Enfield head space

TheCanuck

TheCanuck

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Ok, so i'm just back from a disapoiting range cession, where everything that could go wrong went wrong. Brought 2 rifles, and i couldnt shoot both. My 700P's base got lose and i didnt have the tools to fix it. I also brought my no4mk1 and i realized that cases had a very light bulge at the base, and it was a different colour as well:mad: This pisses me off, because i bought this rifle from a Gunnut and he never mentionned this. Now if i have this right, my rifle has headspace. Can headspace be fixed? Does it mean i have to get the rifle rebarreled or is it just good to place on a rack on a wall?
 
All rifles have headspace. WHat yours ha is excessive headspace. The great thing about Lee Enfield's is that the headspace can be easily corrected by picking up and screwing in a differe sized bolt head onto your bolt.

You'll notice the front most piece of your bolt unscrews and is stamped with a number. You'll likley need one number up from the one you have. put up a WTB add in the EE forums or take it into your local gunsmith and see if they can lp you out. It shouldn't be overly expensive if you let him take care of it.
 
If you are referring to a slight bulge a bit more than 1/8" above the rim, this is absolutely normal. This is where the solid head of the case transitions to the sidewall; the solid head can't expand, while the sidewall will. Nothing to do with headspace. A backed out primer could indicate excess headspace, but to really check you need gauges. Some folks will use shimstock on a casehead, and this can give an indication if headspace is excessive.
If there is a frosted ring in the expansion area, this can indicate an incipient separation, which indicates excess headspace. Section a few caseheads with a hacksaw, and smooth the cut surface with a file. If a separation is starting, you'll see it as a groove running around the inside of the case. As has been pointed out, excess headspace in a No. 4 can be reduced by installing a longer bolthead.
A .303 rim is about .060" thick. Military headspace gauges are .064" and .074". If a rifle gauged toward the upper limit, it was considered serviceable, even though cases might show signs of incipient separation. The military weren't planning on reloading, and loose tolerances helped reliability under service conditions. It is not unusual to see cases showing incipient separations in issue rifles. For civilian use tighter headspace is preferable.
 
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I think i'll take it to a gunsmith, so i'll know for sure if it's excessive or not. I guess i'll decide from there. Thanks guys for the quick answer! This place rocks!

Also, i think my barrel is pretty worn out, can i have it changed to something with nicer rifling while keeping this one has the original to get reinstalled later if i need to sell it?
 
Barrels can be swapped on No. 4s. They index pretty well, and headspace can be set using different boltheads if necessary. It could be cheaper, though, to buy a bubba'd rifle, and swap barrelled actions for shooting purposes.
 
woodchopper said:
ok changing your barrel is not going to solve the headspace issue.

you have to change bolt heads
Click to expand...
I know that, but i was just curious to know if i could get a barrel in better condition to swap, because this one seems pretty worn out, but the barreled action sounds like a better idea. Although, it would not solve the headspace issue with this barreled action. :)
 
Someone has one (barrel) for sale in EE if I recall, they were asking for a price on wood and a barrel here a little while ago.

Also I think someone had a No2 bolt head listed complete with bolt :) for $30
 
.... While having the "head-space" checked by a qualified 'Smith is a good idea, don't be too quick to replace the barrel. The rifling in Lee Enfields can be deceptive, and even when worn, some very respectable groups can still obtained. Check that the "screw" just behind the forward sling/swivel/barrel band is not too tight. It's spring loaded and is used to tune the barrel oscillations. It is highly unlikely, that without VERY careful reloads,tailored to your particular rifle, that you will be able to obtain grouping comparable to a quality sporting or target rifle. Bear in mind the SMLEs were built with loose tolerances to enable functioning under the most demanding conditions, and as fighting weapon, not a sporting rifle. Not to say they can't group, but their groups are measured in inches, not sub-inches ! .... Fun to shoot and tinker with, maybe one of the all time "best bang for the bucks" rifle ! ....David K.
 
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