Long Lee versus No.1 Mk.III bolt head interchangeability question.

[Sasquatch807]

A question to Enfield enthusiasts.

Can No.1 Mk.III bolt heads be used safely on a Long Lee? They fit on the bolt and rifle and are very similar. The extractors are different but aside from that, there doesn't seem to be much difference.

 

[5THBATT]

I cannot see why not, seen plenty of Long Lees with SMLE bolts fitted & a few vise versa, they are basically the same.

 

[englishman_ca]

Fitting a Sht.LE bolt head to a long Lee bolt, it will work fine, but sometimes, you might find that the tail end of the extractor spring fouls on the front edge of the front dust cover lug. The spring tail sits a wee bit lower on the Sht.LE bolt head.
The work around;- There is a relief cut in the bolt's dust cover lug which can be increased a touch until the spring clears.
OR, switch out the spring for a different one, they are not all identical, you might find one that sits slightly differently and won't foul.

The Sht.LE extractor would function in the long Lee, but the angle of dangle of the camming face is different, rapid wear of either the claw or the extractor ramp would occur.
Long Lee extractor in a Sht.LE barrel will create metal shavings as the tip of the claw gouges the ramp like a chisel.
Match the extractor type to the barrel.

 

[Sasquatch807]

Fitting a Sht.LE bolt head to a long Lee bolt, it will work fine, but sometimes, you might find that the tail end of the extractor spring fouls on the front edge of the front dust cover lug. The spring tail sits a wee bit lower on the Sht.LE bolt head.
The work around;- There is a relief cut in the bolt's dust cover lug which can be increased a touch until the spring clears.
OR, switch out the spring for a different one, they are not all identical, you might find one that sits slightly differently and won't foul.

The Sht.LE extractor would function in the long Lee, but the angle of dangle of the camming face is different, rapid wear of either the claw or the extractor ramp would occur.
Long Lee extractor in a Sht.LE barrel will create metal shavings as the tip of the claw gouges the ramp like a chisel.
Match the extractor type to the barrel.

Thanks for the info, I had excessive headspace on one of my MLE's and when I swapped the bolthead for a Sht.LE head that was .005" longer the bolt didn't close completely on the field gauge anymore. I had noticed the extractor and its spring needed to be swapped. I just wanted to confirm that switching boltheads was a safe procedure.