Few questions on my SMLE

[gunnutery]

Hi everyone,

I've had my Enfield No 1 Mk 3 for quite a while and it's served me well as long as I use surplus ammo. Which brings me to my questions:

When I shoot commercial ammo, it's clear that there's a pressure issue because the primers are backed out a bit, not a lot, but it is noticeable. I know that people usually just buy different bolt heads for different loads, but my understanding is that with the No 1 Mk 3 they didn't have a good numbered system on bolt heads like the No 4's did. How does one go about buying different bolt heads without knowing if you're just going to get the same one you have?

Also, I was visiting Numrich gun parts before posting this and noticed that they have Ishapore No2 .308 barrels for sale. Is it possible (economically so) to change the barrel and mag to .308 without too much hassle, or does it have to be originally a No2?

Thanks for any help here.

 

[rule303]

Most likely your commercial ammo is loaded to lower pressures than surplus .303 MKVII. Most SMLE's have very generous chamber dimensions for absolute reliability. It is possible to swap bolt heads to reduce headspace, but you may end up going through several before you find one that puts you in spec. Your best bet is to get a field gauge, they are very inexpensive for the .303 since it is just a small coin type rather than the cartridge style for the rimless guns.

As far as rebarreling to .308, that is a no-go. The 2A1's were built from a different steel with different heat treating, a regular No1 action would be stretched out of spec in a few rounds.

 

[DougW]

What rule303 said. The chamber is fairly loose in the #1mkIII, so the primer backing out is not necessairly an indicator of an over pressure. It is probably telling you the chamber is a bit loose. The case is "bouncing" a bit when fired, and the primer is not held in by the bolt face. I would not be overly concerned, as the case rims can vary in thickness from maker to maker (throw a caliper on various ammo brands and see how the thickness can vary). Different ammo might give different results. The bolt head swap is a possibility, but on an #1mkIII it will be a crap shoot to get the issue to stop. As long as no blow back is occuring, I would keep shooting it, if it were me. YMMV though.

 

[gunnutery]

Thanks for the help guys. Glad to know it's less of an issue than I thought. I was hoping not to have to buy a bunch of different bolt heads and such.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

What's happening is the primer backs out a bit on firing -- which is normal. Then, as the powder ignites and pressure builds up, the case should be driven back slightly, re-seating the primer. The pressure in commercial ammunition isn't enough to re-seat the primers in your rifle.

You should have my M1905 Ross -- the chambers in those rifles were "hogged out" in an attempt to cure extraction problems in the trenches. Fired cases from my Ross look like .303 Epps rounds!