Lee Enfield headspace .
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- Why we need it . How we check it. How we change it .
Correction 1 - I refer to "mils" when describing bolt head lengths , I should have said " thou " or thousands of an inch .
Correction 2 - I refer to the trigger as "single action" or "double action" , when I should have said "single pull" or "double pull".
Great idea with the solder to measure headspace! A tip for handloaders where their headspace is close to failing, is to lube your cases! I lube the cases in all my military rifles and the cases barely stretch at all after firing then sizing. I always full length size (instead of neck sizing) but I have set up my dies to only bump the shoulders back 0.002" to ensure good case life. 4 reloads in and my 303 cases are still going well with no case-head separation present.
Bump sizing is the most important & least understood part of reloading & is especially so on the Lee Enfield.
Case stretching & head separations are mostly avoidable if done correctly.
Anneal brass regularly also .
The Bob Ross of Lee Enfield head space.
Hi,
I strongly believe (or maybe almost sure) that provided "real life" bolt-head dimensions variations are results of imperfection in measurements.
Not many people can use a vernier caliper so perfectly to measure the difference on 0.00X in. level.
Anyway, this was very good lesson for me. Thank You!
Thank you, very informative even to a beginner like me. thanks again.
This video is so informative dam, the gauges are so expensive so this method is nice
First headspace in sporting firearms is less than .006 thousands so why does this 303 have over 10 times that amount? It's a military firearm and the large amount of headspace ensured soldiers in the muddy trenches could chamber a round under the most adverse conditions. Note: when the round is fired it will expand to take up all the available space between the bolt face and chamber, essentially zero headspace. If you reload for your 303 the resizing die should be adjusted so the case is sized just enough to allow the bolt to close with just a bit of resistance. This will ensure your headspace is minimum preventing the brass from being overworked and resulting in a case head separation after a few firings.
@@Manny_Coon His post is essentially correct in that using a full length die to resize just enough that the bolt closes with a crush fit will create a fireformed case that headspaces on the neck, not the rim. A Lee collet die or neck sizing die would be even better, but achieve the same thing.
The large size of Lee enfield chambers in comparison to the sized of the loaded ball rounds intended for use in them has nothing to do with whether the case is rimmed or not. The chambers were deliberately cut much larger than the ammunition to ensure that even mud or corrosion covered cartridges would chamber and fire. That's why there's so much case expansion on initial firing - the Commonwealth nations making these rifles did not care in the slightest about handloaders wanting to reuse the fired brass.
Proper resizing technique - better yet, initial case preparation of new unprimed brass - eliminates all this case stretching and makes these rifles no different than any other bolt action rifle.
Thanks for the video. I made in this method 4 different measures with 4 different unfired cases and had an avarage 0,0695. So should be in milspec range with the headspace. I have O- bolt head and waiting to receive 1- bolt head which hopefully is a little bit tighter. Allthough I manage with current. But for a reloader, closer to specs, the better.
With proper resizing of cases, even if a '1' bolt head isn't so big that it won't allow the the bolt is closed, you'll have the best fit possible due to creating and keeping fireformed cases that are matched to the chamber of the rifles they're being used in.
The fit with creating and using fireformed brass is going to be far greater than whatever you get from choosing between two bolt heads that are both within specs as far as a go/no-go gauge is concerned.
I Installed a #2 bolt head and my measurements and calculations read 0.064 for my headspace whice is perfect. Awesome video and thanks
Thanks for the comment , i'm glad it worked out well for you .
Interesting technique to test headspace.
I’ll note - mils is correct terminology for thousandths of an inch. It sounds strange, but is accurate. So you were correct in the first place. 😁
Incredible idea! Get a table top tripod camera stand!
I’m guessing on one of my No 4’s, the casings keep getting stuck in the barrel after firing and have to be knocked out with a rod. (I’ve only fired it 3 times) my head space is bad? Thanks
my enfield has a slidestrip of metal that guides the bolt military model 30-06
Tradition has it that the bolt head "numbers" fall within the following dimensions :
0 - .620 to .625 in.
1 - .625 to .630 in.
2 - .630 to .635 in.
3 - .635 to .640 in.
Hi, well that's a Dam good and Informative Video about the Enfield Head-space thing. Well done maybe one of the first really good one on this Subject. If you want to keep it Simple for measuring the Head-space i can recommend the Okie Headspace gauges (prefer the full set of 3) g patrik
Hi Patrick , thank you for the comment .
I agree , Okie headspace gauges look very good , but sadly I read today that Okie has passed away .
Hopefully someone else will continue to make them .
@@dungspreader Hey pal, been a while since my comment. I kinda forgot to mentioned that a friend of mine make thos kind of Gauges since 2019 and is selling them. Go on google and search for " TECTAL 303 headspace gauges.... If you not found them already the last years ^^
Fantastic video thank you. Just bought a No 4 MK 1. Used a Forster Field Gauge which is stamped .070” and failed. As you said the max is .074”. I used your method with the spent primer and worked out my head space is right at .070”. 2 questions how do you measure your bolt head? I am a big reloader so if I just neck size, that should help my issue, correct?
Take the bolt head off the bolt body and measure from the front flat face [ cartridge side ] to the rear flat [ threaded side ].
If you intend to use reloaded cartridges in the same rifle from which they were originally fired , you only need to neck size the cases .
very good info video 10/10 little tip buy a camera mini tripod matey ;)
Hi and thanks for the comment . Camera ? Tripod ? Hell that's waaay too organised for me .
I just use my cellphone and make a video when the mood takes me .
I figure the content is the important part , not the presentation [ although I will try to do better ].
[Maybe] ! lol.
Mine had a “S” or a “5” on bolt head
Very informative. Thank you.
Thank you for the headspace information. I have the #1 MKIII* Enfield and the bolt is hard to open once it is fired. My gunsmith said the bolt has too much headspace. The bolt head is not marked with any numbers.
I decided to check headspace by firing an unloaded case with just a primer.
The primer protruded pass the cart. head. is this a good way or accurate way to measure headspace in the simplistic?
A primer on it's own won't create the same pressure as a cartridge . You need to push the used primer part way back in the empty case and close the bolt on it and then measure as outlined in the video.
Number 1 rifle bolt heads are not numbered .
Very good video I'm gonna try that
Hope you don’t mind the questions. Fired my rifle for the first time today. All went well. Brass looks good. The primer did protrude out 3 to 4 thousands of an inch. I am neck sizing this brass next firing. I also measured my no 1 bolt head and it measures .633”. Little confused. What do you suggest I look for some time in the future, a number 3? Thank you again.
Hi, first of all [excuse me but I have to say this ] check that the jaws of your vernier caliper are parallel in both directions when you are measuring and take readings in several places on the bolt head .
These rifles were made a long time ago and it's not beyond possible that somebody may have tampered with the bolt head and removed the original number and restamped it with a number 1 to make it appear unworn .
As regards getting spares , I would get a 2 and a 3 bolthead and try them out , I'd also get a spare mainspring , firing pin and extractor and extractor spring and screws. But I'm anal about having spare parts around .
If you keep your reload pressures to a modest level , your brass will last .
Thanks for your reply. Did as you suggested. Measured from different places on the bolt head and it measures .63” Not sure where you are located but searched google last night and found no bolt heads available here in the USA. I’ll try some of the forums. So would it be true to say, the thicker the rim on a 303 BRITISH, the less head space issue?
@@desabc221 . I'm in Canada and #1 and #0 bolt heads seem quite common.
You'll have to watch the forums and eBay and some of the internet gun parts suppliers to find #2 and #3 . Gun shows are a good place to find them too .
I have found several US dealers selling new bolt bodies and used complete bolts if you want to tackle the headspace issue that way .
A thicker rim will take up more of the headspace , but you should still inspect your brass thoroughly as rim thickness is not a guarantee of safety or brass life.
very informative..thank you..
Great video but the volume is low.
Thanks.
If it was .635 is it to be in group 2 or groupt 3?
It doesn't make any real difference . The table just shows that during wartime manufacture , there were inconsistences . It's a wise policy to measure your headspace and also measure the bolt head .
Will a full length resized case work for your test? I don’t have access to complete unused cases, unless pulling a loaded case will work?
A case that has been fired will have expanded and taken up all the available headspace .
My friends headspace is marked 4
I've never seen one but I don't doubt it . Stratton mentions 00 and 4 marked bolts in his book .
Which is the tightest headspace, 0 or 4 bolt head?
It depends on the rifle , you have to measure the existing headspace in your particular rifle and chose a bolt head length to give you the correct headspace . Check the video at 8min.40 secs for average lengths .
Jose Canisales If you couldn't determine that from watching the video then you really need to pay someone else to check the head spacing for you.
Size 0 is the shortest head size and was generally for newer rifles. As the action stretches and the bolt head is set back, longer bolt heads were needed to keep proper headspace. Size 4 is the longest bolt head.
Each bolt head size has tolerance in its length so it is entirely possible for a long Size 0 to match a short Size 1 in length (etc.)
To find the tightest headspace, you would have to take the dimensions of your rifle and weigh them against the spec and adjust accordingly.
@@TacticalTerry In 50 years of Service Rifle competition and seeing all kinds of Lee Enfields in use, I've never actually seen a #4, even while cruising Lee Enfield tables looking for bits and pieces of rare parts i.e. parts of A.J. Parker competition sights. If they exist in the wild, even the most obsessive of LE collectors can't track them down.
However you are quite correct that the bolt heads have quite a variation in size within each number. A few years ago one of the collector groups measured up several dozen of each number of bolt heads. The differences were dramatic within each group from shortest to longest in length.
As a result, the gun plumbers simply swapped out different examples of identically numbered bolt heads to find what they liked the best for fit.
Useful methods of figuring headspace, but you're too soft-spoken for easy listening. Thumbs up nonetheless.
Thank you , glad you found it useful . Many years of marriage and being unable to get a word in has made me soft spoken . Happily single these days but the soft spoken habit persists ,
My suggestion is to watch the video through a media player or use headphones [ which I have to do as my computer is also barely audible sometimes ] .
Have fun shooting your Enfield !
@@dungspreader Great answer! And great video. The Enfield community thanks you.
South africa
Hi from Canada !