Enfield bolt jammed shut

Chas

Chas

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Posting this here based on the knowledge base of the folks who are on this forum .

First off I have not seen the rifle in question.

A hunting partners sons were shooting a #4 Enfield this past weekend. They fired 8 shots with no problems, the 9th cartridge did not fire (no primer pop, no discharge).

After waiting to make sure it wasn't a hang fire, they tried to open the bolt. It would not lift upwards. After 40 minutes of working on it (they are BIG boys), they got the bolt handle to lift but cannot get it to pull back and eject the cartridge.

My buddy has tried hitting the bolt back with a block of wood and hammer and said it is frozen - it will not budge.

Any thoughts on what has happened and / or remedies to open bolt (other than use a bigger hammer).

Thanks
 
It would appear that your bolt failed to fire in battery and has stopped itself in the half #### position and is frozen thus. If you are able to do the following safely, pont the gun in a safe position and without touching the trigger- pull back on the bolt cocking piece towards the rear** without touching the trigger. Pull the cocking piece rearward until it locks into the firing position and you should be able to open the bolt normally. Then unload your rifle and inspect for any anomalies. This should work.
 
model_12 said:
It would appear that your bolt failed to fire in battery and has stopped itself in the half #### position and is frozen thus. If you are able to do the following safely, pont the gun in a safe position and without touching the trigger- pull back on the bolt cocking piece towards the rear** without touching the trigger. Pull the cocking piece rearward until it locks into the firing position and you should be able to open the bolt normally. Then unload your rifle and inspect for any anomalies. This should work.
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The OP reported that the bolt handle had been forced up. If the rifle was on half-c_ock, either the bolt or c_ocking piece have been damaged.

If the bolt has been fully rotated to unlocked, I would be inclined to remove the extractor screw, and open the bolt, pulling the extractor out of the bolt head. Then I would deal with a stuck loaded round. I use the hydraulic method, there are others.
 
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tiriaq said:
The OP reported that the bolt handle had been forced up. If the rifle was on half-c_ock, either the bolt or c_ocking piece have been damaged.

If the bolt has been fully rotated to unlocked, I would be inclined to remove the extractor screw, and open the bolt, pulling the extractor out of the bolt head. Then I would deal with a stuck loaded round. I use the hydraulic method, there are others.
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It's relatively easy to break the tab on the bolt body that locks the striker/cocking piece...
 
Ummm? Gonna ask the obvious question. Is the safety on or off? We had a bolt lock up on a rebuilt rifle at our milsurp match. The safety spring was not forcing the lever back, and under recoil it rolled enough to engage the bolt and shut it.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I hate when folks ask questions and never get back with results. I just texted my friend and this is the answer I got:

"Yes, literally just a few minutes ago. I pulled back on the cocking-piece and it slid back. I got the shell out, but when I went to work the action it froze up again. Odd.

Can't get the bolt out when I press on button. Bolt extremely hard to move. If the shell had fired and jammed the gun, it would all make more sense to me. The bullet barely had a mark on the primer."

I assume that something was damaged when the bolt was forced open. What would he look for on the bolt body or cocking piece to see if anything is broken off as previously suggested ?

Not the best pictures but this is what I was sent

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Chas said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I hate when folks ask questions and never get back with results. I just texted my friend and this is the answer I got:

"Yes, literally just a few minutes ago. I pulled back on the cocking-piece and it slid back. I got the shell out, but when I went to work the action it froze up again. Odd.

Can't get the bolt out when I press on button. Bolt extremely hard to move. If the shell had fired and jammed the gun, it would all make more sense to me. The bullet barely had a mark on the primer."

I assume that something was damaged when the bolt was forced open. What would he look for on the bolt body or cocking piece to see if anything is broken off as previously suggested ?

Not the best pictures but this is what I was sent

View attachment 1147976

View attachment 1147977

View attachment 1147978
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The piece of steel that was the lug on the back of the bolt which prevented opening the bolt from opening with the bolt at half-#### is jammed in the receiver below the bolt.

You will need to take the fore-end wood off (along with the magazine and the trigger guard) to clear the debris and get the bolt free.
 
It's hard to diagnose remotely, but i have run into the sear dragging on the bottom of the bolt.

If that is the case, there is a repair procedure in the CFTOs for this issue, but it's kind of jury rigged chintzy thing...
 
Something similar happened to me, also with a no. 4. In my case, though, the rifle fired. When I tried to open the bolt, it was jammed. Then I noticed the cocking piece half-way back. I pulled it to the fully cocked position and the bolt functioned normally. The ejected case looked normal. No pierced or protruding primer. Nothing about the rifle looked abnormal, but I haven't fired it since, so I don't know how it functions.
 
This could be a bunch of different things. Without the rifle in hand, hard to diagnose.

You could have a broken or bent safety assembly. You could have a bent firing pin. The bolt body’s cocking piece raceway could be damaged The sear could be bent or misaligned. The bolt body itself could be bent. The cocking piece cam lug could be damaged.

In person inspection is needed. Is there a local gunsmith?
 
Likely bent or broke something when the bolt was hammered up. Take it to a gunsmith or someone who knows Enfield’s. Likely going to needs parts replaced. I’d have to have it hands on to see what the problem is. Worst is the bolt was probably at half c-ock and simply pulling it back likely would have solved the original problem.
 
Thanks to all for your thoughts and comments. Primary concern was getting the unfired cartridge out of the chamber which has now been done.

I am not 100% sure if a smith located where they live as the only one I knew when I lived there years ago has died. Firearm is not going to be used until it has been inspected / repaired.
 
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