Lee Enfield Pull Through

[17107BM]

Hello all.

How was this part of the kit used in the field. The one i have for my rifle, to me, would not be of much use to clean the rifle. As it is, a bit of brass at the end of a piece of string. Was it dropped down from the muzzle end? How did it clean the rifle?

Cheers

[Piorun]

One tied the end of the string round a piece of rag cotton, dropped the brass bit down the spout, and PULLed it THROUGH. The cotton, together with machine oil, cleaned the barrel of residue or dirt. Antony

[Ian Riley]

17107BM,

This is based on my cadet service with the No 4 Rifle (I think) in the early 1960s so may well not represent WW1 cleaning. I have not seen a WW1 publication covering cleaning of the rifle. Edit: I have now - see later posts

There should be loops on the end of the cord, which should be stronger than 'a bit of string' - this means something quite thin. My recollection (based on the pulthrough in use in the 1960s and therefore not necessarily the same for WW1) is that the cord was about 3 or 4 mm thick and quite tough. The pullthrough had three loops in line at the opposite end to the weight, the middle one would take a piece of white flannelette material that came in a roll divided into rectangles by red stripes. I was told that the loop at the very end was for an armourer's hook, presumably to pull the thing back out when it got stuck. Nobody ever told me what the first loop, nearest the weight, was for; I wait for enlightenment! (Edited note - Rifle Training 1948 tells me it is for gauze if your rifle gets very mucky) The same pullthrough was still in service with the SLR, in my experience, through the 60s, 70s and 80s.

The flannelette material was known as "four by two", presumably because of its approximate dimension in inches once a piece was torn off the roll down the red lines (100mm by 50mm - 10cm by 5 cm approx). This was folded into four, if I recall, along the long axis, put in the loop dry (not tied but half either side), the weight dropped down the breech end to emerge at the muzzle (I am a bit hazy here but there was something about 'belling' the muzzle if one pulled away from the breech - Edited note - I think my cadet instructor lied! According to Rifle Training 1948, this was all about making one long straight pull to avoid wearing the cord against the muzzle). One took hold of the weight when it emerged, wrapped a couple of turns of the cord round the hand and pulled through (several times and with new cloth if necessary until the barrel was free of fouling and sparkly clean. The barrel, once it had passed inspection by officer or NCO, was then pulled through with oiled flannelette.

I have seen somewhere a process of cleaning by pouring boiling water down the barrel. This doesn't seem practicable in a front line trench.

Ian

Edited 21 November , 2010 by Ian Riley

[rewbarbel]

Hello,

If you look at your pull through it should have two loops, one at the opposite end to the weight and the other about half way down. When you remove your pull through from the butt, you pull it through your fingers to straighten it and to ensure there is no grit etc. (very bad for the barrel). Place a peice of folded flannelette in the loops. then open the bolt and place the weighted end of the pull through in the breech with the muzzle pointed down and let it drop through. turn the rifle up get hold of the weighted end and in one movement pull the cord through making sure that the cord doesn't contact the muzzle bore (this will cause wear resulting in a groove over time).

Hope this helps.

Andy

[rewbarbel]

Must add also when you open the bolt, ensure that there isn't "one up the spout" and as my gunny said "don't palm the bolt boy!!" LOL

Andy

[Retlaw]

[

I have seen somewhere a process of cleaning by pouring boiling water down the barrel. This doesn't seem practicable in a front line trench.

Ian

When shooting was over on the range all the .303's had to have boiling water poured through

the barrel, it was not the cordite that caused the corrosion but the primer.

The barrel was then cleaned using 4x2 patches, the last patch through was wetted with Youngs 303. That was kept in the brass oil bottle.

I still have 1/2 a roll of 4x2, I keep it in the car boot, to wipe the oil dip stick when checking the oil level.

Not sure about battle conditions but would expect, rifle cleaning would be a priority when the came out of the trenches, not sure how they coped with the Lewis or the Vickers, probably changed the barrels.

Retlaw.

[rewbarbel]

I have looked up the method for cleaning after firing is to;

1; pull through with a dry flannelette.

2; poor 5 or 6 pints of boiling water through thre barrel using a funnel ( they had a specific funnel & mug for this)

3; do as explained in the previous reply

4; clean the remainder of the rifle to ensure no grit or dirt from all working parts.

All sounds very parade ground and you have to wonder how they managed in the trenches.

Andy

[Tinhat47]

Wasn't there also the option of sliding a piece of thin metal mesh through the loops as well and pulling it through the barrel to remove rust?

[Ian Riley]

Retlaw and Andy,

Thanks very much for illumination on boiling water. Andy, is your source specific to WW1?

Actually, I am answering my own questions as I go along. I found reference to the use of boiling water in Notes for Instructors on the Use of the Rifle October 1918 (General Staff 40 WO 6969). It says 'use boiling water when possible after firing'. It does specify 'one steady pull ... to avoid cord wear' rather than mentioning wear on the barrel. This pamphlet references other publications,MR Infantry Training and Bayonet Training, (with no commas) with MR references, in particular, for the process of cleaning . I think that this must be the three publications Musketry Regulations, Infantry Training 1914 and Bayonet Training 1916 et seq. I am afraid that it's too late to go searching for Musketry Regulations Parts 1 and 2.

I searched the 1948 pamphlet again and found the boiling water noted in 'Intructor's Notes' on 'Further cleaning'. It seems that water was not used for daily cleaning but, as you say, after firing. Never seen it done though in my limited experience of the No.4 - perhaps they didn't bother for the SLR - I might have that pamphlet somewhere.

"Warm or even cold water ... is better than no water at all" (Rifle and Bayonet 1948). If no water at all, clean with 4 x 2 and oil then use water when available.

The 1948 pamphlet says that on active service, gauze was kept on the pullthrough all the time. At other times, it should be used, only with the permission of an officer, on a worn barrel.

Sorry, if this rambles a bit; I located some material as I was going along

Ian

Ian

Wasn't there also the option of sliding a piece of thin metal mesh through the loops as well and pulling it through the barrel to remove rust?

That's the use of the third loop for the gauze ... properly known as 'wire gauze'.

Ian

[Ian Riley]

All sounds very parade ground and you have to wonder how they managed in the trenches.

Andy

Might add that the Liverpool Scottish history says that when they, Territorial soldiers, arrived in the Salient in November 1914, they noticed that however ragged the Regulars might look in coming out of the line, their weapons always appeared spotless. (Not an exact quote but pretty near)

Ian

[Retlaw]

I have looked up the method for cleaning after firing is to;

1; pull through with a dry flannelette.

2; poor 5 or 6 pints of boiling water through thre barrel using a funnel ( they had a specific funnel & mug for this)

3; do as explained in the previous reply

4; clean the remainder of the rifle to ensure no grit or dirt from all working parts.

All sounds very parade ground and you have to wonder how they managed in the trenches.

Andy

Ours wasn't an issue funnel, it was made from a large empty baked bean tin, piece of copper pipe solder to the bottom, which in turn was soldered to an empty 303 case with the head sawn off. The water was boiled up in an old oil drum. The used water was collected in a bucket and poured back into the oil drum.

Retlaw.

[TonyE]

Retlaw and Andy,

Thanks very much for illumination on boiling water. Andy, is your source specific to WW1?

Actually, I am answering my own questions as I go along. I found reference to the use of boiling water in Notes for Instructors on the Use of the Rifle October 1918 (General Staff 40 WO 6969). It says 'use boiling water when possible after firing'. It does specify 'one steady pull ... to avoid cord wear' rather than mentioning wear on the barrel. ........ Never seen it done though in my limited experience of the No.4 - perhaps they didn't bother for the SLR - I might have that pamphlet somewhere.

The term "cord wear" refers to wear on the barrel, not wear on the cord. If the pull through is not pulled cleanly straight out of the barrel, but continually to one side by say a right handed man, the crown of the muzzle will be worn on that side. This will affect accuracy since as the bullet leaves the muzzle there will be a flow of gas past the base of the bullet on the worn side. This may sound implausible but it is a major cause of inaccuracy. Rifles found to be cord worn when inspected and gauged at Depots were stamped with an asterisk over "W to indicate worn.

The reason for using water is to dissolve the salts formed by the perchlorate in the priming composition. These salts enter the microscopic pores of the barrel steel and as they are deliquescent attract moisture and the barrel rapidly rusts in a matter of hours in humid conditions.

When the 7.62mm NATO round was introduced with the SLR in 1954 one of the characteristics of NATO standard ammunition was that the primers should be non-corrossive and thus not form these salts when fired. With non-corrosive ammunition it is only necessary to clean to remove the small amounts of smoke deposits and any metal fouling.

Regards

TonyE

[4thGordons]

I have an SMLE the crown of which has a very distinct line in it. I cannot decide if it is cord wear or if it was struck by something (it looks too deep and distinct to be cord wear)... I always use a cleaning rod these days. I can attest to the impact of muzzle (crown) damage having a marked impact on accuracy too.

Boiling water poured through the action is very effective (see TonyE above) at cleaning out the corrosive chemicals - also -if used actually boiling it heats up the metal so any residue left after swabbing etc evaporates - helping drying too. I have shot almost exclusively military surplus for the last 15 years - nearly all of it corrosive but careful cleaning means this really isn't a problem. Where is does have an impact is when people do not clean -- some rifles on the market in the US have had their barrels ruined by someone shooting a couple of boxes of surplus ammo through it then sticking it in the safe for a couple of years untended. Sometimes these can be resurrected - other times the barrel is corroded beyond redemption... the effects start very quickly. There is a dealer in the US who sells original surplus cleaning funnels. I rigged one using a length of clear pvc hose and a funnel - works a treat.

There are two versions of the cord worn mark Tony described one in a circle and one not, the circled one is an Inspection Dept mark as opposed to armourer.

The real test is:

Can you wrap up the pull-through and get it back in the butt-trap along with the oil bottle?

Chris

PS: Stay away from the gauze too.... might be OK as a last resort but my recollection is that even in wartime its use was restricted/controlled (ie it could only be used under instruction)[just re read Ian Riley's post - sorry for the repetition - at least my memory was correct)

[rewbarbel]

The source that I had was for the 303 SMLE Rifle No 1, so as to being specific to WW1 I am not to sure.

As to the funnel and mug. I guess that the mug could be any old mug, but the funnel certainly looked like it was manufactured for the job. I can't find a picture of it now, but it looked like it fitted into the breech, with the funnel offset slightly.

Perhaps someone has a picture?

Andy

[TonyE]

Unfortunately I do not have a picture, but I know exactly the funnel you mean. We had half a dozen of them in my cadet armoury (too many years ago) and I regret not keeping one as they seem to be quite expensive to buy these days.

They had a flat on one side and the copper tube was kinked to allow easy access to the breech.

Regards

TonyE

[TonyE]

A quick search and I found a picture of the funnel on John Denner's site. This is a Canadian WW2 example.

Regards

TonyE

[4thGordons]

and just to complete the picture:

1 Bolt (in this case from a LEC.)

2 Oil bottle/oiler

3 roll of 2x4 patches

4 pull through

Chris

[daggers]

1.That last pic - when did the red lines change to blue?

2.Much the same boiling-out procedure applied to 25 pdr & 5.5" guns, but no pull-throughs for them.

D

[Ian Riley]

1.That last pic - when did the red lines change to blue?

2.Much the same boiling-out procedure applied to 25 pdr & 5.5" guns, but no pull-throughs for them.

D

• 4 by 2 lines changing from red to blue? At the last election.
• Was there not a big mop thing for the 25 pounder?

Sorry - off topic

[Ian Riley]

The term "cord wear" refers to wear on the barrel, not wear on the cord. If the pull through is not pulled cleanly straight out of the barrel, but continually to one side by say a right handed man, the crown of the muzzle will be worn on that side.

When the 7.62mm NATO round was introduced with the SLR in 1954 one of the characteristics of NATO standard ammunition was that the primers should be non-corrossive and thus not form these salts when fired. With non-corrosive ammunition it is only necessary to clean to remove the small amounts of smoke deposits and any metal fouling.

Regards

TonyE

TonyE,

Thanks very much for clarifying this. I was originally taught that the problem was with barrel/muzzle wear (aged 14 in the CCF) but the constant reference in pamphlets (reading them late last night) to 'cord wear' persuaded me that this was something to do with avoiding having the pull-through break through wear and being left stuck in the barrel. Funny what a bit of tiredness and a glass or rioja can do.

Thanks also for explaining why my SLR never need boiling out.

Ian

[TonyE]

and just to complete the picture:

1 Bolt (in this case from a LEC.)

2 Oil bottle/oiler

3 roll of 2x4 patches

4 pull through

Chris

That was only an excuse to brag that you have an LEC!

Cheers

TonyE

[59165]

Can you wrap up the pull-through and get it back in the butt-trap along with the oil bottle?

Simple ansa.......nope.

ps.Is it just me who removes the bolt & pulls through from that end?

[4thGordons]

Simple ansa.......nope.

ps.Is it just me who removes the bolt & pulls through from that end?

CLICK HERE! for step by step guide. Plus a red lined 4x2s and a funnel and gauze - which I couldn't find for the photo.... (nicely done site too)

Chris

[auchonvillerssomme]

There is a useful little booklet called The Service Rifle And How To Use It - Short Rifle Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark III. originally printed by Gale and Polden but reprinted in 1998. But there are plenty of originals about, check Abebooks.

Mick

[TonyE]

Simple ansa.......nope.

ps.Is it just me who removes the bolt & pulls through from that end?

Is there any other way, Dave?

Cheers

Tony