Lee-Enfield Rifle No.7 BSA General Arrangement Drawing

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The Lee-Enfield Rifle No.7 (British) Manual & B.S.A. - G.A. Drawing

A .22" training version of the No.4 Rifle Manufactured by the Birmingham Small Arms Co. for the Royal Air Force

We here show both a B.S.A. General Arrangement drawing of the No.7 rifle and a facsimile of the Air Ministry AP (Air Publication) No. 1641 covering the rifle and its use. This document formed the basis for the rarely seen final handbook.

The drawing is dated 14th. October 1947, and the AP leaflet is dated 17th. August 1948.

The large scale drawing facsimile is scrollable and shown at the bottom of the page, below the Air Ministry AP document.

As are most images and many papers on this website, each of the above documents is strictly copyrighted and identifiable as such.

Introduction ...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 1

General ,,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 5

Barrel,,,,,,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 6
Foresight,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 7

Body,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 8

Ejector,,,,,,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 9

Bolt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 10

Cocking piece,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 12

Bolt-head,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 13

Firing pin,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 16

Magazine,,,,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 17

Type of rifling ...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,......,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... Concentric

Number of grooves,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,......,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...Six

Twist of rifling ...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,...,,...,R.H., one turn in 16 in.

Range ...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,......,,,...,,,...Rifle zeroed for 25 yards only

Stores Ref. No,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... ...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,...,,,... 7B/I401

I. The .22 in., No. 7, Mk. 1 rifle is a modification of the .303 in., No. 4, Mk. 1, and is used for training purposes with the object of simulating, almost exactly, both the physical and functional characteristics of the No. 4 rifle.

2. The major differences include modifications to the barrel, body, and bolt assembly to suit the .22 in. rim-fired cartridge, together with the provisioning of an auxiliary five-shot magazine that fits inside a full-sized magazine case (fig. 2).

3. All other components, except those directly associated with those mentioned in para. 2, are common to the No. 4 rifle and are interchangeable.

4. The rifle is zeroed to shoot at 25 yards range with the standard Mk. 1 backsight set at its lowest position (200 yards), the foresight blade being slightly reduced in height to compensate for the lower muzzle velocity and consequent increased gravity drop of the 22 in. bullet (para. 7).

5. The description given in this chapter refers only to the modified components of the No. 7 rifle. A full description of the No. 4 rifle, together with details of functioning and instructions for use, is given in Chap. 4, which should be read in conjunction with this chapter.

6. The bore of the barrel is fitted with a tube which is bored, rifled and chambered to suit the -22 in. long cartridge. The rifling is concentric, having six grooves that each make one right-hand turn in 16 inches. The tube is not removable.

Note . . . A number of these rifles are fitted with a new •22 in. barrel machined from a solid forging.

7. The range of foresights is as provisioned for the No. 4 rifle, the one fitted being adjusted for height during manufacture to zero the rifle at 25 yards range with the backsight set at 200 yards (para. 4).

8. The body is modified on the left side by a longitudinal recess, the centre of which is cut through into the bolt-way to accommodate a redesigned ejector nearer the breech face of the barrel (para. 9). The seatings thus formed at each end of the ejector slot are drilled and tapped for the ejector retaining screws. The existing ejector screw is retained merely as a plug for the ejector screw hole and has no effect on the functioning of the rifle.

A number of these rifles are fitted with a new body, in which instances the ejector screw and ejection groove are omitted.

9.The ejector consists of a locating plate which has the ejector blade machined integral with it on one side. The plate fits into the recess in the body where it is retained by a screw at each end (para. 8), while the ejector blade projects into the bolt-way to ride in the ejector slot in the bolt-head (fig. 4).

[It is worth noting, at this point in the manual, that the original specification had allowed for the No.7 rifles' barrels to be sleeved to .22 calibre. In the event, it appears that all production B.S.A. rifles were fitted with solid barrels. However, the N.9 rifles converted by Parker-Hale for the Royal Navy a decade later were in fact sleeved with the Parkerifling system. ED.]

10. The bolt is shortened from the front end to a length of 3.6 in. and is re-screwed internally to receive the bolt-head.

11. Housed inside the bolt is a spring-loaded striker which, in appearance, except for being slightly shorter, is similar to the normal striker with the front portion removed at the collar. The collar serves as a hammer for driving the firing pin forward in the bolt-head.

12. The cocking piece has a shorter arm, and consequently has no half bent. In all other respects it is identical with the normal cocking piece.

13. The bolt-head is longer than the standard one, to compensate for the shortened bolt, thus making the assembled bolt and bolt-head the same length as that for the No. 4 rifle. The reason for this, is the necessity for the lug on the bolt-head to be further to the rear in order to shorten the bolt movement in keeping with the much shorter ammunition.

14. The head is drilled eccentrically and provided with a slot across the rear end to accommodate a spring-loaded firing pin. An annular groove, which cuts into the firing pin hole, is cut around the neck portion which screws into the bolt, and. houses a circlip for retaining the firing pin.

15. Two extractors are fitted, the main extractor, and an auxiliary one. The main extractor performs the function of withdrawing the cartridge case from the chamber, while the auxiliary one helps to support the case on the face of the bolt prior to ejection. Firing pin (fig. 4)

16. The firing pin is contained within the bolt-head and, has a flat plate at the rear end which serves as an anvil for the striker (para. 11). Mounted in the plate, parallel to the firing pin, is a short pin which supports the firing pin spring. The firing pin spring and its support work in a blind hole drilled in the rear end of the bolt-head opposite the firing pin hole. Magazine (fig. 5)

17. The magazine holds five cartridges in a single column, and is housed inside a modified case of the standard 10-round magazine as fitted to the Rifle, .303 in. No. 1, Mk. 3*described in Chap. 2. The magazine is removable from the modified case, either direct through the top of the body, or by first removing the modified case from the rifle in the normal way (para. 23 (3)).

18. The •303 in. magazine is modified by the removal of the platform and platform spring, and having the top enclosed at the rear by a flat cover plate riveted to the sides of the case. Note . . . The two ³/₁₆ in. dia. holes in this cover plate are for manufacturing purposes only.

19. Riveted to the inside of the case at the front end is a small rectangular housing which accommodates the -22 in. magazine in a vertical position.

20. The magazine, which consists of .a flat rectangular case, platform, and platform spring, follows the conventional design for this type of magazine. A spring-loaded catch is for retaining the magazine in its housing, the top of the catch projecting above the cover

plate referred to in para. 18.

21. The action of the firing mechanism is practically identical with that of a No. 4 rifle having no half cock position (Chap 4, para. 55). The only exceptions are the shorter bolt movement and a slightly different series of events in the withdrawal of the firing pin during primary extraction as described in para. 22.

22. On raising the bolt lever to effect primary extraction, the striker is withdrawn about _K in. in the normal way. This permits the firing pin spring to reassert itself and forces the firing pin to the rear for the same distance.

(1) Push the locking bolt lever to the forward position with the thumb of the right hand to withdraw the safety catch from engagement with the bolt.

(2) Seize the knob of the bolt with the forefinger and thumb of the right hand, turn it sharply upwards and draw back the bolt to its fullest extent.

(3) Withdraw the magazine from the, rifle, complete with its housing, by first releasing the catch inside the trigger guard. Alternatively, withdraw the magazine from its housing through the top of the body, by first releasing the catch on the magazine.

(4) Insert five cartridges by hand into the magazine by sliding them one at a time; base first, under the front of the lips of the magazine and pushing them as far as possible to the rear.

(5) Replace the magazine in the rifle and ensure that the catches on both the magazine and trigger guard are correctly engaged.

(6) Force the bolt sharply forward with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, turn down the bolt lever as far as it will go, and pull the locking bolt lever fully to the rear to engage the safety catch with the bolt.

(1) Push the locking bolt lever to the forward position with the thumb of the right hand to withdraw the safety catch from engagement with the bolt.

(2) Seize the knob of the bolt with the forefinger and thumb of the right hand, turn it sharply upwards and draw back the bolt to its fullest extent.

(4) Insert five cartridges by hand into the magazine by sliding them one at a time; base first, under the front of the lips of the magazine and pushing them as far as possible to the rear.

(5) Replace the magazine in the rifle and ensure that the catches on both the magazine and trigger guard are correctly engaged.

The operation detailed in pare. 23(6) forces one round into the chamber and leaves four rounds in the magazine. On releasing the safety catch and pulling the trigger, the rifle will fire. Further to this, a rifle with a charged magazine is always a potential source of danger; therefore, cartridges must NOT be kept in the magazine when the rifle is not in use.

24. If it is desired to charge the magazine without loading the rifle, the top cartridge is to be pressed downwards with the thumb and held there until the bolt has passed over it (para. 23 (6)).

(a) Using the thumb of the right hand, push the locking bolt lever to the forward position to withdraw the safety catch from engagement with the bolt.

(b) Seize the knob of the bolt with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, turn it sharply upwards and draw back the bolt to its fullest extent.

(c) Work the bolt backwards and forwards without turning the bolt lever down until all the cartridges are removed from the magazine and chamber.

(a) Remove the magazine from the rifle as described in para. 23 (3) and, using the thumb, push out the cartridges.

26. The procedure for firing the rifle is identical with that for the No. 4 rifle.

27. This rifle is a lethal weapon (the •22 in. bullet having proved dangerous up to a distance of one mile) and, in spite of its small bore, it is not to be regarded as a toy. All the precautions relevant to the larger bored rifles apply equally to this weapon, and are to be no less strictly observed.

As are most of the images and many papers on this website, each of these documents is copyrighted and identifiable as such.