Problem extracting fired shell casing - Ishapore enfield

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holy-diver

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Hi guys :D

i just bought a ishapore enfield in 7.62 x 51 and i am having a problem. the rifle seems to function perfectly, it will cycle live ammo or dummy rounds beautifully, and everything functions as it should. however, if i fire a round and try to cycle to the next bullet, the spent casing becomes stuck in the chamber, requiring the bolt to be tapped with a rubber mallet to pull out the spent casing. It seems like the spent shell gets stuck in the chamber because it is too tight, but i am new to this type of rifle so that is totally speculation. I tried 4 different ammos: federal m80, zq1, prvi partisan and finally hornady .308 when all the others failed.
any ideas? i would much appreciate any help.
 
How well did you clean the rifle before shooting it? They are usually packed full of cosmoline.
 
i tried using some solvent and a bore brush after i shot it and it didnt seem to make any difference. is there something specific i can check?
 
I'm going to use all caps because this is important:

DO NOT SHOOT THIS RIFLE ANY MORE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE HEADSPACE CHECKED BY A PROFESSIONAL GUNSMITH! Extra exclamation point for good measure !

And another !

What you are describing is a classic sign of overpressure. Because of excessive headspace, the cartridge case expands more than it should inside the chamber upon firing.
 
Maybe not. Remove the bolt from the rifle and look and the locking lugs. Is there a number stamped on it?

ETA: Nevermind. Quick google says replacement bolt heads aren't available for the Ishapore rifles.
 
The locking lug is the portion of the bolt that turns into the breech to lock the bolt and barrel together when the rifle is in battery. It's the opposite end of the bolt from the handle.
 
The square thing at the end that locks the bolt in the receiver when you close the bolt.

Send it back, if you can.

You don't sound up to Gunsmithing it yourself.

rc
 
the stamp is worn too much to tell what it used to say
and no way am I a gunsmith, but I'm not totally dull. I'm not into tinkering with it if its probably a legit issue and there is no way i am dropping too much on a repair. Thnaks for the replies so far :)
 
The numbers indicate a measurement from the bolt face to the datum line in the chamber. This distance is your "headspace". For the Enfield rifles, a series of bolt heads were made, each rifle leaving the factory new with a "0" bolt head. As the barrel and bolt wore and headspace increased, the bolt head would be replaced with the next sequential number, up to "4" I believe.

Numrich Gun Parts has new barrels for 72 bucks and bolt heads for 14 and change. I first posted that parts might not be available, but they are. What is not available for the Ishapore is sequential bolt heads. They were issued to reserve troops and not expected to see much use, so sequential bolts were seen as an un-needed expense. Except YOU need one.
 
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a barrel then needs to be smithed for the right size ammo, and you think i would need a bolt head as well? How much do you figure it costs for a smith to just look at it?
 
There may not be anything wrong with the barrel except a rusty or very dirty chamber.

If the bolt is set back in the receiver, there is no fixing it as over size bolt heads are not available for the Ishapore Enfields.

Clean the chamber & bore throughly with a bronze bore brush and copper solvent.

If that doesn't fix it, send it back, it's toast.

rc
 
RC's advice is probably best, but...

Gunsmithing rates vary so much from location to location. Your best bet is to call around and ask them straight up if they're familiar enough with the Enfield design to take it on, then ask what they'd charge.

The Enfields aren't overly complex, but you do need more than a "kitchen table gunsmith" to properly headspace a rifle.

Also, when you have it fixed and are shooting it again, don't shoot .308 Winchester through it. These rifles were designed to shoot 7.62X51 exclusively. While the dimensions are identical, there is a 12,000 (yes, twelve thousand) PSI maximum pressure difference between 7.62X51 and .308 Winchester. The commercial load is "hotter" than the NATO loading.
 
ok, im gonna take it out tomorrow and try again after a thorough cleaning, ill report back then. if it jams up im done with it. it does look great though :(
thanks again
 
and if this doesnt work i am probably gonna return it and get an ar10 or m1a or something newer, this has soured me on the 2a1 thats for sure
 
When the case is removed are there any scratches or gouges on the case. Has the primer flowed back or been pierced?
 
Update. Shot it using the same ammo sans .308 and the same problem persisted. The federal does extract the fired round but it is pretty hard. I dont know how else to clean it any better but i feel like it may be messed up.
 
If thorough cleaning does not solve the issue, the chamber may sport a bit of corrosion, which would make extraction difficult.

Closely compare the surface of a fired cases with some that have not been fired. If the chamber wall is smooth (as it should be) the before&after surfaces will not look too much different.

If the problem is a rough chamber, there really isn't any reasonable solution for you compared to returning it.
 
I dont know how else to clean it any better but i feel like it may be messed up.
Click to expand...
Use a patch wrapped around a brush to get a tight fit in the chamber, and using a drill to spin it , clean it with Flitz metal polish
 
has anyone here bought through guns america? if so, how do i go about returning a firearm?
 
Guns America is just a middle man between you and whoever you bought it from.
They didn't have anything else to do with the sale.

You need to contact the person you paid the money too, and see what you can work out.

rc
 
DO NOT SHOOT THIS RIFLE ANY MORE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE HEADSPACE CHECKED BY A PROFESSIONAL GUNSMITH!
Click to expand...

ok, im gonna take it out tomorrow and try again after a thorough cleaning, ill report back then. if it jams up im done with it.
Click to expand...

Wow. I think i just heard Darwin strolling in the THR Rifle Country hallway. OP, you indicated you didn't know what a lug was, which says a lot about your shooting experience.

To learn more, go to youtube and search "Kaboom." With bad headspace, the odds of failure go up exponentially.
If someone says, "don't shoot it, get it checked out" take their advice! Safety is no accident.
 
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