Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters For Shoemaker: Enfield alterations

I would appreciate knowing what alterations were made to the Enfield action used in the 9.3x62 rifle. Was a Clarke Eye Shield used? If so, where obtained? If not, was a substitute used? If not, was the devise thought to be unnecessary? Thank you.

Other than having the receiver rounded, the ejector box chopped and the feed ramp slicked up, the Enfield I used for my 9.3 has no other mods. I prefer the cock on closing feature and the long/strong firing pin fall on a rifle to be used on dangerous game.
I did not feel the need for an eye shield.

ive never understood the hate for cock on closing, i can see where it would be a pain in a target or heavy prairie dog rifle but for hunting i switch back and forth between cock on closing(half cut down SMLE, sporterized 1895 Chilien Mauser, sporterized 1917 Enfield) and cock on opening(Remingtons, Savages, Rugers and Kimbers) and honestly have never noticed the difference between the two cause no matter what i run i use the palm of my hand and run the bolt as fast as i can and truly cant feel the difference cause its the last thing in the world im paying attention to.....

I you are using a bolt rifle the way they were meant to be operated when hunting dangerous game you will not notice whether they cock on opening or closing.

One way is as good as the other IMO...but its not a very costly operation to make one cock on the opening if you prefer it..

I hate to see a good Enfield wasted on a 9.3x62 and not be a 505 Gibbs however! :)but knowing Phil I suspect, at some point, it will grow up and be a big ole gun! He is a gun loony you know!

Ray, I have kept this slim, mannlicher stocked (by Lon) Enfield hidden from your eyes for good reason. It is too slim and handy - in addition to being sudden death on big bears - and I knew an old curmudgeon like you would try somehow to take it away from me.

Where is the story with your 9.3X62 published? As a fan of your writing and the 9.3 I would like to read it.

I haven't written of it - as both it and my 30-06 were built by Lon Paul and if people knew that I actually used blued steel and walnut stocked rifles it might ruin my image.

However I will be doing a feature for Rifle magazine this year on Alaskan rifles and will be sure to show both of my 9.3x62 ( the Enfield and the Echols Edge stocked pre-64) as well as my 30-06 and of course Ole Ugly.

Not catching on here but why do you guys prefer the cock on close.

I've worked with an old Enfield of my Dads and found it to be a bit of a pia,maybe it was just this gun and or maybe it was me. And I've worked with a couple of 416's done by Burgess, he got rid of it and I found them to be more user friendly.

Also, and once again I could be wrong but the Enfield seems to me to be a bit heavy for a 9.3x62? Certainly it can be done on it but I'd think there'd be better actions more suited to a smallish round like that.

Thx
Dober

Side note Phil, I am interested to here your thoughts on the Echols handle. Giving some thought to ordering one for my .340.

And one weird question, how tall are you?

Thx
Dober

Mark.....its not that i prefer it its just that i honestly dont notice it....course my first plinking gun that wasnt a 22 was an SMLE that i used to terrorize the local ground squirrel population....just learned how to run one early on and how yah run a cock on closing gun works fine for cock on opening....yah either learned how to run one right or you couldnt get a second round off on a running gopher if your first missed

i WOULD NOT want cock on closing for a dedicated heavy prairie dog rifle, but for an actual hunting rifle it really doesnt matter....atleast to me.....you can hand me either and i dont change how i run the rifle....

however if yah run a rifle bolt with your thumb an index finger like my wife does you will likely not care for cock on closing.....but i lift up and pull back the bolt with the part of my palm at the base of my pinkie finger, yank back till i hit the bolt stop, roll my hand around and slam the bolt forward and down with the part of my palm at the base of my thumb.....course for this reason i dont care much for the original bolt handle on a Remington 600 or the butter knife bolt handles of some European rifles....i can run them the same way but its not as comfortable....

Phil, IMHO you could get an article on the 9.3x62 alone. Find another Enfield like it to use as a "Before." Please?

I have read differing accounts as to how one should "run a bolt action". One article stated that the palm method prevented short stroking, but since the bolt handle travels the same path regardless of the applied force, I do not understand this theory. I learned both palm and three finger methods and frankly can see no advantage to either. Perhaps someone could help me on this. I appreciate the posts concerning the action work.

both ways work, one just doesnt work as well with a cock on closing...

as far as the short stroking, with the using your palm your natural tendency is t run the bolt all the way back to the bolt stop....using your fingers you have the muscle memory thing working against yah if you go from a short action to a magnum length....you can train yourself to go to the bolt stop using just your fingers but its more natural using your palm...

For me, the Cock on Close is much easier to use for rapid fire.

The strength of your entire arm is cocking the bolt. A flick of the wrist opens the bolt and your arms SLAMS it closed.

For a cock-on-open, the small rotational muscles of the hand/forearm do the work.

Not a big deal. But I much prefer cock on closing.

BMT

We have a very nice No4MkI that was converted to 45-70 in the shop. Shoots sweet, and looks great to boot.

I believe the Enfield rifles that 458Win, AKA Phil Shoemaker, is refering to are the Mauser type actions manufactured here in the USA during World War One. They are called an "Enfield" because the British Army Enfield Arsenal designed it as a possible replacement for the British standard Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle.

Not to answer for Phil or anyone else, but I have always felt that the cock on close was a slight bit faster when working a bolt rifle from the shoulder. The "torque" of cock on opening seems to throw me off target just a little where the forward and then downward push of the cock on close seems to keep the rifle on target.

"I believe the Enfield rifles that 458Win, AKA Phil Shoemaker, is refering to"

These are more commonly known as the P14 and P17. The P17 was made for the .30-06 cartridge and used by the American Forces.

The P14 was in .303 British. The bolt faces were different, the P17 for the .30-06 head size and the P14 for the rimmed .303 British head size, but as far as I know, both rifles were very similiar.

Wouldn't part with my "Eddystone" for the world. Was Great Granddad's

Fun rifle to shoot, even if it is a little clunky