Problem at the Range

[Woodeneye]

Well i was at the range with my Enfiield /Savage No4Mk1.I was using a new box of Winchester power point 180 gn shells, So i fire about 10 shots and on the 11th shot the Shellcase ruptured and split the whole lentgh.

It extracted with no problems and i went on to fire the rest of the box without any more problems,My headspace is correct and the other brass i fired there was no buldges.Has anyone else ever experience this happening to them?This is my first Enfield so i'm just asking.Thanks.

 

[svt1940]

Well i was at the range with my Enfiield /Savage No4Mk1.I was using a new box of Winchester power point 180 gn shells, So i fire about 10 shots and on the 11th shot the Shellcase ruptured and split the whole lentgh.

It extracted with no problems and i went on to fire the rest of the box without any more problems,My headspace is correct and the other brass i fired there was no buldges.Has anyone else ever experience this happening to them?This is my first Enfield so i'm just asking.Thanks.[/QUOTESince yours others brass are fine,appear to me as a brass defect. Your headspace is correct so i wouldnt worry too much,a bad brass can happen.

 

[smellie]

I have had this happen, but only with what is referred to euphemistically as "out-of-spec brass".

The actual problem could have been overlap at the blank-punching stage (likely) OR really hard brass (unlikely from Winchester). Somebody was running the machine too fast.

You WILL note that you were not injured, merely inconvenienced. Lee-Enfield rifles are a LOT safer than one would assume from reading some books and magazines.

Now that you have your brass all fire-formed nicely to YOUR chamber, it's jnow time to handload the stuff and get the very best accurcy from it. Might I suggest a Sierra 180 Pro-Hunter flatbase, seated to the OAL of a Mark VII Ball round, ahead of 38 grains of 4895. I find this to be an excellent load, a little on the mild side (2250 ft/sec MV) but VERY accurate in most rifles.

Have fun!