Ballseye’s Gun Shots 70 - Enfield #4 MK1 - Update On The New One

I looked at the muzzle end damage again and figured what the heck, this could be a keeper after all. It has a small scrape/ding at the muzzle but it apparently does not effect the crown from what I can tell. Still would have it checked though if I thought I would keep it but figured why lug it to the gun show if there was anything else wrong with it. So I decided to take a better look at the rest of the rifle tonight. I also decided to hold off on the bier and the whisky until I got this done. The inspection being finished and the rifle put away, I am enjoying them both and let me tell you I can really use them about now because this is getting frustrating.

There was a clincher that I found that assures I will not keep this rifle. As I examined the rifle I found something else wrong, in fact two more things that make it absolutely unacceptable. When I took a further look at it, without any disassembly at all, I noticed what looked like an unfilled screw hole. I had to put on two pairs of glasses, one over the other, to be fairly certain I was looking into a threaded hole. Indeed it seemed that way. So I grabbed the small instruction manual, actually a folded over sheet or pamphlet. Surprisingly enough, this time they sent a pamphlet that actually corresponded to the model of rifle they sent me, well to three models of Enfield and one of them is supposed to be the one I got. Last time they did not match. I took a look inside and there are two exploded parts diagrams of the rifle. Yep, that hole should have been filled with a screw called the striker screw (or firing pin screw as I lager saw on an online diagram) as shown on both diagrams. Note I just said on both diagrams and the little instruction pamphlet is for three different models - apparently missing a diagram. I would say the missing diagram maybe the one for the model I have, the #4 MK1 because when I looked closer I saw it is actually could be two screws that are missing from the rear of the cocking piece. One would be the striker screw, I imagine, and the other problem a locking screw seeing as how one screw hole slightly overlaps the edges of the other one. Of course, it could be just the one screw as the striker may be threaded in there and the striker screw may hold it locked in place. The only exploded parts diagrams I can find, including one at Marstar of Canada's site (the pic I show here and actually for my exact model) show it only being one screw (click pic to enlarge and see the bolt inset in the pic and look for part Q27 to your left). Then again, one screw missing is more than enough to screw this deal. After all, just imagine that missing screw Q27 allows cocking piece Q24 to fly back into your face!

Whatever is missing - be it one or two screws - I would hate to shoot this thing, without that screw, and have the recoil force the cocking piece off and back into my face. I am betting that would be quite possible without the screw in place. Right now the cocking piece is staying in place and I have no idea what is holding it there but I sure would not want to take a chance shooting and have either my eye gouged out of its socket or my orbital bone shattered if the recoil kicked it back into my face. I am sure that screw is supposed to be there for a reason such as to prevent the cocking piece from coming loose when the rifle is fired or some other reason, so I have no problem returning it because it is missing that screw, not to mention the other problems.

Did I mention the other problem - the one in addition to the dinged/scraped muzzle and in addition to the missing screw. I guess not yet so here goes. You see I also decided to run a bore patch and brush through the barrel. The amount of sludge that came out of the bore was tremendous. There is no way they could have truly inspected this bore for 'hand select condition - best bore of 10' because of how filled with crud it was when I got it. Now it is much cleaner and showing a peppering of what looks like pitting for the length of the bore. Now that makes it three problems and I think more than enough reason to ship this one back and ask for a refund this time around. Too bad because this one has virtually no rust on the outside.

I am getting frustrated. Maybe I should have bought an Enfield years ago when they were going for $99.99. Too late for that now though. All I can say further is that this rifle will be going back to them pronto. I will call them on Monday for a return shipping label. I probably will not be asking for an exchange, definitely not for another Enfield again and instead probably for a full refund this time. I could take one more chance, return this rifle and ask them to send me another Yugo 24/47 Mauser in hand select condition. The other Mauser they sent me was not quite as good as they claimed it would be but I was okay with it and it shoots fairly well. I don't know though if I want another surprise from them and then the headache of having to pack it up and ship it back to them. That refund is sounding better and better as each moment goes by. Just think of all the 8mm Mauser ammo I can buy with it for my Yugo 24/47 Mauser!

All the best,
Glenn B