I recently got a #1 mk111 enfield. Wow - what a cool rifle.
I fired it yesterday and the fired cases are under the max length of 2.222" (they range from 2.210 to 2.219) Unfired cases are 2.210" +/-.

The neck however is a little different than any others I've seen.

Unfired case necks are aprox. .332" just as listed in my reloading book.
The fired cases necks are .321" and the top of the shoulder is round (like a weatherby shell).

Is this normal ???
Also - if I neck size only, shouldn't this be acceptable.

Rimmed cartridge, typical problem. These rifles have a military chamber, made to work in mud, snow, swamps, what have you. They are on the "generous" side. Works havoc on reloaders. Rim stays in place, the rest of the cartridge forms to chamber. Good luck with reloading, about two to three is tops. My best record is two.

Regards,

Eric

And if the headspace (remembering that it headspaces on the rim) is wrong, there are different size bolt heads available to adjust it. - Dan

Try the two articles on case life and neck sizing on the .303 Page, www.303British.com. True neck sizing, as opposed to partial full length resizing can make a surprising difference. HTH, curmudgeon

Eric,

My best is 10 reloads on one case. 180 gr. Sierra loaded to 2400 fps (to duplicate the MKVII). Long Branch No. 4 MK I*, made in 1943 and FTRd in 1954 (I believe).

I use the so-called partial full-length resizing. I've also had the experience of not being able to use a case after the first firing. I think that a LOT depends on the rifle. I also think that the No. 1 MK IIIs are worse for this than the No. 4s of any mark.

The numbered bolt heads to decrease headspace are available for the No.4 Mk1 Enfields and not for the No.1 Mklll Enfields. I'm going through the process of trying to decrease headspace on my No1 Mklll at this time and it's not easy. I ordered a bolt head from Numrich and it was bent and unuseable. It was .005" longer than my current bolthead and it would have reduced my headspace. I sent it back and asked them to measure their inventory and send me a longer one. My headspace just slightly exceeds the length of a field head space gage which means it is slightly out of spec. Reducing the head space should result in less stretching of the brass.

If anyone out there has acess to some No1 Mklll bolt heads please let me know.

Another problem with the 303 is that the bolt locks at the rear and they tend to have "springy" actions. This leads to lots of case strech. When I had my 303 I would only load a case with a max load 2 times.

Hello ShootinOK,

You might find this useful. Put an oversize bronze bristle brush (.323) on your cleaning rod. It will come in handy for removing split cases from your rifle. I also have a .303 SMLE, and it's notorious for case separations. These rifles were used in some horrid conditions over many years so the sloppy chambers are by design so it'll fire in all conditions. I'm getting about 3 reloads from my rifle on average. Reloading was not an option for this caliber in wartime so tight chambers were not imperitive. I like my old smelly, but do get tired of digging out the split cases. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I was all fired up about being able to reload for an old SMLEIII sporter I used to have until I saw the cases that came out of it. The half inch closest to the head was completely out of square with the remainder of the case, noticeable with just the slightest glance. I wouldn't dare use the cases again.

IME, you can use the cases more if you don't try to load them too hot. Load to 50K psi vs. 45K and you'll notice a difference in case life. Headspace towards max, full-length sizing every time, etc. will drastically shorten case life. Moderation and attention to detail is the key. If you've got more than one you need to keep the brass separate as well.

All good points Hobie. good post. - Dan

One for sale - Complete Bolt With No 2 Bolthead - at ebay; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3629395863&category=383
Last time I looked it was at $16.85 I think. Might be worth a look.
Regards,

Dont know if this is of any use but I had the same problem with ky No1 MK111 I took my rifle to AG Parker of Birmingham where they fitted a new bolt head (yes new!) for very little cost the place does not inspire confidence but the service is very good

Does this AG Parker have a web site? I would love to be able to get a new bolt head for my No.1 Mk.lll. Telephone #?
Thanks

[ 10-05-2003, 18:01: Message edited by: Val ]

The higher bolt head numbers are being bought up by hunters and target shooters who don't want all that much extra headspace.

I have been shimming bolt heads and made a fixture.
The surplus bolt heads from Shotgun News have not been fitted to a bolt, and requre a cut on the bolt body side to get the threads and lug on the side to line up. That extra cut is advanced lathe operatin.

The Silver Soldering the shim on the bolt head with the base [which takes the high compressive load against the bolt body] is bathed in water to keep the heat treat the same. Another trick is to get wire the same size as the firing pin hole. That way there is no misaligmment with the shim hole and the bolt head hole.

I was sent $20 by a guy who read the 303 board to make a shimed bolt head from a surplus one from Shotgun news. I thought is would be as easy as shimming mine. Big mistake. Two months later and 50 man hours into it, I finally shipped.

This fixture provides the bath and has a path for the weighted wire to pull the parts together when the solder melts. The fixture can also be used to hold it for the lathe, but I have a collet the same size as the bolt head.