Help! Source for Bolt Heads?

[Minnesota Joe]

A couple of my No. 4s failed the No-Go(field) gauge and I'm hoping that getting new(er) bolt heads will keep them going. Anyone have any sources for bolt heads? Maybe e-Pay is the only way to go with this one.

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[Alan de Enfield]

A couple of my No. 4s failed the No-Go(field) gauge and I'm hoping that getting new(er) bolt heads will keep them going. Anyone have any sources for bolt heads? Maybe e-Pay is the only way to go with this one.

Do you know what size (not 'number') but acual 'size' that you need ?

Click the link and read the 6th post down (my post on Bolt Head Survey)

Measured Headspace - Now What? - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

Find out what 'size' you need before buying one, I do have a few size 3 bolt heads spare if needed.

[RJW NZ]

Springfield sporters or Numrich Gun Parts, online, or via members here.
Not so much on ebay these days as they're considered parts of what makes the gun fire. I did list a couple as 'clearance adjusters'. lol. Their censoring computer scans the add for keywords, so a name change will work every time.
I have nothing at the moment though.

[Minnesota Joe]

Thanks guys. Alan, I'll have to measure and get back to you.

[Alan de Enfield]

Thanks guys. Alan, I'll have to measure and get back to you.

Just a thought - what size is your no-go gauge ?

If its a SAMMI (70 thou) you may be condemming your rifle (and looking to spend money) when there isnt a problem.
Make sure you are using British Military gauges with the no-go at 0.074" (74 thou)

And - to quote Peter Laidlers instructions :

Now that the gauge is into the chamber and the bolt is being closed, this is where the trouble lies. It’s important here to remember the often said phrase among Armourers of ‘DON’T OVER CHS’. Here’s another thing to remember during this. Because there is a camming action operating while OPENING the bolt, called ‘PRIMARY EXTRACTION’ this action also operates when closing the bolt. And the same primary extraction forces that will enable the infantryman to force the bolt closed and unlock and extract a possibly distorted shell case, covered in wet silt and mud in the saltwater magrove swamps of Johore in Malaya that’s caused the case to stick hard to the chamber walls will also enable the butchers or bubbas to close the bolt hard against the gauge. NO-GO on the .074” gauge is when, using the lightest finger and thumb action on the knob causes a slight feel of resistance.
The next question you’re going to ask is ‘….where during the bolt closing movement is this slight feel of resistance acceptable --- Is it almost closed or, hardly closed or inbetween’? Good question and the answer in the bible reads thus: ‘…with a 0, 1 or 2 bolt head, there must be resistance onto the .074” gauge prior to there being a minimum of .050” from the underside of the bolt lever to the contacting point of the body socket’. Then it goes on to say ‘…….With a No3 bolt head the left edge…………..’ But I want you to forget this because the statement was too ambiguous. I suggest that you use my maxim of ‘WITH ANY SIZE OF BOLT HEAD FITTED THERE MUST BE RESISTANCE OF THE BOLT ONTO THE .074” GAUGE PRIOR TO THERE BEING A MINIMUM OF .050” FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOLT LEVER TO THE CONTACTING POINT OF THE BODY SOCKET. I want the master Masons among you to learn that by rote!

If you want to use 'force' I guess you could pretty much fail any bolt head.

[Minnesota Joe]

My No-Go (Field) is mil-spec 0.074, so no mistake there. Now to find out what the current bolt-head measures.

[Edward Horton]

With all due respect to Mr. Laidler and Alan its all well and good to state that the British maximum head space of .074 is good enough Enfield Rifle. But don't forget American made .303 British cases are designed for OUR head space settings and OUR American cases will stretch beyond their design limits when fired at the longer British military settings.

This is a very simple statement, head space is governed by the cases you shoot and not the rifle.

This is another simple statement, you don't put smaller passenger car tires on a 18 wheeler truck and expect the tires to last.

Here in the U.S we have commercially designed cartridge cases and military designed cartridge cases, and there is a reason the head space settings are different for the same reason the cases are designed differently.

Even the Canadian military doesn't follow British head space settings.

Canadian military head space for the Enfield rifle is:
GO = .064
NO GO = .070
FIELD = .074

So the blanket statement of .074 is good enough for me doesn't apply all over the world, BUT there are workarounds for this problem. And another thing to ponder is who currently making military grade .303 ammunition.


Delta L problem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Brian Dick]

Be advised, (again), that a single replacement bolt head may not fit and time properly to your bolt. That's why factories and Armourers had bins full of them from which to select fit. You can get lucky but.......

[Son]

Honestly, Mr Horton... In my opinion, .004" at the bolthead is going to do precious little to save your American brass when the chamber is nearly 1/8" (.125") longer than the case at to the neck.... The biggest problem with the brass is probably the wall thickness and the wrong "happy medium" between ductility and elasticity of the metal.

[Sunray]

"...My No-Go (Field)..." There's a No-Go and a Field. Ain't the same thing.
"...the chamber is nearly 1/8" (.125") longer..." Chamber length means nothing to a rimmed cartridge.
"...the Canadian military doesn't..." CF weapons techs didn't use a Field. Mind you, few CF weapons techs have touched any Lee-Enfield for 20ish years. Only the Techs supporting the Canadian Rangers ever see 'em now. Real firearms are not used by CF Army Cadets any more.
What number do you have now? Gunparts lists stripped 0's and 1's at $12.90US each. Marstar lists 0's, 1's and2's. You'll need a No-Go guage and a Field to check the headspace.