LEE-ENFIELD RIFLE MANUAL No.1 - - No.3 - - No.4 - - No.
No. 4 Mk. 1 The No. 4 Mk. 1 rifle was developed from the No. 1 SMLE between the World Wars. It retained the basic Lee action design of the No. 1 rifle, but was extensively modified to improve performance and made easier to manufacture. Important modifications included a heavier barrel, heavier receiver, aperture rear sight and simplified bedding of the barrel in the foreend. Before the Battle of Dunkirk, only a few No. 4 rifles were built.
Sights The front sights for the Enfield were originally a barley corn sight with a small ‘v’ for the rear. As improvements were made to the rifle, a front blade was used and a u-shaped ,rear sight replaced the old ‘v’. Later a long range adjustable stand-up sight with a peep was used. They were fixed to the barrel. As the rifles were further refined, the rear sights were set over the tang to increase sight radius.
Insert the t-shaped tool into the notches and turn the cocking piece until the lower two notches are reached. The firing pin spring should be virtually decompressed. Remove the firing pin locking screw found in the rear of the cocking piece. Now we may finish removing the firing pin with the special tool. Wnscrewing the firing pin with a ‘makeshift rig may cause damage and should be left to a qualified gunsmith.
The Lee-Enfield Ballistics In 1892, the .303 British cartridge was loaded with 70 grains of black powder and had a 215 grain round nose bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1850 fps. Muzzle energy was 1640 fp. By 19 14, with a smokeless powder loading and a 174 grain pointed bullet, the velocity moved up to 2440 fps. This was the Mk. VII round and was still in use when the .303 was discontinued. Used extensively in Africa, Canada and India by the military, government, workers and settlers, the .
*‘Rifle Loads for LOAD NUMBER I 6 18 19 t Abbreviations: ACC - Accurate Arms Co.; - Canadian Industries, Ltd.; HDY - Hornady Manufacturing Co.; HER - Hercules, Inc.; HOD Hodgdon Powder Co.; IMR - IMR Powder Co.
the .303 British REM CCI 200 24 ACC PTD - Pointed; RNN - Round Nose; SP - Soft Point; SPP - Spire Point; SPR - Speer; SRA - Sierra Bullets.
Care and Cleaning The enemy of all weapons is rust. In order to maintain a rust free rifle, a few simple steps must be performed periodically. All metal surfaces should be coated with a light coat of a quality gun oil from time to time depending on the humidity in your area. In humid areas, more applications of oil are required. The user should pay close attention to the patch that is run through the bore. If the patch comes out dirty or green, a more thorough cleaning is recommended.
When the patches are coming out much cleaner, you have removed ’ the first layer of fouling. Replace the slotted patch tip with the bore brush and run it through the bore from the breach end. Several strokes should be done. Remove the bore brush and screw on the patch tip. Saturate the patch with bore solvent and run it through the bore as before. Now the patch should look dirty again and it may possibly look green.
Take the bolt out of the cleaning solvent and scrub the exterior with the toothbrush. Wipe it down with a dry cloth. If it has not been soaking, apply a liberal amount of solvent to the interior and exterior surfaces of the bolt, Dip the toothbrush in solvent and scrub the bolt until all fouling has been loosened. Pay close attention to the extractor, removing all fouling. Wipe all internal and external parts of the bolt clean with a cloth.
