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| Article Submitted by: Billy Smith | |||||||||
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How to rebarrel an Enfield No. 4
Rifle. Or should I say, CAN you rebarrel an
Enfield at home? Well, you CAN do it! You need a few
tools (listed below) and some time. |
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| First, strip the rifle and clean everything so that there is no grease on any part, as it will cause the barrel vise to slip. Mount the barrel vise to a heavy bench like the one in figure 1. Select one of the correct barrel bushing shims as seen in figure 2. Selecting the proper shim is a try & fit process. The shim that fits best around the barrel, without turning, is the correct shim. The shims provide the barrel vise with more surface area to grip the barrel, basically so that you don't squash the barrel out of shape. Note: I have seen gunsmiths over the years using duct tape in varying layers as a shim for both the barrel as well as the action wrench. | |||||||||
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Barrel Vise Clamped Down on an Enfield No. 4 Barrel |
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Assorted Barrel Bushing Shims |
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The next thing you must do is place
the shims around the barrel at the knox form (the milled
flat spot on top of the barrel at the breach) and insert
the barreled action into the vise like you see in
figure 1, then using a large spanner, about 2 ft
long, tighten the nuts on the vise (and I mean tight) or
the barrel will spin in the vise. |
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Barrel and Action with Barrel Vise and Action Wrench Set-up and Ready |
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This is the part that is very important! You must hit the handle of the action wrench hard and sharp with a large hammer. If you do not then you will bend or twist your action or possibly create marks on your action. If you hit the action wrench handle with a sharp hit it works like an impact hammer. Also you may have to hit the action wrench handle 4 or 5 times before the action comes loose. |
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Action Still in Action Wrench After Barrel Has Been Removed |
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Once the barrel is out of the
action (figure 4), you can then clamp your new
barrel into the barrel vise and screw it onto your
action. As you are installing the new barrel you may
have to remove the barreled action from the barrel vise
a few times to check on your sight alignment. Basically
you align the front sight block so it is vertical and in
line with the rear sight. Also make certain the
extractor slot in the breach end of the barrel align
with the extractor claws themselves on the bolt. There are four bolt heads for the No. 4 rifle (#0, #1, #2, and #3). The #2 and #3 are the more difficult to locate of the four. |
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| I hope this short article provides some basic information to all those who love Enfields as I do. | |||||||||
| Article Submitted by: Billy Smith |
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