Enfield sear

[ugotit33]

Can some one tell me what the notch on the bolt firing pin draw back is for.
See picture

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[ugotit33]

Can some one tell me what the notch on the bolt firing pin draw back is for.
See picture

I should have said cocking lug.

[Woodsy]

It is a half-cock notch, the theory being it will catch the sear if the cocking piece accidentally slips off full cock (dropping the rifle. etc). It is NOT designed to be used as a carry method, as the act of holding the cocking piece while pulling the trigger and allowing the half-cock notch to engage is fraught with danger!

[Beerhunter]

Its official name is the half bent.

Half-cock is released by pulling the cocking piece to full cock, thus allowing full control of the bolt from then on. Putting a rifle into half-cock, and then seeing what the candidate did about it, was classic weapons training test when I was a cadet at school.

[Peter Laidler]

I don't want to sound pedantic or contrary but the official reason for the half bent is this if you don't mind me elaborating a bit.............. If you do not close the bolt of the rifle fully the safety stud on the cocking piece will strike the rear of the opposing safety stud on the bolt. That is the small stud between the short and long cam groove.

Now, one of three/several things will simultaneously happen. The bolt could a) remain as it is, half closed with the stud of the cocking piece resting behind the safety stud of the bolt. You would then have to physically close the bolt and the sear would engage the 'half cock' position. This is called 'mechanical safety'. Now you will have to physically cock the rifle by hand. There is no other way to lift the bolt because the two safety studs are aligned side by side. Or b) the bolt COULD open (but not likely). If it does, the rifle CANNOT fire because the striker has never got close to the round and the striker is withdrawn in any case Or c) the cam action of the stud on the cocking piece acting on the stud on the rear of the bolt could close the bolt. But if the bolt does close, then one of two things WILL happen. The sear will either drop into the half bent OR if it doesn't, the rifle will still not fire because the diminished force of blow of the striker will be insufficient to detonate the primer.

In short, that half cock is a very efficient mechanical safety feature