwealth for more than 60 years in the front line service and much longer as a specialized weapon (training and sniper).
Adopted in 1888, the .303 arrived in the midst of a huge global upheaval in small arms development. It really was a bit much - one had just adopted a single shot breechloading black powder military rifle in a then gee-whiz smallbore .45 caliber (the.450 Martini-Henry), which had all seemed pretty state-of-the-art at the time, and now there were all these .30 caliber repeating rifles with jacketed bullets propelled by some new fangled smokeless powder. Furthermore, velocities now approached (and even exceeded) TWO THOUSAND FEET PER SECOND! This was almost unbelievable in the black powder era, and opened up boundless possibilities as far as greater range and flatter trajectories were concerned. What was a chap to do? Being a major global power, the British Army couldn’t exactly ignore such developments, and the .303 was the result.
Britain adopted a turn-bolt, magazine fed action invented by one James Paris Lee, mated to a barrel with segmental rifling invented by William Metford, the whole being known as the LeeMetford rifle. There were two distinct peculiarities with regard to this new cartridge, however. One was that it was rimmed. Admittedly, all the previous black powder rounds had also been rimmed, but the 8mm Mauser round, also of 1888, was of rimless design, which was far more suited to repeating rifles. The second curiosity was that the .303 was originally loaded with black powder. All other major powers were changing to the new nitro smokeless propellant, invented by the French chemist Vielle and adopted by France (a major rival) in 1886. However, Britain, although adopting a smallbore round which was modern by contemporary standards, only went the smokeless route in the early 1890’s. It appears that they were having problems with the development of a suitable smokeless propellant, and as a stop-gap measure used a compressed charge of 70 grains of black powder behind a 215 grain round nosed bullet. How they achieved this I don’t know, as it is a physical impossibility to stuff 70 grains of black powder into a .303 case by any conventional method! This gave the aforementioned bullet a velocity of 1850 fps, which was still pretty respectable for its day. Left to right: .577/450 Martini Henry, MKII .303, MKV Hollow point .303, MK7 .303, 8mm Mauser, 8x50R Austrian Mannlicher
Eventually the propellant was changed from black powder to the famous Cordite in 1891 or 1892 (references differ as to the exact date of changeover) by means of the “Mark 1 C” cartridge, “C” denoting Cordite smokeless nitro propellant. A few minor changes necessitated by the new
propellant resulted in the “Mark II C” cartridge. The same 215 grain bullet now achieved a velocity of 1970 fps, and everyone seemed satisfied. Everyone that is, aside from those who actually had cause to shoot anyone with this new round and rifle. Good accuracy, yes. Flat trajectory, no doubt about it. Amazing firepower too, from this new magazine fed repeater. This was just as well, as those hit by it frequently failed to acknowledge the fact, and regularly took multiple hits before actually ceasing in the attempt to rearrange one’s internal anatomy with various sharp and unpleasant edged ethnic implements. In the 1890’s the British Army was engaged in a number of operations in the Indian and Afghan theatre, and this lack of effectiveness of the new ammunition was a cause of major concern. The previous Martini-Henry rifle with its 480 grain soft lead bullet had been proven time and time again, but this new rifle just wasn’t up to snuff. When small British detachments found themselves outnumbered ten to one against fanatically courageous opponents who took and gave no quarter, the problem was a serious one. Wound ballistics was a poorly understood science in those days, but even 1970 fps was insufficient for such a smallbore, relatively heavy, round nosed projectile to be effective as a military round. Penetration was fantastic - even up to and including an elephant’s skull - but it was too good on human targets, and energy transmission was virtually nil. Sub - 2000 fps speeds were too low for effective hydrostatic shock and temporary cavitation, all of which the British trooper was finding out the hard way on the field of battle.
As most of this unpleasantness was going on in the Indian theatre, the problem was tackled in situ and was solved at a place whose name must rank as one of the most over-used, misquoted and poorly understood terms in the history of firearms in general and projectiles in particular. The place was Dum-Dum arsenal in India. It was here that the full metal jacketed .303 bullet was changed to one having a small amount of lead core exposed at the tip, creating in effect a softnosed bullet which would expand in flesh - as did the previously used Martini-Henry lead bullets - and thus greatly increase its effectiveness. Any hunter having observed the differing terminal effects of solid bullets as compared to soft noses on lighter, thin skinned game will readily appreciate the difference. The .303 and the .450 Martini- Henry rounds were almost identical in their actual muzzle energies, but now the .303 could more effectively deliver that energy to the target. The infamous Dum-Dum bullet was born, and real-life fighting showed it to be far more effective than the old Mark 2 bullet. Troops engaged in savage warfare, but still equipped with the older Mark 2 ammunition, would sometimes file down the tips of the nully jacketed bullets to make them like the “Dum-Dum” projectiles. In those days the Indian contingent of the British army had considerable autonomy in equipment and procurement of same, so while the Indian theatre was equipped with the soft nosed Dum-Dum bullet the same was never adopted by the rest of the British army. The same problem was appreciated, but dealt with in a different way by the adoption of a hollow-nosed bullet called the Mark 3, soon improved and widely manufactured as the Mark 4 in 1897, and the very similar Mark 5 of 1899. (It is emphasised at this point that “Mark 2”, “Mark 3”, etc, refers solely to ammunition development and bullet types. This nomenclature has an entirely different meaning when applied to the rifle itself).
It was at about this time, when Britain started to feel the heat politically over these expanding bullets. While such bullets were generally felt to be okay in outer corners of the globe where one’s opponents wouldn’t know acceptable codes of conduct in warfare if such codes ran up and bit them, the general consensus was that it would be a sorry thing if such bullets appeared in socalled “civilised” warfare. In view of what the First World War was to usher in in the not-toodistant future, one wonders what “civilised” warfare actually is. My view is that it is an oxymoron. Be that as it may, much political hay was made by Britain’s rivals over these allegedly “inhumane” bullets. All this culminated in the signing of the Hague Convention of 1899 (not the Geneva Convention, which is so often erroneously supposed, which deals with other matters). It was the Hague Convention which, among other things, specifically bound nations at war to refrain from using bullets which would “expand or flatten easily in the human body...” and which was specifically aimed at soft or hollow nosed bullets. Britain could have argued the point, but was walking a bit of a political tightrope at the time in the form of the Boer War. The Boers did not wage war in any form of barbarous or inhumane fashion, and the use of expanding bullets on such an opponent was not justified by any means. What to do now? Britain responded by withdrawing all hollowpoint ammunition from the South African theatre, and went back to the drawing board. What was needed was a bullet which would abide by the letter of the Hague Convention for use in Europe, should the necessity ever arise, but which would still retain adequate effectiveness in other theatres of conflict should one desire one’s hit foe to realise this and stay hit. The Mark 6 bullet was briefly flirted with in 1904, having a thinner jacket, but this was far from satisfactory and did not solve the problem at all. However, in 1905 the Germans startled the military world with the adoption of their revolutionary new bullet for the 8mm Mauser. This was the sharply pointed lightweight 154 grain bullet at nearly 2900 fps, which by virtue of its greater speed and superior ballistic coefficient bestowed by its streamlined shape gave ever greater advantages of range and trajectory. This once again shook the military world, and the new German “Spitzgeshoss” (or “pointed bullet”) lives on in modern bullet designation in the “spitzer” term, meaning the same thing. The exterior ballistic advantages of this new bullet were certainly not lost on the British, and the terminal effects of the enhanced velocities were beginning to be appreciated as well. At these greatly increased velocities not only was there another quantum leap in even flatter trajectories, but now there was a greater effect evident on those hit by such bullets. Not only were the lighter, pointed bullets more unstable, tending to deform in flesh, but the velocity of the bullet was causing damage to tissue even some distance away from the actual bullet track, and exit wounds were now large, gaping, unpleasant affairs. Although not fully understood at the time, these were manifestations of hydrostatic shock. “Hydro” is, of course, anything to do with water. Among its other properties, one of the physical characteristics of water is that it is incompressible. This means that shock waves radiate through water very efficiently (just watch ripples on a pond when you throw in a stone, a half brick, the dog or whatever). Guess what the human body is largely made up of. That’s right - water. This is the same phenomenon that causes the familiar blood-shot, bruised meat in an animal when hit with a high velocity hunting bullet. All in all, anyone hit by one of these new bullets stayed hit! You can be sure that this was not lost on the British Army.
There were one or two problems, however. For one, the .303 round did not have the capacity of the 8mm Mauser case, and for another the Lee action was not as strong as the Model 98 Mauser when it came to handling high pressures. Furthermore, the British were unwilling to go to a pointed bullet of less than 174 grains. This bullet could only be safely driven to a velocity of 2440 fps in the Lee, and while this velocity produced hydrostatic shock effects it was not as spectacular as the Mauser. The British army, sensitive to the earlier failures of the Mark 2 bullet, felt that a little bit extra was needed. This little bit extra was provided by the Mark 7 spitzer bullet, adopted in 1910. To all intents and appearances, the new Mark 7 bullet was a fully jacketed pointed bullet weighing 174 grains. However, things were not as they may have appeared. Beneath the full metal jacket lurked a radical bullet design, for anyone who sectioned one of the new bullets found an aluminium tip under the point, which extended fully one third of the bullet’s length. Beneath this aluminium tip was the conventional lead core. This design firstly ensured that the bullet was long for its weight, which is not a bad thing at all for enhanced long range performance. Mainly, however, the bullet’s centre of gravity was now further to the rear, which caused it to be unstable on impact and prone to tumbling. This of course greatly increased its wounding potential, but never mind - it had a full metal jacket to keep the politicians happy! Hypocritical, isn’t it? Here was a bullet far more devastating than the original “dum dum”, but which was now acceptable because it didn’t actually expand - it just tumbled through like a buzzsaw! That’s politics for you. Are you surprised? No, I didn’t think you would be. I can certainly attest to the effectiveness of this design, having seen first-hand the effects of .303 rifles during post mortems. Typically it breaks into bits, and the sight of the aluminum tip on an X-ray is always a sure sign that you are dealing with a .303. Interestingly enough, the tip is not always of aluminum. Sir Sidney Smith, an eminent forensic pathologist and pioneer forensic ballistics experimenter, had cause to examine a great many wounds caused by .303 rifles during the riots and nationalist upheavals in Egypt during the 1920’s. He found that some of the bullets had a wood pulp tip under the jacket, and accordingly wrote to the War Left to right: .577/450 Martini Henry, MKII .303, MKV Office pointing out that (a), some Hollowpoint .303, MK7 .303,8x57mm Mauser, 8x50R ammunition manufacturers were using wood Austrian Mannlicher. pulp instead of aluminum in their bullets, (b) that the wood pulp tips appeared to be achieving the same results as the aluminum, and (c) if this were so, would it not be much cheaper to use wood pulp in all ammunition instead of aluminum? The War Office replied, saying that they were aware of the substitution, as it had been authorized during the First World War at a time when aluminum was in critically short supply. Furthermore it would not, as supposed, be cheaper to use wood pulp, as the pulp had to go through a number of sterilising procedures to ensure that wounds would not become infected or contaminated by it.
This struck Sir Sidney - as it does me - as a rather delicate thoughtfulness for the victim of a gunshot! Actually, this engineered instability within the Mark 7 .303 bullet has largely been the cause of its controversial reputation in the hunting fields. Its predecessor, of moderate speed and round nose, was renowned for its penetration, and a great many of the old professional ivory hunters made a start with an Army surplus Lee and a crate of Mark 2 ammunition. The arrival of the Mark 7 bullet severely curtailed penetration, and performance was erratic even on the larger softskinned species (let alone elephants)! Of course, if one used round nosed solids when penetration was needed and the excellent Kynoch 215 grain soft noses for lighter game, all was well. The abundance of Mark 7 ammo meant that not many did this, of course, so the .303 began to get a bad reputation in the hunting field, which it by no means deserved. The .303 continued as Britain’s standard military round right up until 1958, when it was ousted by the 7.62mm Nato round in the S.L.R. rifle. It was remarkable that it lasted so long, given that the .303 case design was dated even when it appeared. Indeed, attempts were made to adopt a more modern round, but inconvenient things like World Wars kept interrupting. It was not until the conclusion of the second global unpleasantness that any real progress was made, and even then it took another thirteen years. It would be a mistake to imagine millions of .303’s being cast aside overnight, though, as they continued to give service in a great many out of the way parts of the world. Nowadays there are more in private hands than anywhere else. Recent sales of Government surplus Lee-Enfields have ensured that it is one of the most widely used centrefire rifles in this part of the world. Along with them came quantities of Mark 7 ammunition, so remember - for hunting, best substitute that military bullet for a good 180 or 215 grain soft nose. The .303, when so loaded, is one of the finest bushveldt cartridges around. Despite its rimmed and tapered case, the .303 must rank as one of the most significant and successful rounds ever made. Well over 100 years old, it still gives sterling service world wide, and it more than deserves the accolade “venerable”. There is no reason why it should not go on for another hundred years.
PROOF MARKS These stampings will be found on the barrel, receiver and bolts of the Enfield, indicating that the item passed government proof testing.
INSPECTION MARKS The Inspection stamp may be found on any component part of the Enfield. These stamps indicate that the part was quality control tested by a factory Inspector.
ISSUANCE/OWNERSHIP MARKS These markings indicate which government had official possession of the particular rifle. Some
rifles may display more than one ownership mark, if the rifle passed from one government to another.
MANUFACTURER'S MARKINGSThe manufacturer's stampings, depending on the type of Enfield (No1, No4 etc..) will be found on the buttsocket, receiver or butt. These stampings as indicated, identify which factory produced the rifle. Usually combined with this marking is the date of manufacture, Mark of the rifle and the reigning monarchs cipher.
The following four pages list the various contract manufacturers that provided parts for the Enfield rifle during World War Two. The concept was to disguise these factories so that German Intelligence could not tell where parts and rifles were made from captured arms.
Rifle 66 SMLE No. 1 Mk III , Enfield 1904. Originally a Mk I with the sliding charger guide, this volleysighted rifle was upgraded to Mk III configuration to work with the Mk VII HV round. Dated 415 (April, 1915) and marked AOC (Army Ordanance Corps).
Rifle 88 SMLE No.1 Mk III*, BSA 1918. All matching; marked DEP SHROP on buttstock marking disc. The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) 13 battalions saw service all over the globe. In 1918 the 1st was in France; the 2nd in Salonika, soon to depart for South Russia; the 3rd and 4th India, Burma, Singapore, Hong Kong and Colombo; 5th, 6th & 7th in France; 8th in Salonika; 10th in Egypt and Palestine.
Rifle 93 SMLE Rifle No.1 Mk III*, NRF 1918. Before the Great War some minor rifle components were produced by non-government factories. This was expanded to a "Peddled Scheme" to increase rifle production. The Standard Small Arms Company (SSA) was set up with a government grant. Under this plan, the Standard Small Arms Factory would provide rifles in addition to those produced at RSAF Enfield, BSA, and LSA. SSA was to produce receivers, barrels, and certain other parts and act as an assembly unit for parts produced by other contractors (hence the name "Peddled Scheme" since the parts were "peddled" to outside civilian contractors). The first contract to deliver SMLE rifles was signed in 1915. Due to mismanagement and other factors, SSA did not deliver its first rifle until late 1916. Even then production was slow. By 1918 only about 200,000 rifles had been delivered and SSA went bankrupt. In June 1918 the British
Government bought the facility and established the National Rifle Factory No.1 (NRF) which produced about another 50,000 guns. By the end of the war in November 1918, "Peddled Scheme" rifles accounted for only a small fraction of more than 3 Million SMLE rifles produced by BSA, LSA, and Enfield during WWI. The rifles are marked differently than all other SMLE rifles in that they have no manufacturers name on the buttsocket, with the manufacturer - either SSA or NRF - being stamped on the rear of the receiver to the left of the bolt channel. Overall 90% + finish; bore sharp and bright; wood is VG with only the usual nicks and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, rear sight leaf, nosecap, forestock). No import marks.
Rifle 98 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III*. BSA, 1916. Marked to 1 E.A.F.A./R.A.M.C. (1st East Anglian Field Ambulance/Royal Army Medical Corps, 6/18). In June 1918, the E.A.F.A. was attached to the 2nd Division on the Western Front. Overall 90%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks. Field Ambulance marked pieces are very rare.
Rifle 101 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III BSA, 1940. 2 INNIS (2nd Battalion, Inniskilling Fusiliers). 2nd Battalion was formerly the 108th Foot (3rd Madras European Infantry) formed in 1854 and amalgamated with the 27th Foot (Tiffin's Regiment) in the Cardwell reforms of 1881. Overall 95%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 101 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III BSA, 1940. 2 INNIS (2nd Battalion, Inniskilling Fusiliers). 2nd Battalion was formerly the 108th Foot (3rd Madras European Infantry) formed in 1854 and amalgamated with the 27th Foot (Tiffin's Regiment) in the Cardwell reforms of 1881. Overall 95%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 102 SMLE No. 1 Mk III* BSA 1916. Marked “2 S.W.B.” and dated “2 17” – the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. Raise as Dering’s Regiment in 1689, the South Wales Borderers (then known as the 24th Regiment of Foot) are probably best known for the defense of Roark's Drift in the Zulu War. In 1914 the 2nd Battalion (along with the Japanese Army) took the German concession of Tsingtau in China. The battalion was then part of the ill-fated Gallipoli Expedition in 1915. In March of 1916 the battalion was sent to France where it remained until 1919 – only to be sent to India to serve in the 3rd Afghan War. By November 1918 the regiment numbered 18 battallions. Overall 90% + finish; bore sharp and bright; wood is VG with only the usual nicks and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, rear sight leaf, nosecap, forestock). No import marks.
Rifle 105 SMLE No. 1 Mk III* EFD 1918. Marking disc is marked “39 M.G.C.” and “9 19” – indicating service with the 39th Machine Gun Company. In 1915 the Army began to form Machine Gun Companies to concentrate the firepower of the newly introduced Vickers MMG. these machine gun units were attached to both infantry and cavalry formations as well as the Motor Machine Gun Sections which were attached to the Royal Tank Corps. Although machine gunners were
armed with revolvers, many of these units had to function as infantry and were therefore also equipped with rifles and other infantry kit. The 39th MGC was formed in 1916 and initially served in Mesopotamia. In August, 1918 the company was sent to Persia (Iran) and subsequwntly ordered into Southern Russia under General Dunsterville, where is remained well into 1919 fighting the Bolsheviks on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the area around Baku. Overall 90% finish; bore sharp and bright; wood is VG with only the usual nicks and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, rear sight leaf, nosecap, forestock). No import marks.
Rifle 106 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III* (without cut-off). Enfield, 1918. Marked "5 C.G.". 5th (Wartime) Battalion, Coldstream Guards. The 5 C.G. was part of the 32nd Guards Brigade of the Guards Armoured Division from June 1942 where it served as "lorried infantry" (i.e., mechanized infantry) in support of Guards armoured formations. The Guards Armoured Division was not committed to battle until D-Day, by which time all line formation had been equipped with the Rifle, No. 4. Thus, this weapon served in a training status from Dunkirk until just prior to D-Day. Overall 95%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 113 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III*. Enfield, 1918. 41st (Field) Company, Royal Engineers. 41 COY was a mine clearance company attached to the British 8th Army during the campaigns in the Western Desert, Tunisia, and Italy. The piece still retains desert camo "sand" colored paint over about 40% of the metal parts. Overall 90%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 114 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III BSA, 1938. Marked " 4 KOYLI". 4th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire ight Infantry. Finish 95%, bore VG. Wood VG. Matched. No import marks.
Rifle 118 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III*. Enfield, 1918. 8 K.R.R.C. (8th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps – The 60th Rifles, 5/18). In May 1918 the 8 KRRC was serving in France. It was disbanded in France in August 1918. Overall 95%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 120 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III (with cut-off). BSA, 1940. Marked with both military acceptance proofs and the BSA "tepee" logo on the knox form. Marked on the stock disk "NRA" indicating it was part of the British National Rifle Association's service rifle marksmanship program (probably post-WWII). Overall 98%+, bore VG+ (very sharp and bright). Wood Excellent - very fine walnut which appears virtually new. Even the buttplate has no scratches or dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks. An absolutely beautiful SMLE in just about factory new condition.
Rifle 122 SMLE, No. 1 Mk III. LSA, 1915. With long range auxiliary sights and windage rear sight. Marked on stock disk "10 15" and "17 RF" indicating that it was in use by the 17th (1st Public School) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (The City of London Regiment) in October 1915. The 17th Battalion entered the line in France in November 1915 and was disbanded in France on 24th April 1916 at which time the survivors were commissioned as volunteer officers and posted to other regiments. A number of these men ultimately achieved General Officer rank in the regular army. Overall 90%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks.
Rifle 134 1904 BSA. The rifle is all matching except for the bolt, cartouche is faint but if held right visible. Barrel is undated, replaced during upgrade to Mk I*. "V" notch sight with barley corn front sight, rear sight ramp still "high", thus still set up for Mk VI ammo. Type 4 mag , no import marks. Marked W.Y. - (The Prince of Wales' Own) West Yorkshire Regiment, August, 1914. Overall very good wood (usual dings and bruises), very good plus metal, and unfortunately fair bore. Complete with cut-off and volley sights. The very first day of the Battle of the Somme the 10th Battalion sustained 710 casualties. A handful of men were brought out by their only surviving officer, a wounded 2nd Lieutenant.
Rifle 153 SMLE No. 1 Mk III*. BSA, 1941. A typical "Dispersal Rifle" without the BSA cartouche on the buttsocket. Barrel is dated '41 and is marked with a combination of BSA commercial "BM" proofs and military broad arrow. Buttstock is marked "R.A.F. over 1122". Royal Air Force. All furniture is birch and is in VG+ condition. Bore is very sharp and bright. Finish is 95%+. Except for a couple of storage dings, the weapon appears unissued. All matching (receiver,
barrel, bolt, sight, nosecap, and forestock). No import marks. An unusually nice specimen with rather uncommon RAF markings.
Rifle 156 SMLE No. 1 Mk III*. Enfield 1918. Marking disk is marked "RAF", "UXB", and "5 . 25" RAF Uxbridge Aerodrome, May, 1925. It was while serving as an RAF "other rank" at Uxbridge that T.E. Lawrence (aka "Lawrence of Arabia") was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1925. 95% finish. Wood VG with usual dings and dents. Bore is sharp and bright. All matching (receiver, barrel, bolt, sight, nosecap, and forestock). No import marks.
Rifle 172 SMLE No. 1 Mk III*. Enfield 1916. Marked to the 7th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry ( 7 H.L.I.) and dated September 1918 (9 18) on the marking disk. The 7th Battalion was a wartime battalion, which saw initial service at Gallipoli (along with the 5th and 6th Battalions of the H.L.I.) in 1915. In 1917, the battalion was sent to Palestine where it served with General Allenby until being sent to France in April of 1918. In September 1918, the battalion was in service on the Western Front. Overall 90%, bore VG (sharp and bright). Wood VG with typical small dings and dents. Matched (bolt, receiver, barrel, sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks. Exotic and rare.
Rifle 189 SMLE, Rifle No. 1 Mk III, London Small Arms, 1915. Marking disk is marked to the 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars and dated February 1915. The 18th Hussars arrived in France on 7th August 1914 and fought in virtually every engagement of the war in France until its departure for India in December 1919. The regiment was combined with the 22nd Hussars in 1922. The weapon itself is overall 90% finish. Bore is sharp and bright. Wood is VG with the
usual nicks and dings from service. Matching - bolt, receiver, barrel, rear sight, nosecap, and forestock. With windage adjustable rear sight, front dial pointer and plate, and rear aperture. No import marks. A fine a specimen of a Mk III Type 1 with excellent WWI bona fides.
Rifle 215 SMLE, Rifle No. 1 Mk III*, BSA, 1918. Matched serial numbers except for bolt. Buttstock marking disc dated 10-19 and marked 1 NN (1st Btn Northamptonshire Regiment). Founded in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot; renamed the 1st Btn, Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881. Nicknamed 'The Steelbacks.' The Northampts arrived in France/Flanders on 13th August, 1914. The only officer left to lead the battalion out of the trenches after the First Battle of Ypres was a Special Reserve subaltern. In August 1919 the 1st Btn was sent to Ireland where they remained until December 1922.
Rifle 227 SMLE, Rifle No. 1 Mk III, LSA, 1913. Stock marking disk is dated "7 13" and is marked "L" over "17" indicating the 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers. The 17th Lancers were formed in 1759 as the 18th Light Dragoons. They are most famous for their service in the Crimean War where they were part of the "Light Brigade" whose fatal charge "into the valley of death" has been immortalized in both poetry and film (with Erol Flynn no less!). There motto was "Death or Glory" and their insignia a skull and crossed bones. They served in the Zulu War of 1879 and in 1899 they were sent to South Africa and served there throughout the Boer War, returning to England in 1902. In 1913 they were in barracks at Sialkot, India on the Northwest Frontier. The piece itself is correct in all respects as it came from the factory in 1913 - i.e., long range sights, windage adjustable rear sight, and lightened rear sight protector. In addition, the piece was never modified for small cone ammunition in the 1920's and does not bear the "SC" stamp behind the rear sight base. Both receiver and knox form are stamped "EY" indicating that this piece was downgraded to second line status and placed in war reserve storage. Since "EY" guns did not undergo the periodic "upgrades" of first line weapons, it remained in original unaltered status. Overall 90%+ finish. Bore is sharp and bright. Wood is VG with the usual scuffs and scratches of long service. Matching - barrel, receiver, bolt, rear sight, nosecap, and forestock. No import marks. A very fine early Mk III with impeccable regimental credentials.
Rifle 234 SMLE, Rifle No. 1 Mk III, Enfield 1915. Stock disk is marked "RAF", "UXB (RAF Uxbridge)" and "6 25". Forestock is a post-1916 replacement without long range sights, although the gun does retain its original windage rear sight. If memory serves, this is the RAF station and about the time frame when T.E Lawrence took is last and still mysterious motorcycle ride. 90% finish. Bore is very sharp and bright. Wood is VG with usual dings. Matched. No import. New category here: "haunted militaria". Wingman to Rifle 156 (above).
Rifle 237 SMLE, Rifle No. 1 Mk III, SSA 1918. An SSA Mk III* upgraded to Mk III at the Royal Naval Ordnance Depot Portsmouth in July 1937. Receiver has been cut for cutoff. New forestock. Barrel is marked "P/N/1", " '29", and "7 37" on the left side of the chamber. Left butt socket marked "N" as is the tang of the buttplate. Stock marking disk is steel and is marked "N". Overall about 90% finish. Bore is indifferent sharp but dark (obviously put away wet). Wood is VG, with rather fewer dings than the average bear. Nice looking gun with a so so bore. Matched. No import. All we need is some fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and this sailor is as authentic as it gets.
http://www.enfield-stuff.com/regimentals/bayonets/regimental_bayonets/index.htm
LEE-ENFIELD RIFLE MANUAL No.1 - - No.3 - - No.4 - - No.5 MKlll
MKI
MKI
MKI
PAMPHLET 1
No. 4 Mk. 1 The No. 4 Mk. 1 rifle was developed from the No. 1 SMLE between the World Wars. It retained the basic Lee action design of the No. 1 rifle, but was extensively modified to improve performance and made easier to manufacture. Important modifications included a heavier barrel, heavier receiver, aperture rear sight and simplified bedding of the barrel in the foreend. Before the Battle of Dunkirk, only a few No. 4 rifles were built. However, after the British disaster, these rifles went into major production in England, Canada and the United States. After World War II, No. 4 rifles were used by Italy, Greece and some Arab countries. The No. 4 Mk. 2 rifles were used during the Korean War. In 1954, the No. 4 rifle was replaced in the British, Canadian and Australian Services by the FN-FAL in 7.62 NATO. No. 4 rifles are by and large in better condition that No. 1’s. but for the most part, are not finished as well as the peacetime rifles.
No. 5 Mk. During World War II, the No. 1 SMLE and No. 4 rifles were found to be too long and heavy for jungle fighting. A shorter more handy rifle was needed and the No. 5 Mk 1 was developed and adapted from the earlier rifles. The new rifle became popularly known as the ‘jungle carbine”, as was a No. 4 with short fore-end and barrel. It was also fitted with a flash hider and a rubber buttplate. The short fore-end makes the No. 5 look like a sporting rifle. Many of these rifles were built and used in Burma and the South Pacific during the later part of World War II. This version of the Enfield is very popular with shooters and hunters and will likely bring a premium price.
3
Sights The front sights for the Enfield were originally a barley corn sight with a small ‘v’ for the rear. As improvements were made to the rifle, a front blade was used and a u-shaped ,rear sight replaced the old ‘v’. Later a long range adjustable stand-up sight with a peep was used. They were fixed to the barrel. As the rifles were further refined, the rear sights were set over the tang to increase sight radius. These sights have adjustments out to 1600 yards and some can be fine tuned with a worm wheel to more precise increments. The purpose of the long range sights was not for accuracy. The British like to fire in volleys and were able to use this strategy to terrorize the enemy with a hail of bullets from long range while the hapless enemy could not return fire. During World War II, sniper scopes were introduced along with mounts and boxes to carry them when the scopes were not attached to the rifle.
loading and Firing Place the rifle on a table in the upright position or if in the field, place the left hand under the receiver and with the right hand, grasp the bolt and turn it up and to the left. Pull the bolt straight back as far as it will go. Insert a loaded five round clip in the clip guide inside the receiver and force the cartridges down into the magazine with the right thumb. Take out the empty clip. Place another five round clip in the clip guide and strip these cartridges into the magazine. There will be ten rounds in the magazine. With the right hand, grasp the bolt handle and push it forward and down, (to the right). This will strip a cartridge from the magazine and slide it into the chamber. This action also cocks the firing pin. The rifle is now ready to be fired by squeezing the trigger. If the rifle will not be fired immediately, set the thumb safety on the rear of the receiver to “Safe”. After the rifle has been fired, lift the bolt handle up and to the left. Pull the bolt straight back. This action causes the spent cartridge to be withdrawn from the firing chamber and flipped clear of the receiver. To reload the rifle, push the bolt handle forward and down. 9 fresh cartridge is stripped from the magazine and slipped into the :hamber. The rifle is now ready to fire again. This sequence may be repeated until the magazine is empty. 7
Insert the t-shaped tool into the notches and turn the cocking piece until the lower two notches are reached. The firing pin spring should be virtually decompressed. Remove the firing pin locking screw found in the rear of the cocking piece. Now we may finish removing the firing pin with the special tool. Wnscrewing the firing pin with a ‘makeshift rig may cause damage and should be left to a qualified gunsmith.
Removal of the Extractor Spring Place the bolt in a padded vice and 7 insert a drift punch bf less than 0.04 inch in diameter into the small hole found in the bolt head adjacent to the extractor. Push the punch into the hole against the extractor spring and ease Punch is insmud through Ihe hole the spring forward using a screw driver. a) in the boh bead. Extractor spring b) is of V type.
Keep one finger over the extractor slot L to keep the spring from jumping out. To reassemble, place the spring into the extractor slot and seat the small projection on the spring into its seat in the bolt head.
Replacing the Bolt Lee-Enfield bolts are nQt interchangeable. They have been fitted to their respective boltways. Compare the number of the bolt with the number of the rifle to avoid any chance that might cause you to substitute a bolt in the wrong rifle. Check to see that there is no cartridge in the chamber. Be sure that the bolt head is fully screwed home and that the bolt cocking piece lines up with the lug on the underside of the bolt. Replace the bolt in the boltway and push if forward. Next, pull the bolt to the rear to the resistance shoulders and force the bolt head down over the spring retaining catch. Then, push the bolt forward all the way and turn the bolt handle down. Hold the rifle so the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction and press the trigger. The firing pin should fall with an audible click.
9
The Lee-Enfield Ballistics In 1892, the .303 British cartridge was loaded with 70 grains of black powder and had a 215 grain round nose bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1850 fps. Muzzle energy was 1640 fp. By 19 14, with a smokeless powder loading and a 174 grain pointed bullet, the velocity moved up to 2440 fps. This was the Mk. VII round and was still in use when the .303 was discontinued. Used extensively in Africa, Canada and India by the military, government, workers and settlers, the .303 cartridge suffered from a bad reputation due to the use of the military full metal jacketed pointed bullets. When sporting ammunition became available, the .303 became a reliable cartridge for lighter non-dangerous game. Jacketed ammunition has a bullet diameter of .3 1 1 inch. Cast lead bullets can be .3 12 inch or even .3 13 inch. The .30-40 Krag was the cartridge by which the .303 was judged early in its life. The .303 had a slight edge over the .30-40 and later could take chamber pressures of 50,000 psi. The Enfield Mk. 4 has been successfully converted to .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO). The British .303 is now compared with the more powerful .308 Winchester and the .303 has found its niche in the American market. Plentiful stocks of rifles and ammunition have assured it a place for many years to come.
.303 British Max. Case Length: 2.222” Trim-To Length 2.212” Max. Overall Length: 3.075” Primer Size: Large Rifle Bullet Diameter: .3 1 1 *
11
*‘Rifle Loads for LOAD NUMBER
I
6
18 19 t Abbreviations: ACC - Accurate Arms Co.; - Canadian Industries, Ltd.; HDY - Hornady Manufacturing Co.; HER - Hercules, Inc.; HOD Hodgdon Powder Co.; IMR - IMR Powder Co.: 12
the .303 British
REM
CCI
200
24
ACC
PTD - Pointed; RNN - Round Nose; SP - Soft Point; SPP - Spire Point; SPR - Speer; SRA - Sierra Bullets. 13
Care and Cleaning The enemy of all weapons is rust. In order to maintain a rust free rifle, a few simple steps must be performed periodically. All metal surfaces should be coated with a light coat of a quality gun oil from time to time depending on the humidity in your area. In humid areas, more applications of oil are required. The user should pay close attention to the patch that is run through the bore. If the patch comes out dirty or green, a more thorough cleaning is recommended. After firing the rifle, the bolt should be removed and the rifle should be cleaned. A cleaning rod with screw-in tips should be used for versatility in cleaning of the bore. Other cleaning items include a good quality bore cleaner and oil, G.I. or commercial is fine. Also at hand should be some white cotton or blended cleaning patches, a brass brush in the correct caliber (.303 / 7MM), pipe cleaners, tooth brush and some lint-free cloth. A bore light and rust inhibiting spray such as WD-40 are optional.
Corrosive Ammunition Corrosive ammunition can be manufactured using less expensive chemicals such as fulminate of mercury. Unfortunately, these chemicals will attract moisture, which in time will cause iron to rust. When corrosive ammunition has been used, the rifle should be cleaned within a day or two after firing. A rusty or pitted bore will destroy the accuracy of any rifle.
Regular Ammunition To clean the bore, place a clean patch in the slot of the rod tip and saturate it with bore cleaner. Place the rod tip into the breach or chamber area of the rifle and force the rod up the bore until the tip with the patch comes out the muzzle. Pull the rod back through the bore until the tip with the patch comes out the breach or chamber end. Repeat this until the patch has gotten so dirty it will no longer remove fouling. Replace the dirty patch with a clean one, saturate it in gun cleaning solvent and go through the cleaning process again.
14
When the patches are coming out much cleaner, you have removed ’ the first layer of fouling. Replace the slotted patch tip with the bore brush and run it through the bore from the breach end. Several strokes should be done. Remove the bore brush and screw on the patch tip. Saturate the patch with bore solvent and run it through the bore as before. Now the patch should look dirty again and it may possibly look green. The green color comes from the interaction of the solvent with copper jacketed ammunition that may have been used. This is normal and means that the s;sfvent is doing its job of removing the cooper residue that is left after the rifle has been shot. When the patches come out clean, stop rhe cleaning of the bore leaving a heavy coat of solvent in the bore overnight.
General Cleaning All metal surfaces including the sights, should be wiped down with a solvent dampened cloth. Wipe the solvent from the outside surfaces of the metal with a dry cloth. This should remove most grime and powder residue. A light coat of rust inhibitor such as WD-40 can be used to spray the exposed surfaces of metal and then wiped with an oily cloth. We now turn our attention to the bolt and the internal area of the receiver. The bolt can be unscrewed and placed in a container filled with solvent to soak while you wipe down the internal magazine using a cloth with a liberal amount of solvent. Wipe down the boltway, and other places in the receiver with the solvent laden cloth. Be sure to clean the bolt latch and safety knob. Next, take the toothbrush and dip it in the solvent and scrub inside the receiver and boltways. Crime and fouling will be lifted. Follow up with a dry cloth to remove the fouling. When this area is clean, take a pipe cleaner and dip it in solvent. Scrub as many nooks and crannies as possible. This done, wipe all solvent from the internal surfaces of the receiver and magazine area with a dry cloth and pipe cleaners. A light coat of the rust inhibitor may be sprayed here, but remember this is not a lubricant and should be lightly wiped up. A coat of oil should be wiped over all the internal parts just cleaned. It may be necessary to use a pipe cleaner coated with gun oil to reach hard to lubricate places.
15
Take the bolt out of the cleaning solvent and scrub the exterior with the toothbrush. Wipe it down with a dry cloth. If it has not been soaking, apply a liberal amount of solvent to the interior and exterior surfaces of the bolt, Dip the toothbrush in solvent and scrub the bolt until all fouling has been loosened. Pay close attention to the extractor, removing all fouling. Wipe all internal and external parts of the bolt clean with a cloth. Coat the bolt with a light coat of gun oil and let it sit out of the rifle overnight.
Final Bore Cleaning The next day. the bore should be coated with a liberal amount of solvent. The patch will be discolored with dirty powder and may be green from the copper. This is normal. Use the bore brush to clean out any remaining rust, fouling or copper residue. At this time, you may wish to inspect the bore with a bore light to look for fouling, lead build-up, rust, pits or cracks. Insert the bore light into the breach, turn it on and look down the muzzle to view the bore. If an unusual amount of firing has been done, it may be necessary to repeat the cleaning process the following day. After the bore comes out clean, dry it with clean, dry patches. Now, coat a fresh patch with gun oil and coat the bore liberally. Finally, you may use a cotton bore swab coated with oil to pass through the bore. It should come out clean. Wipe all exterior metal parts with a light coat of oil. Replace the bolt and set the rifle aside.
