M1917 Enfield

 Index of Illustrations


ACTION OF THE MECHANISM.
 

Suppose that a cartridge has just been fired. By raising the bolt handle, the bolt is rotated to the left. Since the cocking-piece lug is held against turning by the cocking-piece groove, it is forced to the rear in the bolt by the half-cocking cam, and engages the half-cock notch. This action withdraws the striker into the bolt. As soon as the locking lugs on the bolt clear the locking cams and the safety lug on the bolt handle clears the safety lug on the receiver, the extracting cams on the bolt and receiver engage and coact during continued rotation of the bolt, to retract the latter and thus provide primary extraction. During the rotation of the bolt, the extractor is prevented from turning, by guides provided in the receiver for that purpose. Similarly, the sleeve is held against rotation by engagement with the receiver.

The limit of turning movement of the bolt finds the locking lugs in a horizontal position. The bolt is then drawn straight to the rear, the extractor continuing to withdraw the empty cartridge case.

As the bolt begins to travel backward, the cocking piece rides over the sear nose and depresses it, the safety stud rising into the clearance provided therefor on the bolt. When the cocking piece clears the sear nose, this is raised to normal position by the sear spring.

When the rear face of the slotted (now left hand) locking lug reaches the ejector, the latter is forced into the slot in the lug and protruding through the same, in its further rearward movement, strikes the rear of the empty case and ejects it to the right. Shortly before ejection, the bolt clears the rear end of the top cartridge in the magazine, which is forced up by the magazine spring into the path of the lower edge of the bolt. If there be no cartridge in the magazine, the follower rises so that its rib will prevent the closing movement of the bolt. This warns the soldier that his magazine is. empty. After a slight further backward movement of the bolt, this is arrested by collision of the slotted locking lug with the bolt stop lug.

Assuming that the magazine contains one or more cartridges, the forward movement of the bolt forces the topmost cartridge forward and up over the cartridge ramp. The groove in the case engages the extractor as the cartridge rises.

During the early part of the closing movement of the bolt, the ejector is pushed outward by the side of the bolt. Later, the sear notch in the cocking piece engages the sear nose, and is arrested. The bolt then slides forward over the striker, further compressing the main spring

When the rotation of the bolt by the handle begins, the locking lugs engage the locking cams, and force the bolt home, seating the cartridge with considerable pressure, and further compressing the main spring. The rotation of the bolt restores the half cocking cam, so that it is out of the path of fall of the cocking piece lug.

The bolt is now locked, the main spring is fully compressed, and the cocking piece is held by the sear nose.

When the trigger is squeezed, the bearing of the trigger first acts on the bearing of the receiver, slowly depressing the sear nose and giving the slack. Then the heel of the trigger engages the receiver, and completes the depression of the sear nose, giving the movement known as the creep, which ends in the release of the cocking piece by the sear nose. The striker then falls under the action of the main spring, and, striking the primer of the cartridge, detonates the same.

During the depression of the sear nose, the safety stud rises through its hole in the bottom of the well, and enters the interlock slot in the bolt. If the bolt is not fully locked, the interlock slot will not register with the safety stud, and the trigger can not be pulled.

When the pressure on the trigger is relaxed, the sear spring restores the sear and trigger to normal position.

 

MANIPULATION BY SOLDIER.
 

To load.-Raise the bolt handle, and-draw the bolt straight to the rear, to the limit of its motion. Place either end of a loaded clip in the clip slots in the receiver, and, with the thumb of the right hand, push the cartridges down into the magazine until the top cartridge is caught by the right edge of the receiver. Then close the bolt, and lock it by turning the handle down. The forward movement of the bolt carries the topmost cartridge into the chamber, and ejects the clip. The rifle is now ready to be fired by pulling the trigger.

Clips hold five cartridges, which is the capacity of the magazine, but a sixth cartridge may be carried in the chamber, if the cartridges in the magazine be pressed down and the bolt be started forward over them before inserting the additional cartridge into the chamber. Care must be taken to see that the bolt is safely started forward over the top cartridge, as the feeding of a second cartridge into the chamber by the bolt may result in the detonation of the first cartridge by the nose of the second while the bolt is open.

To eject the empty case of a fired cartridge, feed a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber, and cock the piece, the bolt is unlocked, drawn fully to the rear, closed and locked. If the magazine is empty, the bolt will be locked in its open or rear position, by the rising of the follower.

To render the piece safe when loaded, turn, the safety lock to the rear.
 

PRECAUTIONS.
 

If it is desired to carry the piece cocked, with a cartridge in the chamber, the safety lock should be turned to the rear. Under no circumstances should an attempt be made to let the firing pin down by hand, or by a manipulation of the trigger while closing the bolt, upon a cartridge in the chamber.

To obtain positive action, the bolt, when actuated, should be drawn fully to the rear.

If the rifle misses fire, the bolt should not be opened or unlocked until sufficient time has elapsed to assure that the cartridge is not hanging fire. Inasmuch as the rifle can not be cocked except by opening the bolt, there will be a temptation to open the bolt too soon, and it is wise to wait even a full minute and be sure.

All cams and working parts should be kept oiled to avoid undue wear.

 

DISMOUNTING AND ASSEMBLING BY SOLDIERS.
 

To dismount the bolt.--Remove the bolt from the rifle by drawing it out to the rear while pulling out the thumb piece of the bolt stop. Hook a loop of string on the dismounting hook on the cocking-piece lug, and, holding the bolt in the left hand and the string in the right, draw the cocking piece out until the lug clears the end of the bolt. (See fig. 148.) Then, by moving the right hand in a circular path counterclockwise, unscrew the sleeve from the bolt and withdraw the sleeve, cocking piece and striker from the bolt.  Grasp the sleeve with the left hand, and, while holding the point of the striker against a wood or similar surface, force the sleeve toward the point of the striker, compressing the mainspring until the lug on the cocking piece clears the lug slot in the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 149. Then, with the right hand, give the cocking piece a quarter turn, in either direction, to disengage it from the striker, and draw it off to the rear. Relieve the spring from stress slowly and remove it and the sleeve from the striker, being careful that the parts do not fly from the hand. Turn the extractor so that it covers the gas escape holes in the bolt and push it forward with the thumb until it is free of the ears on the collar.

To assemble the bolt.-Slide the mainspring over the striker. Hold the point of the striker against a wood or similar surface, and, placing the sleeve against the end of the spring, with the flats in its bore registering with the flats on the striker;, compress the spring by forcing the sleeve toward the point of the striker. Holding the sleeve with the spring fully compressed, replace the cocking piece on the end of the striker and lock it by a quarter turn so that its lug aligns with the lug-slot in the sleeve. Then let the sleeve return to position slowly under the action of the spring. Grasp the bolt in the left hand and start the threads on the barrel of the sleeve into the threads in the end of the bolt. Holding a loop of string in the right hand as before, hook it on the dismounting hook, and draw the cocking piece out. Then, by moving the right hand in a circular path, clockwise, screw the sleeve home in the bolt. Place the lug in the half-cock notch. Slide the extractor to place in line with the gas escape holes, engaging the undercut lug on the extractor with the ears on the ring, and lifting the hook so that the tongue will slide over the end of the bolt. Turn the extractor so that it lies over the unslotted or solid lug, and replace the bolt in the receiver. Push the follower down and close and lock the bolt.

To dismount the magazine mechanism.-With the bullet end of a cartridge, press the floor-plate catch (through the hole in the floor plate), and, at the same time, draw the floor plate to the rear. This releases the floor plate, which comes out, bringing with it the follower and follower spring.

The spring may be released from the floor plate and follower, by springing it to clear the spring stops and then withdrawing its ends from the undercuts.

To assemble the magazine mechanism.-Connect the magazine spring with the follower and floor plate by inserting its ends in the spring seats therein.

Insert the follower and spring into the magazine, and put the tenon on the front end of the floor plate in place. Then seat the floor plate by pressing it inward and forward, so that the lug on the floor plate enters its slot in the guard and is latched by the magazine catch.

The foregoing dismounting operations are the only ones to be performed by the soldier.

Selected men, properly trained, and acting under proper authority, may perform such further dismounting operations as may be necessary for repairs, proceeding as follows.