Enfield Worries.

Nonus

Nonus

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Summerland, BC
I have a 1911 SHTLE III Enfield, it has been sported from what I can tell only the stock has been shortened and the rest is fine.

However, my Dad bought it from someone he knew in the 70s and It pretty much sat on a gun rack collecting dust and age. I cleaned her up nice and good today, the bolt cycles pretty much by its self and the barrel looks fine.

Now the question is, should I be afraid to shoot it, do I have to worry about it blowing up in my face? It has not been fired in well over 30 years if not more.

Been dying to shoot the thing since I was a wee lad.
 
The proper answer is you should probably have the head space checked before you shoot it. But then I'm the idiot who's willing to give it a go, provided the barrel/action is clean, and the serial numbers are matching. I don't think there's an Enfield in history that has actually detonated in someone's face due to head space problems. If it's all clean and there is a good bore, and no rust etc. there's no reason for metal to deteriorate in thirty years if stored properly.
 
There is practically no rust on it what-so-ever. There looked like there was some but it was just crud disguised as rust. Other than the stock the only thing wrong with it is some of the bluing came off the bolt due to wear.

I was thinking of mounting it on something and firing the thing a couple times several feet back with a string on the trigger.
 
That's a pretty typical and safe approach, but I honestly don't think it should be a big worry. You know where the gun has been for the last thirty years, it's not like you're buying something that could have been thrown together from some guy at a gun show. I'm more inclined to trust a sporterized rifle than a nice looking restoration, as odds are the only thing done to it was the wood was hacked off, and not assembled in someone's basement from miscellaneous parts.

Keeping in mind it can be dangerous to take advice from idiots like myself on the internet.
 
Ahh yes true, forgot about the "Don't trust the Internet", however if you cannot trust a Canadian who can you trust?

I think I will make sure I got some extra face protection on when I finally do fire it. I don't want to get even more uglier.
 
I wouldn't worry about it at all. If you were local I would check the headspace for you. Hell, I'll even take the first shot to show that she won't go BABOOM! Step two is getting a new stock and returning her to her former glory.
 
Nonus said:
I have a 1911 SHTLE III Enfield, it has been sported from what I can tell only the stock has been shortened and the rest is fine.

However, my Dad bought it from someone he knew in the 70s and It pretty much sat on a gun rack collecting dust and age. I cleaned her up nice and good today, the bolt cycles pretty much by its self and the barrel looks fine.

Now the question is, should I be afraid to shoot it, do I have to worry about it blowing up in my face? It has not been fired in well over 30 years if not more.

Been dying to shoot the thing since I was a wee lad.
Click to expand...

Do the bolt and receiver numbers match? If so the headspace should be reasonable...even if it isn't the best the only real effect is reduced case life for reloaders. Don't sign on for headspace hysteria...:runaway:

If the bore looks clean, nothing obstructing it, then fire it...it's fine, really.
 
I don't recall seeing numbers on the bolt.

Well I went out and splurged on some .303 british rounds at Crappy Tire. That will probably be the only ammo I buy for that gun ever :p 20 .303 vs 500 .22
 
Gary D said:
The proper answer is you should probably have the head space checked before you shoot it. But then I'm the idiot who's willing to give it a go, provided the barrel/action is clean, and the serial numbers are matching. I don't think there's an Enfield in history that has actually detonated in someone's face due to head space problems. If it's all clean and there is a good bore, and no rust etc. there's no reason for metal to deteriorate in thirty years if stored properly.
Click to expand...

I can see checking the head space and cleaning it but why would you need matching serial numbers to fire a rifle? Am I missing something?
 
Junkman, it's simply that with the Enfields, matching serial numbers mean there's a greater chance that the headspace will be somewhere in the neighborhood of "ok".

Nonus, let us know how she shoots! Enjoy bringing it back to life.

Lou
 
Junkman, An armourer would have specifically fitted a bolt with the action and they would have been serial numbered together as a fitted pair during and at the end the rifle's service. If the #'s don't match then the bolt wasn't fitted to that receiver. Thus head space has likely never been checked and as Lou said, has a greater likelihood of not being in the neighborhood of ok.
 
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I just looked at the rifle again and sadly the number do not match. Now my worries are back :p

Bolt is 3677 and the barrel is 3292.
 
"...If so the headspace should be reasonable..." Matching serial numbers only means the bolt is original to the rifle, not the bolt head. Match serial numbers guarantees nothing. Neither does it having been used at some time in the past. Especially with a bubba'd rifle. However, the rifle's age is irrelevant. Clean it, get the headspace checked and if it's ok, go shooting.
 
And all these years I have been simply shoving a round "up the spout" aiming, and squeezing the trigger. Nothing has blown up, even the one made in 1892.;)
 
Nonus, as Cantom says don't buy into the hysteria. Certainly get it checked out at some point, but don't get into a panic over it. I can just imagine the number of rifles John has fired. If it's going to blow up it's likely the problem is something way beyond poor head space and a mismatched bolt.
 
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Just called up the local gun smith and they have a couple week back log. I think I will just fire the stupid thing anyways. If it blows up I will just say it was some Nazi who threw a potato masher at me, so I don't look like an oaf who shot his eye out.
 
If tying it to a spare tire in the bush and using a string to fire it seems extreme,at least fire it from the hip wearing gloves with your head turned.
I shot an Arisaka once without taking minimal precautions such as these and
got a face full of powder for my efforts.If I had`nt been wearing glasses things could have been worse.Worn chamber and excess headspace backed out the primer.Use brand new factory loads initially as well.Reloads might be base weak,especially with .303 Brit.
 
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