just got my first LeeEnfield is this normal...???

Bcviking

Bcviking

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Its a longbranch no4 mk1* the bolt will pop up out of the fire position with light touch even if bumped hard does this mean my rifle is worn out??? should i worry about headspace???
 
check to see if the bolt head is screwed on all the way, its one of the more common issues people new to Enfields. Only reason I avoided it was because I was lucky enough that the bolt head on my dads No.4 was screwed in all the way when I first tried to put it in.
 
Is the bolt head in the track? on the mK1* their is a notch on the right where the bolt head rides. If it is, I have no clue, only thing I can think of is tight head spacing.

Also, when you mean it pop out, do you mean the bolt handle will lift really easily? Compared to other rifles that #### on opening the enfield lifts easy.
 
yes the bolt head is in the track ..yea i mean the bolt handle lifts very easy when cocked you barely have to touch it and it will pop up and uncock
 
Mine does that too. It is just the heavy striker spring tension on the bolt. It won't happen when the safety catch is on. I bet it doesn't when it is un cocked. I beleive it is normal for these rifles.

regards, Darryl
 
They all pretty much do that, it's the design. It has nothing to do with head spacing, but you should get it checked anyway.
 
Bcviking said:
Its a longbranch no4 mk1* the bolt will pop up out of the fire position with light touch even if bumped hard does this mean my rifle is worn out??? should i worry about headspace???
Click to expand...

Try it on the rifle range when it's loaded. It'll probably act differently when there's a round in there.

This spring loaded bolt setup that opens quickly is part of why the Lee Enfield is such a quick firing, smooth bolt action.

If you want to really get frustrated, try working a Mosin quickly...(ducks, runs for cover...:p )
 
"...rifle is worn out?..." Nope. Like cantom says, it's part of what makes 'em so fast.
You should always have the headspace checked on any Lee-Enfield. Even if it has matching numbers(S/N on bolt handle and receiver). Thousands were assembled out of parts bins with zero QC. You have no idea if the bolt head has been changed at some time.
 
What no-one seems to have mentioned is the fact that they ALL do it. The reason for this is that the locking-up of a Lee-Enfield is NOT vertical. There is an ANGLE involved, which is the same angle as if the bolt were a 14-tpi screw.

This is a part of why the things are just so DARNED fast to operate.

Might be a little bit scary until you realise that, on firing, the bolt is prevented from unlocking itself by a lug on the cocking-piece engaging in a track in the bolt body. It is engineered very well. The rifle can NOT fire in an unlocked condition. If you bring the bolt-handle up too far, the bolt pops back about an inch, partly unchambering your round. A quick slap forward and you are ready for bear..... or for poor Fritz, who likely still is wiping the mud from his 7.92JS rounds.
 
cantom said:
Try it on the rifle range when it's loaded. It'll probably act differently when there's a round in there.

This spring loaded bolt setup that opens quickly is part of why the Lee Enfield is such a quick firing, smooth bolt action.

If you want to really get frustrated, try working a Mosin quickly...(ducks, runs for cover...:p )
Click to expand...

Did you just say "Mosin", and "quickly"? I'm sure you meant one as the negative for the other, right?

;)
 
What no-one seems to have mentioned is the fact that they ALL do it. The reason for this is that the locking-up of a Lee-Enfield is NOT vertical. There is an ANGLE involved, which is the same angle as if the bolt were a 14-tpi screw.
Click to expand...

Most bolt actions cam the bolt backwards to some extent as they unlock. It's called primary extraction and the purpose is to make it easier to extract a sticky case by camming it loose before the handle is pulled back.

One of the reasons that straight pull actions weren't as successful is because they have no primary extraction, which makes them more prone to having cycling problems in dirty conditions.
 
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