Cleaning my Enfield

[Cliff S]

I have just had a display board made for my SMLE and want to give it a bit of a clean up before putting it on the wall.

I don't want to make it look like new. I just want to remove some of the accumulated muck and grime on it but don't know where to start and what to (or not to) use.

All suggestions appreciated!

Cliff

[4thGordons]

I have just had a display board made for my SMLE and want to give it a bit of a clean up before putting it on the wall.

I don't want to make it look like new. I just want to remove some of the accumulated muck and grime on it but don't know where to start and what to (or not to) use.

All suggestions appreciated!

Cliff

Hi Cliff,

I have cleaned and restored a good number of Enfields - none of them have I attempted to make like new but all of them are functional weapons so it is important to me that they are safe!

I always start with a complete disassembly and degreasing. If yours is a deac. (which I am assuming) for display you need not disassemble the firing pin (which is a bit fiddly and needs a special tool.)

Disassembly is straightforward in all other aspects.

I use standard degreasing chemicals on all the metal parts, dry them thoroughly and reassemble and then give the main parts a very light wipe over with a high quality gun/sewing machine oil. I do not usually remove the brass butt-plate and simply polish it in-situ.

If you wish to remove the butt-stock - be sure you remove the forend first otherwise you may well crack/split it - depending upon the type of butt-stock bolt used (some have a squared end that fits in a squared hole).

The bore should be cleaned as usual for a firearm, again on a deac. probably less important.

For the wooden furniture this rather depends on the state in which it is found and the desired appearance. Some stocks are oil soaked from long-term storage in cosmolene - cleaning this is messy! and there are various suggested methods -with sometimes heated differences of opinion as to which is most appropriate - if the wood is just a little grubby without too much oil or staining then wiping over with a cloth moistened with a little thinners (as a cleaner) followed by a light application of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). Emphasis here on the light! What I do is wipe on the BLO, let it sit for an hour or so and then wipe off any excess - leave for a day or so then polish with a dry cloth and repeat as need. If you do not wipe off the excess it will harden into a shiny varnish - most unattractive. Be careful with cloths used with BLO as they can be a fire hazard (spontaneous combustion) refer to the warnings on the BLO container. I give my rifles a once over with slightly thinned BLO every year as maintenance to prevent the wood drying out - but this will largely depend on storage/display conditions.

Hope this helps,

Chris

[coppertales]

In addition to the above post, I would like to add the following.....I use odorless mineral spirits to degrease the metal and clean the wood. Scrub the metal parts with a toothbrush or cleaning brush and let dry. I then use a rust preventative lube, such as LPS2 or Breakfree to wipe down the parts, then let dry. I have never had a rust problem with this method. I scrub the wood with the same brushes as the metal and let dry. If there seems to be really gunky stuff on the wood, a scrubbing with lacquer thinner will usually cut it. Let dry and apply BLO as stated above. All of my Enfields are regular shooters and this is how I initially cleaned them when delivered to the house or from the gun store. Good luck with your display.....chris3

[Cliff S]

Thanks for your replies.

I shall post before and after pics when I have completed the cleaning.

So envious that the weapons you both describe are functioning ones whereas mine is just to hang on the wall!

[Gunner Bailey]

On Sunday I saw some SMLE's where the wood had been French polished. It may not be original but they looked supurb!

John

[Tinhat47]

Don't feel bad, Cliff ... mine is in working order and still just hangs on the wall!

[Borden Battery]

Here are some websites related to the action of the Lee Enfield rifle. Borden Battery

Lee Enfield 1915 Lithgow SMLE Rifle - YouTube Video

A closer look at my Lithgow-built Lee Enfield No1 Mike SMLE. It retains the original features, including volley sights and a magazine cutoff. It was army rebarreled in 1935 with a heavy barrel for marksman use. An 8 minute video with details on the rifle. [CEF Study Group - Oct 2010]

Lee-Enfield 1917 SMLE Shoot - YouTube Video

1917 BSA Lee-Enfield No1 MkIII* has ten rounds put through it [CEF Study Group - Oct 2010]

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=tfulvd2EwVw&feature=related

Lee Enfield SMLE Rifle - YouTube Video

The Lee-Enfield was, in various marks and models, the British Army's standard bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle for over 60 years from (officially) 1895[3] until 1957,[4] although it remained in British service well into the early 1960s and is still found in service in the armed forces of some Commonwealth nations.[5] In its many versions, it was the standard army service rifle for the first half of the 20th century, and was adopted by Britain's colonies and Commonwealth allies, including India, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. [CEF Study Group - Oct 2010]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_x1cpfjwY&p=2D99367D1763700A&playnext=1&index=6