Lee Enfield chamber reaming in the Great war?

[Peter Laidler]

Just a couple of points. Were these Oz bolt head size variables actually NEW production? Or were they just old production, sifted and sorted to give the sizes illustrated? As a matter of interest are these numbered No1 bolt head sizes readily available in Oz? I ask this because if so then it may well be that these sizes (or similar.....) were already in use in India in order to CHS their 7.62mm No1's. Beats ages on the bench stoning, trying, stoning, trying etc etc for ages to get correct CHS with a tray full of assorted bolt heads.

As I often remind forumers, something similar applied to Bren barrel nuts. It might have size 4 on the barrel nut but after a few years use on a Bren, the size 4 and measurements relating to it didn't relate to any known criteria that ACTUALLY applied to a size 4 barrel nut! It just became another barrel nut that you tried ad-infinitum. Same as Bren and L1A1 locking shoulders, No4 bolt heads, breeching up washer sizes etc etc. And just as bad, SA80 breeching up washer sizes were just as variable!