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Work order — Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

A bolt action with straightforward furniture (one-piece fore-end, two bands, guard screws, a stock bolt through the butt). The bolt needs a notched striker tool and has a jumpy V extractor spring, and the bolt head is fitted to the rifle. There are more traps than a modern bolt gun but no timing. 57 parts (complete No. 4 Mk I* rifle per the Gun Digest exploded drawing legend 'No. 4, Mark I* (SMLE) Bolt Action Rifle': keys 1-48 plus the 10 'Parts Not Shown' lines, less 'Stripper Clips' (accessory). Magaz). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~35 min, rebuild ~50 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Lee-Enfield striker (firing pin) tool — Unscrewing the striker from the cocking piece
• Fine drift punch (<0.04 in) — Easing out the extractor spring
• Long-bladed screwdriver — The stock bolt through the butt trap

Watch for:

• Stripping the bolt: the bolt head is unscrewed, the cocking piece turned down to relieve the mainspring, the striker screw removed, and the striker unscrewed with a takedown tool that engages notches near its tip. (both; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The striker has to be unscrewed from the cocking piece with a notched takedown tool while holding the mainspring; the pamphlet warns a makeshift rig can damage it. (both; unknown publisher (archive.org "Lots of gun PDFs"))
• The V-shaped extractor spring is eased out through a tiny hole in the bolt head with a fine punch and jumps if not covered; it seats on a small projection going back. (both; unknown publisher (archive.org "Lots of gun PDFs"))
• The buttstock comes off by a long stock bolt reached through the butt trap. (both; American Rifleman (NRA))

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Apply the safety catch on the left rear of the receiver by rotating it rearward.
3. Press the magazine catch inside the front of the trigger guard and remove the magazine.
4. Lift the bolt handle and draw the bolt fully to the rear, ejecting any chambered round.
5. Inspect the chamber and the magazine well with a light and physically confirm the chamber is empty.
   Warning: Check the chamber independently. Removing the magazine does not clear it.
6. Remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip — Bolt Removal

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure and move the safety to the fire position.
2. Lift the bolt handle and draw the bolt rearward until the bolt head reaches the release cut in the receiver's bolt track.
3. Depress the bolt head release catch on the left side of the receiver track, and rotate the bolt head upward out of its groove.
   Tip: The bolt head has to come up out of the track before the bolt will withdraw. Do not pull harder — rotate it.
4. Withdraw the bolt assembly rearward out of the receiver.
5. Clean the bore from the breech with a bore guide, and clean the bolt face, bolt head, locking lugs, and chamber.
   Tip: Breech cleaning is a real advantage of removing the bolt. Do not clean a surplus rifle from the muzzle without a rod guide.
6. Stop here for routine maintenance. Unscrewing the bolt head from the bolt body changes the headspace relationship and should not be done casually.
   Warning: If you do remove the bolt head, the rifle must be re-gauged before firing.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Confirm the bolt head is screwed fully home on the bolt body and correctly oriented.
2. Align the bolt with the receiver track, with the bolt head rotated up so it can enter the release cut.
3. Slide the bolt forward into the receiver and rotate the bolt head down into its groove as it passes the release catch.
4. Push the bolt fully forward and close the bolt handle.
5. Cycle the bolt several times to confirm it runs smoothly, cocks, and locks up.
   Warning: If the bolt does not close fully and lock, do not force it. Withdraw it and check the bolt head orientation.
6. Reinstall the magazine and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Bolt and bolt head fitted to the rifle — Bolts and bolt heads are fitted to their own boltway (headspace); keep the serial-matched bolt with the rifle
• Fore-end/king screw and band tension — Fore-end bedding pressure and band screw tension affect zero; re-zero after the woodwork is off

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded before each step.
• Cycle the bolt and confirm it cocks on closing and locks up fully.
• With the action cocked, apply the safety catch and press the trigger. The striker must not release.
• Confirm the safety catch also locks the bolt handle down when applied.
• Release the safety and press the trigger. The striker should release with a firm snap.
• Confirm the two-stage trigger has a distinct first stage and a clean second stage.
• Load dummy rounds into the magazine and confirm they feed without rim lock and eject cleanly.
• If you have any doubt about the rifle's history, have headspace gauged before firing live ammunition.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Small Arms Training, Volume I, Pamphlet No. 3: Rifle — British War Office primary
2. The Lee-Enfield Rifle — Herbert Jackson / various secondary
3. Exploded View: Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I — American Rifleman (NRA) secondary
   https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-lee-enfield-no-4-mk-i/
4. Lee-Enfield Rifle Manual, No.1 Mk III, No.3, No.4, No.5 (Pamphlet 1) — unknown publisher (archive.org "Lots of gun PDFs") secondary
   https://archive.org/download/lots-of-gun-pdfs-firearms-manuals/Gun%20PDFs/leeenfield.pdf
5. The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings (975 isometric views) - 'No. 4, Mark I* (SMLE) Bolt Action Rifle' — Gun Digest Books / Krause Publications (scan on archive.org) secondary
   https://archive.org/download/the-book-of-exploded-gun-drawings-975-isometric-views/The%20Book%20of%20Exploded%20Gun%20Drawings%20-%20975%20Isometric%20Views.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.