Post mortum LE bolt failure...

[Thunderbox]

Those magic words... "hand loads"...


The whole firing description sounds like massive over-pressure in the rifle.

---------- Post added at 09:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 AM ----------

Wow. Well, I speculate that it would seem like a blown primer driving the striker back with enough force to break off the bolt at the stress point. I had a look at my SMLE bolt heads and although there is a vent hole in them the vent hole is largely covered buy the receiver side wall. The shooter didn't say anything about the primers but he did mention the first full power round being 'hot' (then he carried on firing the others!) It's easy to criticize someone after the fact, I know, but he should have stopped right there.
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Blown primers have very little effect. Sometimes one has enough pressure to put the striker on half-cock, but they usually just blow oil and soot back out around the firing pin and into the shooters face. The pressure levels are insignificant compared to the structural strength of the rifle.