Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part IV - Centerfire Rifles - J B Wood - Страница 11

British SMLE No. 1, Mark III

Similar/Identical Pattern Guns

The same basic assembly/disassembly steps for the British SMLE No. 1, Mark III also apply to the following guns:

Australian SMLE No I, Mark III*

British SMLE No. I, Mark I*

British SMLE No. I, Mark I***

British SMLE No. I, Mark II

British SMLE No. I, Mark II**

British SMLE No. I, Mark III*

British SMLE No. I, Mark V

British SMLE No. 2, Mark IV* (22 RF)

British No. 4, Mark 1*

British No. 4, Mark ⅓

British No. 4, Mark 1* (T)

British No. 4, Mark 3

British SMLE No. I, Mark I

British SMLE No. I, Mark I**

British SMLE No. I, Mark I Carbine

British SMLE No. I, Mark II*

British SMLE No. I, Mark II***

British SMLE No. I, Mark IV

British SMLE No. 2, Mark IV (22 RF)

British No. 4, Mark 1

British No. 4, Mark ½

British No. 4, Mark 1 (T)

British No. 4, Mark 2

British No. 5, Mark 1

British SMLE Cal. 22 R.F. Short Rifle Mark III

Century International Arms Enfield Sporter No. 4

Indian SMLE No. I, Mark III* (Ishapore Arsenal)

Data:	British SMLE No. 1,
	Mark III
Origin:	England
Manufacturer:	British military arsenals
Cartridge:	303 British
Magazine capacity:	10 rounds
Overall length:	44-½ inches
Barrel length:	25.19 inches
Weight:	8.62 pounds

In the bewildering array of “numbers” and “marks,” the Lee-Enfield rifle was the mainstay of the British military from 1895 to 1951. One version that is familiar to most U.S. shooters in the No. 1, Mark III rifle, as many of these were sold as surplus after World War II. For the benefit of those who came in late, “SMLE” is an abbreviation for “Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield.” Although the rifle was replaced in British service by the semi-auto L1A1 (FN-FAL) in 1951, the old SMLE is still in use in many former British colonies and in other parts of the world.

Disassembly:

1. Remove the magazine. Open the bolt, and move it all the way to the rear. Lift the bolt head lug on the right side, disengaging it from the detent spring on the receiver, and turn it up to vertical position. Withdraw the bolt from the rear of the receiver. Some amount of pressure may be needed to turn the bolt head, but be sure that the bolt is fully to the rear before exerting force.

2. The bolt head is removed by simply unscrewing it from the front of the bolt, counter-clockwise (front view).

3. Insert a small-diameter tool in the hole in the outer surface of the bolt head lug, and push gently inward to disengage the extractor spring stud from its recess. The spring can then be pushed out toward the front. Caution:The spring is under tension. Control it, and ease it out.

4. The extractor is retained in the bolt head by a cross screw. After the screw is taken out, the extractor is removed toward the front.

5. Remove the screw in the rear face of the cocking piece, at the rear of the bolt.

6. Removal of the striker/firing pin unit requires a special tool, easily made from brass or steel tubing having a ⅜-inch outside diameter. The working end of the tool is filed as shown in step 7, leaving twin projections which are designed to engage the recesses on the striker collar. The tool is inserted into the front of the bolt, and the striker unit is unscrewed from the knob at the rear. Caution:Keep firm inward pressure during this operation, as the tension of the striker spring will be released when the threads are cleared.

7. Remove the striker and its spring from the front of the bolt.

8. When the striker is released toward the front, the cocking knob will be freed at the rear, and will simply drop off.

9. Remove the cross screw from the stock nose-cap. Remove the vertical screw on the underside of the nose-cap, located just to the rear of the bayonet mount. Then remove the stock nose-cap toward the front.

10. Remove the vertical screw on the underside of the stock, just forward of the magazine well.

11. Remove the cross screw at the rear of the trigger guard, and take off the trigger guard unit downward and toward the rear.

12. Pushing out the cross pin will release the trigger for removal upward.

13. Remove the cross screw in the rear stock/barrel band, releasing the sling loop, and spread the band (it is hinged at the top) for removal upward. This will allow the front handguard wood to be taken off toward the front and upward.

14. Remove the vertical screw on the underside of the stock, just to the rear of the rear band. The front lower section of the stock can now be moved forward and taken off.

15. Remove the forend stud and its spring from their well inside the stock, near the muzzle end.

16. The rear sight guard is retained in the stock by a vertical screw, and is removed upward.

17. If removal of the buttstock is necessary, you must first use a sharpened bent wire (such as an opened coat hanger) to extract the leather washer that covers the head of the stock bolt. After this is removed, use a B-Square stock tool or a large screwdriver to back out the stock bolt, and take off the stock toward the rear. Enfield stock bolts are often rusted in place, and some effort may be required to effect removal.

18. The rear upper handguard wood is retained on top of the barrel by twin spring-clips, and is carefully snapped off upward toward the rear. Raise the rear sight when taking off the handguard, and take care not to break the two slim front handguard projections.

19. Remove the screw on the right side of the receiver that retains the bolt head latch spring. This screw is also the pivot and retainer for the sear, and will release the sear and the combination sear and magazine catch spring for removal toward the rear and downward.

20. After the screw has been partially backed out, use pliers to slightly compress the spring, as shown, to ease removal of the screw.

21. Drifting out the cross pin will release the magazine catch for removal downward.

22. Pivoting the rear sight up to the vertical position will expose the mounting screw for the rear sight spring. After the spring is removed, the cross pin can be drifted out to free the rear sight assembly. This pin is usually semi-riveted at each end, and is best left in place unless removal is necessary for repair.

23. Removal of the screw at the lower end of the safety spring on the left side will allow the spring to be taken off, and the safety-lever and locking bolt can then be moved toward the left and taken out. The bolt lock piece is easily taken off the safety-lever shaft by turning it around the shaft.

Reassembly Tips:

When replacing the trigger guard assembly, be sure the upper arm of the trigger is inserted behind the lower arm of the sear.

When replacing the safety system, turn the bolt lock on its fast helical threads until it is against the inner face of the lever, and hold it in this position while reinserting the assembly into the receiver, with the lever in its off-safe position.

When replacing the extractor spring in the bolt head, be sure the rear elbow of the spring enters the outer hole at the rear, and not the inner hole, where the extractor is pivoted.

When turning the striker shaft back into the cocking piece, be sure the rear tip of the shaft is level with the rear face of the cocking piece, as near as possible with proper alignment of the cut for the stop screw. This adjustment is critical, as it controls the protrusion of the firing pin point at the breech face. The protrusion should be no more than .055-inch and no less than .050-inch for proper primer contact.