go no go
- Thread starter rusty51
- Start date
Unless you have a bud with a lathe that will turn out some gages for you there is a very easy way to check the headspace on any Lee Enfield.
Take a fired case and attach a small strip of plastigage to it. This stuff is available at most places that sell bearings.
Close the bolt on the case and then extract it. The plastigage can be measured against a chart that comes with the packaging. Add this measurement to the thickness of the cartridge rim and you the have total head space measurement.
I have a NoI MkIII* that has perfect headspace. Measures right in the middle. It splits just about every case fired through it. Why you ask???
Because the chamber is about .100 longer to the shoulder than it should be. When I reload for this rifle, which is a great shooter, I use fire formed cases made from NEW Remington brass. I use the same load in it that I would use in any other 303 British rifle.
Headspace isn't the be all end all. Sometimes, especially in the case of this particular rifle there can be other issues. I have no idea how this got through the inspectors but it did and it bears all of the marks to prove it. There is no indication that the chamber was extended later.
Take a fired case and attach a small strip of plastigage to it. This stuff is available at most places that sell bearings.
Close the bolt on the case and then extract it. The plastigage can be measured against a chart that comes with the packaging. Add this measurement to the thickness of the cartridge rim and you the have total head space measurement.
I have a NoI MkIII* that has perfect headspace. Measures right in the middle. It splits just about every case fired through it. Why you ask???
Because the chamber is about .100 longer to the shoulder than it should be. When I reload for this rifle, which is a great shooter, I use fire formed cases made from NEW Remington brass. I use the same load in it that I would use in any other 303 British rifle.
Headspace isn't the be all end all. Sometimes, especially in the case of this particular rifle there can be other issues. I have no idea how this got through the inspectors but it did and it bears all of the marks to prove it. There is no indication that the chamber was extended later.
Bazzoka_Joe
Regular
- Location
- PRQ(People Replublic of Quebec)
https://shop.pacifictoolandgauge.com/ give them a call or e-mail they should be able to make you one
I ordered a no go and a field guage from Okie last spring, just google Okie headspace guages, real easy to use. There's a full breakdown of how to use them on the website, depending on which guages you want he'll sell individual ones to a full set and in between iirc and they are milspec as well.
There were FOUR butt lengths for the SMLE rifle: the original three (Short, Normal, Long) and the Bantam (introduced during WW1).
Short, Long and Bantam always are MARKED: S, L and B respectively. NORMAL is not always marked.
You can reduce the dreaded "headspace" to an effective ZERO but putting a thin O-ring or pony-tail elastic around the Base of your NEW ammunition. This centralizes the casing in the chamber, pushes it back against the bolt-face, thus reducing free space to zero. After that, you neck-size the brass and have excellent shooting.
MANY problems with the Lee-Enfield rifle occur because there is NO civilian ammunition made today which adheres to the original MILITARY standard. For example, MilSpec for the .303 cartridge called for a MAX rim thickness of .063" and a MIN of .056". Brand-new commercial ammunition with rims only .050" thick will give you TRIPLE the max allowable headspace..... and it is out there, on the market. I have actually seen considerably WORSE offered for sale.
Military MIN gauges were .064", MAX gauges were .074".
Short, Long and Bantam always are MARKED: S, L and B respectively. NORMAL is not always marked.
You can reduce the dreaded "headspace" to an effective ZERO but putting a thin O-ring or pony-tail elastic around the Base of your NEW ammunition. This centralizes the casing in the chamber, pushes it back against the bolt-face, thus reducing free space to zero. After that, you neck-size the brass and have excellent shooting.
MANY problems with the Lee-Enfield rifle occur because there is NO civilian ammunition made today which adheres to the original MILITARY standard. For example, MilSpec for the .303 cartridge called for a MAX rim thickness of .063" and a MIN of .056". Brand-new commercial ammunition with rims only .050" thick will give you TRIPLE the max allowable headspace..... and it is out there, on the market. I have actually seen considerably WORSE offered for sale.
Military MIN gauges were .064", MAX gauges were .074".
Cheap bastards Enfield headspace gauges (two ea)
1. Place a new "empty" unfired .303 case or a full length resized case in the chamber and close the bolt. Now push the bolt forward until the bolt face contacts the rear of the case. Now insert the largest size feeler gauge that will fit between the locking lug and the receiver.
The gap between the arrows below is your head clearance or the air space between the bolt face and the rear of the case.
All you now have to do is add your rim thickness to your feeler gauge measurement (head clearance) and you have your actual headspace reading.
Cheap bastards Enfield headspace gauges part two
Again take a new "empty" unfired .303 case or a full length resized case and measure its length and write it down. A fired case can give you a false reading because the shoulder of the case may not allow the rim to contact the chamber.
Now start a fired spent primer in the primer pocket with just your fingers.
Now slowly chamber this test case and let the bolt face seat the primer as you close the bolt fully.
Remove the case and again measure the case from the bottom of the primer to the case mouth and write it down.
Now subtract the first case measurement from the second and this will be your head clearance. NOTE, the primer protrusion is the same reading you got with your feeler gauges above.
Now measure your rim thickness and write it down.
Now add your rim thickness to your head clearance and you have your total headspace.
I have headspace gauges, but I'm trying to teach you Canadians to be cheap bastards and spend your headspace gauge money on beer.
And remember excess headspace can happen in dimly lit bars and is caused by unscrupulous bartenders.
The above message was brought to you by the best beer in North America.
Cheers 
1. Place a new "empty" unfired .303 case or a full length resized case in the chamber and close the bolt. Now push the bolt forward until the bolt face contacts the rear of the case. Now insert the largest size feeler gauge that will fit between the locking lug and the receiver.
The gap between the arrows below is your head clearance or the air space between the bolt face and the rear of the case.
All you now have to do is add your rim thickness to your feeler gauge measurement (head clearance) and you have your actual headspace reading.
Cheap bastards Enfield headspace gauges part two
Again take a new "empty" unfired .303 case or a full length resized case and measure its length and write it down. A fired case can give you a false reading because the shoulder of the case may not allow the rim to contact the chamber.
Now start a fired spent primer in the primer pocket with just your fingers.
Now slowly chamber this test case and let the bolt face seat the primer as you close the bolt fully.
Remove the case and again measure the case from the bottom of the primer to the case mouth and write it down.
Now subtract the first case measurement from the second and this will be your head clearance. NOTE, the primer protrusion is the same reading you got with your feeler gauges above.
Now measure your rim thickness and write it down.
Now add your rim thickness to your head clearance and you have your total headspace.
I have headspace gauges, but I'm trying to teach you Canadians to be cheap bastards and spend your headspace gauge money on beer.
And remember excess headspace can happen in dimly lit bars and is caused by unscrupulous bartenders.
The above message was brought to you by the best beer in North America.
Cheers
