22 trainer pattern 14 No1 with a headspace issue (lots of pictures)

Hi, I bought this one many years ago and now that I have more time on my hands, have started shooting SSAA trainer competitions with it.

The rifle was, according to the unit marking disc, issued to the 4th Royal Munster Fusiliers. It was accepted into Australian service as shown by the D with the arrow inside it on both the receiver ring and butt. The barrel was a silver soldered insert and it does shoot well. I am curious about the fore end. Either side of the hinged barrel band, there are two pins. Under the fore end, there appears to be a timber insert that looks like a cleaning rod groove has been filled in. Weird, as I thought the fore end should have been a one piece affair. The Mag lips and follower have been removed,but no 22 stamped on it. Under the butt, there is an AGP stamp.

I have found that it will handle standard velocity ammo with no issues, but will have problems with the high velocity ammo - had a few cases split the rim and let gas go. There is a mark, dent, chip or whatever beside the firing pin hole. The case damage does not occur here, but around the edge of the cartridge rim. My issue is the sliding bolt head. They are very hard to find for 303 let alone 22 trainer. Is there an easy way to correct this? Someone suggested silver soldering a shim to the bolt face and then stone down to the correct size. Some one else suggested a shim washer between the bolt head and body. Would this cause the bolt head to not line up properly with the extractor groove? I'm open to suggestions here. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
BCD 8238

I think you'll find that you have better accuracy with standard velocity ammo anyway. Certainly the case with the Martini_Henry smallbore conversion, Mk IV .22 and No.* I shoot.

The woodwork looks to be about right with the two band pins and the filler strip in the clearing rod groove. The stock has been converted from a long Lee unit.

First time around, your rifle was converted from a long Lee into a Sht.LE ConD II. Second time around it went through another conversion to .22.

Nice rifle, it has a lot of history behind it.

Chances are that as a trainer, if it was used on an indoor range, it might have had a diet of 22 short cartridges. With extended use, this often leaves an eroded area in the chamber just in front of the 22 short's case mouth.

The longer cases of the 22 long or 22 long rifle cartridges might split or bulge as the brass at the case mouth isn't supported in the eroded area.

This can cause a little extra effort to extract the case. Changing headspace wont help. The permanent fix is a new barrel liner.

Hi, Thanks for that info. I don't have a problem extracting cartridges and there are no bulges etc. The matter that I do have is that when I use high velocity ammo, it occasionally splits a rim on the case. When you close the bolt, you can slip a 0.005 feeler gauge blade behind the long locking lug with an empty case in the chamber. I assume that the headspace is excessive.

Ok, gottcha, I understand your issue now. I was off into the weeds.

Are the rims splitting at the striker hit, or elsewhere on the rim? Those balloon head cases are pretty forgiving at factory pressures.
It is just the super duper ammo ones that split?

I would be looking at the striker tip and protrusion. Nice rounded tip? How far does it stick out?

Can you show us an example of a split rim?

If you have access to a metal lathe and/or a turner, there is a way of refurbishing the bolt head in the machine shop to set your headspace as tight as you want it.

The rims were not splitting at the pin strike, generally underneath at the bottom of the bolt head. The pin is nice and rounded. I'll measure the protrusion, but it is enough for reliable ignition. I'll try to find one of the split cases. I'd be interested in your idea about refurbishment of the bolt head. My neighbour has a lathe.

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