Making the Lee Enfield into Cock on Opening

[303Guy]

Is there any information on doing this conversion? I do know that at one time conversion kits were available.

The cam on the cocking piece does not have enough travel to give it the strike needed but there's another cam at play and that's the primary extraction cam on the bolt lug and lug recess faces. Together that does give enough travel but I should think a stronger striker spring would be required.

[Artful]

I remember COO conversion kits for a lot of surplus COC rifles like 1914, 1917, the '96 but never recall a SMLE conversion.

[waksupi]

Being a great fan of Mauser rifles, I would vote against the conversion. I studied the idea for several years, and came to this conclusion, that also applies to your rifle.
These firearms are designed to work in the worst battlefield conditions you will encounter. The purpose for the cocking method is to provide positive extraction, and to encourage the necessary rapid forward bolt manipulation needed to make these types of bolt actions function correctly. This works extremely well, when you need a fast second shot, in combat, or hunting.
If you make the conversion, for some reason a desire to chamber a rifle with a slow motion occurs, which is the biggest cause of malfunctions in a bolt action.

[gwpercle]

If anyone makes a conversion kit it would be Dayton Traister...but they do not show one available for the Lee-Enfield. I have never seen any information on doing this conversion or hearing of any gunsmith's providing it. If there is someone out there who can do it I am sure the member's will inform us.

[enfield]

you gotta open it and you gotta close it, why on earth would it matter if it cocks on opening

[KCSO]

No the SMLE has not had a conversion kit made for it and I don't think it would work because of the way the action is built IE the seperate bolt head design.

[Stephen Cohen]

I remember reading back in the early 70s that a cock on opening was available, could not see why one would worry about it though. I think if the SMLE had been front locking and made stronger, we would all have fewer 98 Mausers. I love the SMLE action so fast and easy to use.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I believe that Elwood Epps, Canadien gunsmith, did some work on this back in the `60`s. I doubt there was a commercial kit available for the Lee Enfield though. Robert

[Fishman]

Why would this conversion be better? I don't see the point. The cock on closing has some real benefits as pointed out by Waksupi. I also find it easier to operate with the gun shouldered than cock on opening designs.

[Dale in Louisiana]

I used to shoot with a club that held Military rifle matches. Since it wasn't a big technical race, it mattered little as to which gun to bring. I ran through one match with an M1917 Enfield and several with a Springfield M1903A3.

Since the .30-06 cartridge is so long, one has to move his hand off the stock to get a full stroke from the bolt, and in my experience, it seems to be a bit easier to cock on opening, but it certainly didn't make the rapid-fire strings any more difficult with one or the other.

dale in Louisiana

[gnoahhh]

Ya gotta wonder when the supply of these things will dry up! I've been reading questions about COO M1917 Enfields for over 50 years now!

[Blue2]

I had a bunch made up a few years ago for the #4 Series of rifles. They can be altered to use on the #1MkIIIs as well. They are an excellant conversion and are at their best on a target rifle. I first saw them on Canadian Army rifles that had been taken to the Bisley Matches. Really speeds up rthe lock time. A "kit" consists of a new firing pin and spring along with a new cocking piece. I have a number available if anyone wants one. $95.00 plus postage.

[Suo Gan]

There you go!

[303carbine]

Is there any information on doing this conversion? I do know that at one time conversion kits were available.

The cam on the cocking piece does not have enough travel to give it the strike needed but there's another cam at play and that's the primary extraction cam on the bolt lug and lug recess faces. Together that does give enough travel but I should think a stronger striker spring would be required.

Hi Pete, being the SMLE is good as is, why would you want to mess with it?