Enfield No4 help!

M

Moloch

New member
I've picked up a British Enfield No4 from the 50's, awesome rifle, like new - there is only one annoying problem: it doesn't eject empty brass and I have to manually remove it after each shot.
Turns out the ejector screw is missing.

So I ordered two No4 ejector screws from a surplus shop -turns out they don't fit, the screws I ordered have a different thread. :confused:

So now my question is : Do the post-war No4 Enfields use different extractors screws? Did the seller send me No3 screws?
I'm not very experienced with British rifles so I'm at a total loss right now. :confused:

Can anyone post a pic of No4 ejector screws?

This is the screw that won't fit.



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There is no #3? I assume you men a #1 Mk3?

If so then yes they do have different screw threads.
SARCO lists them for the #4 as:
LE4018 Ejector Screw $3.00

That picture doesn't look like a #4 ejector screw either, they do not have the tip shaped like that they are just a plain ol screw tip. The head should be a larger cheese head type as well! See part #9 in the illustration.
Enfieldactiion.jpg


But now for the bad news, the ejector screw on Lee Enfields does nor eject fired cases, it is only used to eject Unfired cases, weird as that may be. Fired cases are ejected with the rim scraping along the left side inner receiver wall in that tapering shallow rounded cutout.:eek:

A couple of suggestions that might help.

Try really whipping the bolt open fast & hard, that's how it's supposed to be done. If that doesn't work check out the extractor spring under the extractor claw:confused: I know strange isn't it, but that spring is what pushes the rim into the side wall so it will eject.:)
 
But now for the bad news, the ejector screw on Lee Enfields does nor eject fired cases, it is only used to eject Unfired cases, weird as that may be. Fired cases are ejected with the rim scraping along the left side inner receiver wall in that tapering shallow rounded cutout.
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That sounds weird, but then again I'm not used to the brits' boomsticks. :eek:

Managed to get an empty case into the chamber, the rim does indeed scrape along the inner receiver wall, it even leaves brass marks on the wall so it looks like the spring is good. The rifle is like brand new after all.

One thing I noticed is the magazine and how its loaded plays a role in this, its a dual stack magazine and if a life round is on the left side of the magazine ejection of the empty case is better. If a life round is on the right side of the mag ejection is very weak and most of the time the case won't eject at all.

That picture doesn't look like a #4 ejector screw either, they do not have the tip shaped like that they are just a plain ol screw tip. The head should be a larger cheese head type as well! See part #9 in the illustration.
Click to expand...
Checked out the other screws the dealer sent me, there is a big screw that looks like the ejector screw on the illustration, but I assumed its the big firing pin screw. However, it does fit, but it touches the bolt.
 
Is it a No4 Mk1 or a No4 Mk1*? The difference is the (*). If memory serves me, there were minor changes between the two, and the extractor / ejector may be one of them.
 
The ejector screw is the same for the #4 Mk 1, #4 Mk1*, #4 Mk 1/2, #4 Mk 1/3, & #5.
But different from the #1 IIRC.

I'm guessing you just picked the wrong screw maybe?
They do need a little fitting so you may want to carefully remove just enough metal at the threaded end that allows it to clear the bolt.
 
The ejector screw is only for unfired cases.

A weak or broken extractor spring is what often causes on ejection problems. Use a trigger pull gauge and measure the spring tension on the extractor, it needs to be a minimum of 7lbs. Hook the lip of the extractor and it should not move until you reach 7lbs on the gauge.

The difference between a MkI and aMkI* is the MkI* does not have the standard bolt release mechanism. It uses a slot on the bolt head rail to release the bolt.
 
There is perhaps no rifle marked No. 3 but I have a SMLE III which is Roman numerals for 3
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Yes sir it is. Mark III that is.:confused:
Just to confuse & confound the world at large the Dastardly British used both Model Numbers & variation Marks. If that wasn't enough they then added stars (*) to denote minor changes that didn't warrant a revision of the Mark (not the number):confused::confused:

Just to finish off the utter confusion they had wrought they then revised the whole system (retroactively) giving both new & old Models, Marks & variations new nomenclature whilst retaining the old.

So the Rifle, No1 Mk III became the Short Model Lee-Enfield, or SMLE. Not to be confused with the Rifle #4 Mark I which has no name, just a number & mark.:D:)
 
Haha, ok! Maybe I'm simply too used to the mauser 98's!
Click to expand...
Maybe!:D
The bolt really does need to be whipped fast & all the way to the rear to get good ejection. With practice you can do "Stupid Enfield trick #2" which is to short stop the bolt in exactly the right place using the thumb & "trigger" finger. (The trigger is squeezed with the second finger). Then the case ejects just out of the action & you nonchalantly trap it between the second & third finger before it hits the bench & without releasing the bolt handle. This can't be done with a Mauser!:cool:
DSCF6308.jpg

With a little practice you can just whistle merrily as you drop the trapped case into the ammo box instead of grubbing round in the dirt for it later.:)
 
The ejector screw is only for unfired cases.

A weak or broken extractor spring is what often causes on ejection problems. Use a trigger pull gauge and measure the spring tension on the extractor, it needs to be a minimum of 7lbs. Hook the lip of the extractor and it should not move until you reach 7lbs on the gauge
Click to expand...

This pretty much nails it. I check my extractor spring tension with my thumb, if it moves before it hurts my thumb its weak.

Also as said in another post, you have to work the bolt like you mean it to get good ejection.
 
OK wogpotter, now ya went and done it!!! I had to get out the reading glasses and the magnifying glass... lol

On the right side strap at the rear of the receiver it is stamped:

MA
Lithgow
S.M.L.E.
III*
944

The 9 is very light and there may have supposed to been a 1 in front of it as the stock is stamped 1944.

It is also stamped on the right side at the rear of the receiver in a horizpntal string:

IA CO SAC CA. AUSTRAILA .303

The wood runs ALL the way up to the front and the rear sight would be about where a modern "Scout" sight would be mounted, that is about where your hand rests on the foregrip. The rear is a semicircular notch and is marked for ranges of 200-2000 meters(I'm guessing it's not yards). These things are really neat old rifles. I looked it over closely and could not find "No. 1" marked on it anywhere. There were a bunch of other proof marks and it had BA in several places. Maybe the Brits were trying to tell everyone they had built a "Bad Ar$e" rifle way before the Hip-Hoppers and Rappers made BA "cool"....

The other Enfield is engraved (not stamped) on the left isde of the receiver above the magazine well with No. 4 Mk. 2 (F) and 8/49. It has a rear peep sight at the rear of the receiver so it has a much longer sight redius. The funny thing is that when you flip it up for longer range sighting, it is only marked for 200-1300 meters. Actually, there are two marks by each number and I would guess that the lower one is for yards while the higher one is for meters. If I'm right, this sight is ranged for both yards and meters. If i'm wrong, well it won't be the first time and I guess you could just say that I have a good imagination to create an explanation like that.

100_6527.jpg

No. 1 Mk. III* top, No. 4 Mk. 2 (F) bottom

100_6528.jpg


Top view of receivers. Note how far forward the rear sight is on the No. 1 Mk. III* vs. the No. 4 Mk. 2 (F)

100_6531.jpg


Here you see the full length wood and bayonet lugs on both. You can even see wood under the front cap of the No. 1.
 
Very nice!
You have a Short Model Lee Enfield Number one mark III*, made in as you surmised 1944, and one of the more desirable ones as well the Lithgows are sought after. Australia never switched over to the #4, they just kept on making the SMLE's!:)

More info here on the various marks, models & so on. The site is a huge source of info on everything Enfield.
http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/
Then you have a #4 Mk2 as well, congrats I'm jealous!:D
 
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Thanks so much for helping me to regain confidence with my rifle (only reliable rifles are fun after all), I almost started to think that there is something very wrong with my Enfield, but it really sounds like its just an operating error.

I checked ejection with some old empty brass (kind of tricky to get it into the chamber without a projectile) and operated the bolt with more power, flung out the brass like a champ!

Next time on the range I'll try to operate the bolt like a real man and report back. :D

Oh, since there are so many Enfield experts around here, whats the small loop between the receiver screw and the magazine for? (No4Mk2)
 
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Oh, since there are so many Enfield experts around here, whats the small loop between the receiver screw and the magazine for? (No4Mk2)
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That loop is a holdover from earlier days when the magazine was chained to the rifle. Enfield Magazines are not really interchangeable in that they have to be tweaked to each rifle in most cases. Just a little fitting with a pair of pliers to get them to feed properly. The magazine was probably the weakest part in the Enfields design. Never load your Enfield by slapping a loaded magazine in place, doing so will bend the feed lips and cause mis feeds. Load only from the top with chargers(stripper clips) or single rounds.
 
I had another No. 4 Mk. 2 but gave it to my brother as I saw no need to have two of the same ones. I bought these rifles quite some years ago, paid $180 for all three of them as I recall... They're just some neat oldies to me, kind of like the 6.5 and 7mm Mausers I have. I never figured them as "collector items".
 
The little loop was originally for the magazine chain, but later was used to tie down a canvas breech cover. This was to keep the mud of the trenches from getting into the action.

I bought these rifles quite some years ago, paid $180 for all three of them as I recall..
Click to expand...
:eek::cool:
 
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