Question about Lee Enfield .303...

[sir_springer]

Discovered long time ago that the firing pin on mine was perforating primers, although not one after another. Factory ammo. Haven't shot it since, about 20 years now. It's a No. 1 Mk 3.

Cause? Fix? Or is it done for?

 

[Fixit]

is the firing pin nice and rounded or has it been "customized" ie shaped pointier by grinding etc.
ive got an old .410 that i "fixed" the firing pin on.... it does the same thing

its simple to change
remove bolt,
unscrew bolt head,
use special tool to unscrew retainer/screw
change firing pin

thats from memory, so i think its accurate, but i could be slightly off.

 

[sir_springer]

is the firing pin nice and rounded or has it been "customized" ie shaped pointier by grinding etc.
ive got an old .410 that i "fixed" the firing pin on.... it does the same thing

its simple to change
remove bolt,
unscrew bolt head,
use special tool to unscrew retainer/screw
change firing pin

thats from memory, so i think its accurate, but i could be slightly off.

It hasn't been modified, still rounded. Didn't always do this, just started showing up one day.

 

[Riflechair]

Things to consider:
1. firing pin extrudes too far out of the bolt face
2. Firing pin face is no longer rounded and smooth - look for cracks or chips
3. Ammo lot was very old - primers and brass get brittle with age
4. Your headspace is far too long - get it checked

#4 is your most likely or probable cause
This can be rectified fairly easily

 

[smellie]

There used to be a LOT of pierced primers with IVI ammo, especially in .303 calibre, although it showed up in several other types. Problem was hard brass: instead of the primer just denting when the striker hit it, it just gave out and let a hole get punched through it. Nothing wrong with the rifles: problem as all in the ammo. This was a TERRIBLE problem for several years, notably in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

IVI finally smartened up and made some decent ammo, but there were some very harsh words said for a while (including quite a few toward me, as I had written it up in a newspaper article that ran in 12 papers in 2 provinces....ooh, but I was a naughty boy!).

If your ammo is old, it could be from this period. On the other hand, brass does age-harden in storage. Try her again with fresh ammo.
.

 

[sir_springer]

That's interesting. It definitely was Imperial ammo I was using at the time, and it was indeed from those years. In fact, just checked and I still have a couple boxes of it in my safe.

Think I'll take your advice and try another brand first!

Thanks!