Breaking Down and Cleaning the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mark 1 Rifle
The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mark 1 rifle was the standard British service rifle issued to their armed forces from the late-1800s to the mid-1900s. There were several variations; however, the main rifle used during World War II was the No. 4 Mark 1. The following is a guide to breaking down and cleaning the No. 4 Mark 1 so that the rifle functions correctly, and you don’t get chewed out by the Sergeant Major for trying to use a dirty rifle to conquer the Deutscheland. I recommend completely stripping and cleaning any new rifles you obtain and then periodically (such as after a few trips to the range or because of a long, hard event).
The first step is to remove the bolt and is accomplished one of two ways. There is a button on the right side of the rifle, where the end of the bolt rests when fully opened. Press and hold the button and then slide the bolt all the way back. Release the button and rotate the end of the bolt up and it should slide out. If there is no button, there is a small gap in the groove towards the front of the chamber where the end of the bolt can be popped out and then removed. Unscrew the safety assembly and remove the components.
Next, pop the magazine out with the small button inside the trigger guard. If so desired, you can remove the butt plate by unscrewing it from the buttstock. This is not necessary, but is one of the main areas dirt and grime accumulate. To remove the butt stock, you’ll need a long flat head screw driver. There will be a cavity in the buttstock and use the screw driver to tap the head of the screw. If you hear a dull thud, you have a leather washer to remove. If there is only the sound of metal, unscrew the buttstock. The leather washer can be a little tricky to remove, but the best way is to take a length of coat hangar with a very small (1/8 inch) bend at the end. The goal is to hook the washer and pull it out, then you can unscrew the buttstock.
Next, unscrew the two screws on the bands holding down the handguards of the rifle and you should be able to work the handguards off. Unscrew the front sight guards and slide that off. Flip the rifle upside down and there is a screw at the front of the trigger guard that needs to be removed. Then unscrew the small screw on the back of the trigger guard, which holds the guard to the receiver and take out the trigger guard. At this point, hold the back of the bottom stock and gently work it off the rifle. This should leave you the barrel and firing assembly. If you are new to breaking down the Enfield, I wouldn’t recommend taking apart the assembly, which can be cleaned with solvent and steel brushes.
If you really want to remove the firing assembly, unscrew the screw and use a small punch to remove the pin holding the magazine catch and the sear spring. All metal parts can be cleaned using solvent and steel wool or wire brushes. I love Hoppes No. 9 Solvent, which can be found at pretty much any gun store and sometimes at your local Wal-Mart. You’ll need a gun cleaning rod with patches to run solvent through the barrel. Once the swatches come out clean, run a wire brush through and then more patches. If you live fire, a copper cutting solvent would be a good idea to help clean the barrel.
The wood furniture should be cleaned by removing and dirt or grime. If the stock is in very poor condition or covered with lots of oil, grease, or cosmoline, you may need to refinish the stock. The best method I’ve found is to get regular Easy Off oven cleaner and apply it all over the stock. Let sit for ten minutes, then wash it off. Let sit for 24 hours and repeat. I usually do this 5 or 6 times. After the last application, I would run the furniture through your dishwasher (hopefully not when the significant other is home), but don’t let the dishwasher get to the drying cycle or the wood may crack. Set the wood furniture aside and allow them to dry for a week or more. Use boiled linseed (local hardware store) to cover the wood furniture and wipe off excess with a lint free cloth. As with the oven cleaner, let sit for about 24 hours between coats.
After 5-6 coats of boiled linseed oil, you may want to water proof the stock if you plan on being out in the elements with the rifle. This can be done by mixing a compound of 1 part bees wax, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 1 part turpentine. Melt the bees wax in an empty shoe can and add the other two compounds. Once cooled, use a rag to apply the compound to the wood pieces, then buff out with a clean rag, like you would car wax. Reassemble the rifle and enjoy. I would recommend picking up a copy of Ian Skennerton’s book on the Enfield Rifle, or visiting http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ for much more detailed information than I can provide.