Info for New Enfield Owners - New enfield owner

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New enfield owner - Bolt action question

Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Info for New Enfield Owners
Forum Description: Are you new to Enfields? Check out some of the how-to's submitted by our members!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6765
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 8:52pm
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Topic: New enfield owner - Bolt action question

Posted By: AUSSIMMO
Subject: New enfield owner - Bolt action question
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 9:04am

Hi there,

Firstly id like to say what a great forum. Many interesting topics to be read.

I have just recently acquired a No4 Mk1 sporterised (timber only i think)(will post pics soon). Have taken it down the range and oh man what a kick!

But i was playing with the bolt action the other day and closed the bolt with the my finger on the trigger. Then pulled the tab back to find that it clicked only halfway back. The bolt won't unlock and the trigger only half engaged. What is this for?

Cheers Tony

Replies:

Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 11:58am

Its a "Half cock" a alternative safety (and not a particularly good one). There is a notch in the cocking piece that locks the trigger with the rifle half cocked. Pulling cocking piece all the way back to fully cocked releases the trigger. On many older firearms the half cock was the only safety; not sure why Enfields have them; other than it is easy to add to the design and does give a back up safety if the main one fails. That or James Paris Lee may have had it in his original 1879 design and nobody thought to remove it from later rifles.

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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 9:00pm

You can get out of the locked up dilemma by pulling the tab (cocking piece) fully to the rear to go to full cock.

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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)