Anyone else had problems firing Rem loads in an SMLE? I got some 180 gr loads and had case / head separations. Turns out the brass is longer than the milsurp stuff I had been firing.
Scary day at the range!

It is not unusual to have case separations with SMLE's because of oversized chambers. I finally resorted to making cases from 30-40Krag cases, and using them. Kudude

I did a little research online and everybody seems to be having better luck with Winchester brass than Remington brass. I bought a bunch and some of it is on its forth firing. If you're a handloader, buy some Winchester brass and try it.

The Win factory ammo is also very accurate

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Turns out the brass is longer than the milsurp stuff I had been firing.

Tatersalad, "longer" Remington brass would not cause the case head separation problem.

I would suggest you take your .303 to a gunsmith and have him check the head space!

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Originally posted by tatersalad:
Anyone else had problems firing Rem loads in an SMLE? I got some 180 gr loads and had case / head separations. Turns out the brass is longer than the milsurp stuff I had been firing.
Scary day at the range!

What flavor SMLE so you have? Some SMLE's have a large chamber for use in really bad conditions. I have a Ishapore No1MkIII that has a chamber like that. But mine doesn't cause head separation. Remington factory ammo pushes the shoulder forward quite a bit in my Ishy but there is no separation.

Check headspace. If headspace is off the SMLE, bolt heads come in different sizes to compensate for headspace issues.

SMLE headspace tutorial
http://p102.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearms...e?topicID=7075.topic

303 British forums. If you need a bolt head, or anything else Enfield, these guys can help you.
http://p102.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm49

It pays to reload for the 303. I neck size only and separate brass for specific rifles.

ZM

Zeke, excellent post!

I especially like the .303 SMLE headspace tutorial

Thank You

Enfields are my favorite milsurps and my favorite type of bolt action. I am currently refreshing a very beat up No4MkI for use as a backup/beater rifle.

I wondered about the headspace problem when I got my NoIMkIII. The later production Ishy chambers really shove the shoulder forward compared to the No4MkI. I researched this and found out that all Enfield chambers are not created equal.

Neck sizing helps the brass last much longer. I can use fired brass from the No4MkI in the No1MkIII but not the other way around.

Provided his chamber isn't messed up, his problem can be solved by changing bolt heads, pending a checkup by a gunsmith familiar with Enfields.

ZM

The headspace article was very good but it did not discuss the effect chamber diameter has on case head separations

Most Remington, Winchester, Federal and Norma cases measure .450 in diameter just ahead of the rim. The typical chamber measures .460 at the same point. This causes a lot of radial stretch even if head space is perfect. If you examine fired brass it will have a large step in the head under the extractor position. This is due to the extractor pushing the case against the lower left chamber wall. Cases made out of older Remington .30-40 Krag brass measure .455 and last much longer. I have made a few cases by both turning and swagiing the .464 head diameter of .444 Marlin brass. The cases work well but are too much trouble to make in any quantity.

All in all the Lee Enfield is a pain in the ass due to short case life. I have been scrounging .303 cases for 30 years. I have seen dozens of once fired factory rounds that had cracked on the first shot.

Never ever shoot one without glasses.

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Provided his chamber isn't messed up, his problem can be solved by changing bolt heads, pending a checkup by a gunsmith familiar with Enfields.

Even a SMLE with correct headspace can ruin cases quickly if the chamber shoulder is too far forward, since the things are built to headspace on the RIM, not the shoulder. I think the idea of using .30/40 Krag brass and adjusting the sizing die so that the case headspaces on the shoulder rather than the rim is a great idea, if longer case life is your goal! In addition,of course, handloads have to be kept mild to prevent receivr springing on firing, which is yet another source of case stretching, even with shoulder headspacing.....

A 303 EPPS chamber reamer will clean a over size chamber up and increase case life.I now neck size my 303 British brass, when I full length size life is usually 3-4 loadings. I have used Remington brass with good results.

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Originally posted by sirwilliam:
A 303 EPPS chamber reamer will clean a over size chamber up and increase case life.I now neck size my 303 British brass, when I full length size life is usually 3-4 loadings. I have used Remington brass with good results.

Yes, I can see where that would work, since the less tapered case would tend to grip the chamber walls, and thus reduce backthrust and the resultant receiver stretching. This is a situation in which the "improvement" would really be one!