Just bought a No 4 MK 2 “mummy” wrapped |
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Tallinar
Newbie Joined: January 21 2022 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 6 |
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Thanks! I’ll have to give that a whirl, if I can ever get the spring itself out!
Is the spring supposed to come free pretty easily? It seems to be in there pretty good. Possibly just too much caked cosmoline? |
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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I’ve never had to use that method. I first push the extractor spring in from the front of the bolt head and then the extractor, pushing up on the spring as it is inserted. Then the extractor screw. Works for me…
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Different strokes I guess! Hey if it works for you! Personally no, I wouldn't remove it. I would take the entire bolt head, assembled, & hose it down with something like non-chlorinated brake cleaner or PB Blaster. Then I'd use the left over cleaner to fill & drain the bolt body several times working the cocking piece as you go. Then I'd let it "drip dry" & put a lot of gun oil in the front end & let it run out the back. Last but not least I'd blow it clean with an air compressor. I've honestly never stripped a bolt unless there was something terribly wrong, like a broken striker spring.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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What I do for a stubborn spring is set the bolt head face up in a Vice to rest on its shoulders and with a brass punch, tap the forward edge of the spring to unseat it.
But I think Shamu’s advice is good, give it a good soak in solvent and make sure you can move the extractor with firm thumb pressure. Apply some gun oil to moving parts after the solvent dries.
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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Here’s how I remove the extractor spring. |
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Tallinar
Newbie Joined: January 21 2022 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 6 |
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Thanks for the advice so far, both of you. I did manage to get the spring out by putting the bolt face in a vice, similar to what you depicted. However, I tapped it out from the back toward the front, as the back fo the spring seemed to offer a better bearing surface for the punch. Came right out with little fuss at that point.
Following the order of operations prescribed in the guide that Shamu provided, I am to the point where the front sight protector and top handguards are off. They came off with ease. I now have the trigger guard removed, and the thumb safety hardware. My hang up now is the rear sight. I am trying to drift the small retaining pin upward, but I can't get it to budge. I am using a 1/16" steel punch, (my smallest brass is 1/8"), and I hesitate to be more aggressive for fear of deforming the pin. Feels like I may have already slightly done this. I've tried tapping from the top as well, just to loosen it up, but no dice. I hosed the area down with some CLP and let it sit for awhile to no avail. I then tried to dry it off and hit it with some WD40 and let it sit for an hour. Still no go. Any recommendations on this? Do I just need to get more aggressive? After I get the rear sight out, my next question is do I need to remove the screw that goes through the wood above the trigger guard, under the thumb safety? I gather that this screw is unique to the Mk 2, and haven't found a clear answer on the web to determine if it needs to come out. At the moment, I can't tell if the receiver is being held in the fore-end by bedding tension alone, or if this screw is holding the receiver captive as well. Any tips on that? Sorry these images are rotated weird. Can't seem to figure out how to fix on the forum upload. Thanks for your continued help! |
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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I'm not sure, but think the pin may be slightly conical. So try tapping it the other way.
You do need to remove the screw through the rear end to remove the wood.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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Soak the pin in penetrating oil, like Kroil or PB Blaster for a day or two, reapply a few times a day. I think these pins had a pointy end which was supposed to go into the hole in the axis pin. They can be pretty tight. But if you deform the end too much, you won’t get it out. I agree with Zed, try tapping from the other end.
You won’t be able to remove the fore-end unless the transverse screw is removed. You will likely need to use a a notched flat blade screw driver to hold on to the round nut recessed into the fore-end. There is a recent post on this.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Its slightly tapered. It MUST be driven from the bottom UP to remove. I've broken several punches trying to do it now I use a flat bladed screwdriver of the correct size. Soaking per britrifles won't hurt either.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Tallinar
Newbie Joined: January 21 2022 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 6 |
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Thanks folks. I now have the barreled receiver removed, and have all parts removed with the exception of the sear, the trigger, and the rear sight. Those pins just aren't budging. I am going to need to try the Kroil soaking method, I think. I decided against soaking the barreled receiver in mineral spirits. I don't think I want to get in the business of handling that much mineral spirts at a time, and don't have a very effective container or good place to soak it outside in the winter. For better or worse, I decided to just go to town with WD40, some disposable rags, patches, and Q-tips, which cut through it plenty effectively. Next, I think I'd like to give the barreled receiver a bath and a scrub in hot Dawn dish soap water, and clear out the WD40 and any remaining cosmoline. I'm thinking I can then give it a rinse with boiling water to help evaporate all the moisture, and then hose it down with aerosol Ballistol. Most of the smaller parts are soaking in a small, enclosed container of odorless Klean Strip mineral spirits right now. Once I get the striker removal tool, I will strip and soak the bolt and the remaining small parts. Following the mineral spirit bath, I plan to give the pieces a rinse with hot water, and immediately dry them, and hose them down with Ballistol. For the stock pieces, I went ahead and gave them a light rub down with disposable rags and a mild Murphy Mineral Soap solution (about 1 part MOS to 5-6 parts water). I didn't find it very effective, but it did make quick work of the surface cosmoline. I also wasn't very abrasive with it -- no real scrubbing. It did bring out some fuzz from the wood. Per some other internet advice, I am now considering giving it a scrub with a 50/50 Purple Power solution to try to work some of the baked in cosmoline out, then proceeding with a coat or two of boiled linseed oil. It's also been suggested that I bone the stock (new concept to me) prior to applying the first coat of BLO. The stock really doesn't look bad, so I don't want to do anything too aggressive to it. Does my plan seem sound? Do you see any glaring issues with the approach I've laid out? Also, do you think it's imperative that I get the sear, trigger, and rear sights removed prior to the Dawn dish soap bath? Also, can the brass butt plate sit in mineral spirits? Thanks again for all the advice. Here are some pictures of my progress so far. |
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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That makes more sense, it would have to be tapered to secure it in the axis pin.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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They usually get mangled removing them. Plus you have to start from the top with the narrow end after you find out which one it is. The taper is very, very slight, so I'd mark the top end. The "standard" replacement is a blunted finishing nail with the head clipped off & sanded smooth! |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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rb67mustang
Senior Member Joined: September 28 2022 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 201 |
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OMG, Shamu, yeah, those are wonderful and what dreams are made of. I've been bitten by the Enfield Rifle, and I know it isn't going away. I hope to get a No4 in good condition, the Mk doesn't matter to me as long as it's in good condition with no missing parts or mismatched numbers.
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rb67mustang
Senior Member Joined: September 28 2022 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 201 |
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My feelings exactly, britrifles!!!
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rb67mustang
Senior Member Joined: September 28 2022 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 201 |
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What a breathtaking video!!! I got into the MilSurp Blot action rifles way to late. Most of the military firearms I've owned were semi-auto and not one bolt action until this week. The prices are very high and I highly doubt there are any new unused Enfield Rifles still wrapped up like this one. I'd love to find one even still.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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They still exist, but as pricey collectors items. I'm a shooter & I understood the -$500 price hit it would cost to secure & unwrap a mummy. To me personally it was worth it. Many may disagree. They still exist, but the devaluation & inflation have taken a heavy hit on values. Really minty rifles values is currently $1,000+ My best advice, wait, watch, learn (there are major pitfalls), & when the iron is hot & its THE ONE, strike fast. Close but no cigar, move on & keep saving your pennies. I don't have a huge assortment of rifles, I have a few really nice ones instead Just remember the sight is worth almost $350 in its own right nowadays.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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