Woohoo! Got my new Enfield. Now I'm in cosmoline hell.

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Payette Jack

New member
Good things come to those who wait I suppose. I passed on one of these a few years back that was in new, unfired condition. Kicked myself for a couple of years for that one. Then I found one in the same condition for $150 (even got a box of ammo). It's a Mk4 No. 2. Finally got ahold of it yesterday. Has matching numbers and everything.

Anyhow, the previous owner never fired it. He got most of the cosmoline off of the exterior, but the barrel has got quite a bit of cosmoline in there. What's the best method for getting rid of this stuff? Does anyone make a special cleaning solution or do I just stick with Gun Scrubber and Hoppes? What's the concensus on dry-firing these rifles? By the way, which Enfield manual/book is the best? I'm not too interested in the history and all that, just the mechanics of the rifle.

These Enfields sure have slick little actions. I can't imagine why nobody can design a modern bolt-action with this kind of smoothness. Do these bad boys ever bind up? Any inherent problems?

I'm also curious about the .303 round. I got a box of Winchester 180 gr soft points with the rifle. I understand the .303 is comperable to the 30-'06. What's the muzzle velocity of that 180 grainer?

All in all, I'm pretty impressed. The rifle has got kind of a strange balance (at least in comparison to modern rifles). I tried a few dry snapshots at the t.v last night and it seems to have a good "pointability factor". I probably won't do anything to it except maybe a rubber recoil pad.

Any Enfield tips/tricks/info appreciated.
 
You could also work some mineral spirits in your cosmoline formula.

My understanding is that .303 is a couple of steps below 30-06, 8mm Mauser, and 7.62x51. It's no pushover, but it's a couple of decades older than -06 and 8mm.

I don't know if it's the cartridge or the buttsock configuration, but I've found my No4 Mk2 to be far more comfortable to shoot than my Yugo M48 (k98) and Mosin Nagant M44.

I don't see any reason why it couldn't be dry fired. I suppose, lacking a snap cap, you could put a small piece of rubber between the cocking piece and the bolt to act as a buffer.

The gun is pretty simple. If you're somewhat mechanically inclined, disassembly should be very easy, bolt included. The bolt is way easier to disassemble/reassemble than a Mauser's.
 
You'll love shooting your new Enfield. I have a "carbinized" No.4, and it's by far my favorite rifle. Enfields still make very credible fighting tools. They have large magazines for a bolt-action system, the ten-rounders are even detachable for the fastest possible reload. The bolt is probably the smoothest and definitely the fastest military bolt-action, thanks to the fact that it's a short throw combined with a bolt that cocks on closing, not on opening like the Mauser or the Nagant. Enfields have good sights and point very well, the bolt disassembles very easy, and .303 is more pleasant to shoot than 8mm Mauser or 7.62x54R.
 
Cosmoline removal.

Put a strainer over your tub's drain in case a small part of two get loose.

Turn the water heater up (past the "safe for kids" level) to ensure some nice hot water.

Strip the sucker out of the stock, and throw the whole mess in the tub, and turn on the shower, just on hot. Let it steam for a while. A funnel in the breech works well too. This'll get most of it off.

Now, soak that sucker down GOOD with something like Kroil. Brush the barrel well, etc., soak it again with the Kroil, and then oil lightly, put it back in the stock, and put it in the cabinet.
 
I received one of those No.4 Mk II's back in '93 as a Valentine's gift from my wife. It was also still in the wax paper! Here is what I did to remove the cosmoline. Buy a large spray can of BreakFree. It will cut the cosmoline as well or better than gasoline. Plus with BreakFree, you can do this chore indoors. It took me 4 hours with a tooth brush to remove all of the grease.
What was under all of that cosmoline was the prettiest blond stock on a military weapon I've ever seen before or since. My gun was made in Dec. '54. They are truly the finest example of a No. 4 I've seen. Enjoy your new treasure!
 
Payette Jack , does she look like this one ? I bought this one 2 years ago , it came still in the mummy wrap and had a hang tag from May 1955 still on it . I ran across a guy that had 4 of them for sale , I wish I had bought them all . E-Mail me if you need a sling , I think I have an extra one in OD green . Good luck , Mike...
 

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That's the one. Thanks for the sling offer. I'll probably go get a leather sling though.

I'll probably just use CLP and Hoppes and gunscrubber. The previous owner cleaned up the outside pretty well. Hard to believe these babies still exist in this condition. Mine's a '54 as well. already had the mummy wrap off when I got it.

Who's got some hard numbers on the .303??
 
Diesel Fuel works wonders for clearing out cosmoline, as does gasoline. Just don't smoke. :(

Nice looking wood there. Makes me wish i had picked one up when they were still cheap.
 
I would not use Gun Scrubber and you might want to watch the Hoppes . I think you will find the finish to be similar to a black paint , the Gun Scrubber will attack it . Of all the products I have used to remove cosmoline , Coleman fuel seem to work the best [using appropriate precautions] . I use a wallpaper paste tray from the local home store to hold the parts and the cleaner . The fuel is extremely flammable [duh] so DONT SMOKE while using it and do it outside . I washed my stock with citrus soap and when it dried I put a few coats of boiled linseed oil on it , it really looks nice . I thought I would show you a picture of a couple M44's . The bottom is a Polish and the top Romanian . I picked up the Polish in the same condition as the Enfield . Good luck , Mike...
 

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You lucky dog. I am looking for that very rifle. That is a pretty good price for a rifle in that condition. I have a Mk. 4, No. 1, a Mk.1, No. III, and a Navy Arms Mk.4, No.1 Tanker. I really want a Mk.4, No. II. Any ideas ? The .303 has proven itself in both battle and in the hunting fields all over the world. This rifle was made as a military rifle for 80 years. The .303 shoots a bullet of the same weight as the '06/.308; the .303 shoots a bullet slightly larger in diameter than the '06 (.308 vs. .311-.312) the .303 shoots this bullet at less velocity, as noted a couple hundred feet less than the '06. IMHO this doesn't make much difference on game and none in combat. Keep us informed on how it shoots. Removing the cosmo, just take your time. You need to remove a lot of it with paper towels or rags. Most of the chemicals will not get as deep as some of this cosmo and grease are on these guns.
 
As mentioned above, I also use Coleman fuel ("white gas") and a toothbrush. I finish up with brake cleaner (no residue) or carb cleaner. This is done outdoors, of course, and away from open flames. Letting the gun sit out in the Arizona sun for a couple of hours before cleaning will soften the grease considerably.
 
Anyone here ever tried a soak in "Simple Green" to cut through the cosmo. Remove excess first with rags.
 
Path; I used something called "Purple Power", which I would say is the same thing as simple green only purple. I did a M44 and a MN 91/30. Both were really grungy. I disassembled them, put them in the bathtub and sprayed them liberally with this stuff. I let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then scrubbed it with a brush and boiling water. It worked on the areas that were fully exposed, but I have found that soap, boiling water, brake cleaner......... none work on the stuff in the nooks and cranies where it is built up really heavy. Once you get it down to a surface coat, then the chemicals work great.
 
To remove cosmoline, I use a large can of brake cleaner. NOT carburator cleaner, which often has additives that can leave a residue or even hurt stocks or synthetics that are on some guns. Just pull the rifle from the stock, put the little straw in the brake cleaner, go out the back door, and hose down the action and barrel. ALL of the cosmoline will instantly be gone.

That said, you need to immediately thereafter go over everything with an oily cloth, and push an oil patch through the bore, as every single speck of protectorant and lube will be removed by my brake cleaner technique. This is basically the same as using the excellent Gun Scrubber, but for about 1/2 the price. I don't pass an auto parts store without stopping to pick up a coupla cans of brake cleaner.

Bogie's technique will work, but be sure and remove all residue and evidence before your significant other gets home! She go ballistic.

I tend to think of the .303 as being roughly in the same class as a moderately-loaded rimmed .308 Win. It really shines in the 180g loadings, which give it its best sectional density for superior penetration. Remington loads a fine LRN in 180g that has a crummy ballistic coefficient, but which gives nice cloverleafs at 100 yds and has great knockdown inside of 200 yds. Winchester used to load a whitebox 180 fmj loading that was quite hot, and grouped very well. I believe it was a military contract loading, and the stuff is gold if you can find it.

With military ammo, ALWAYS consider the stuff to be corrosive, and scrub the bore with a hot water patch to remove the corrosive mercuric salts. I've seen some beautiful specimens that had ruined bores because the previous owner didn't realize he was shooting corrosive ammo, and didn't take precautions. If you can find some of the Egyptian stuff, it was loaded hot, and was quite accurate.

Congrats on your new SMLE, and good luck!

:),
L.P.
 
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