Why I appreciate the Lee Enfield.

[Lee Enfield]

It's not just the rimmed case that helps prevent gas reaching the firer. Unlike Mauser types, the Lee, Krag, and others have no left lug raceway serving as a gas conduit from breech toward eyeball. Consequently, gas from a failed case is vented only at the front of the receiver. Here's a demonstration -

This case had been reloaded with heavy loads enough times so it was stretched near breaking.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../117z9ck-1.jpg

I loaded it with a 180-grain bullet and 40 grains of 4895 - a reasonably stiff charge about 2 grains under "maximum" - and fired it in a much-abused Savage No.4 with a clean sheet of typing paper wrapped around the receiver.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../29fw5ft-1.jpg

When I opened the bolt, the separated head extracted. (The front piece of the case fell out when I turned the rifle muzzle-up.)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../11ayg6q-1.jpg

The sooty paper shows where some gas escaped. No rips or holes, just a little soot - and only where the bolt head meets the receiver ring. Had I been shooting from the shoulder and wearing glasses, I probably wouldn't have felt the leak at all.

Having said that, I've seen 2 people have their glasses shatter after the striker came back with enough force to hit their glasses lense.

Both incidents occurred with No4 rifles.

It's not a pleasant thing to pick glass fragments out of a friend's eye.

[Seaspriter]

I've seen 2 people have their glasses shatter after the striker came back with enough force to hit their glasses lens. Both incidents occurred with No4 rifles.

Any idea what caused this? Knowing the cause could prevent a big accident.

[Cottage Hill Bill]

I stand by to be corrected, but I believe that many of the case separations we experience with Lee-Enfields aren't complete separations at the time of firing. I believe that many times the case is stretched to just below the breaking point on the last firing and when the bolt is opened the force of extraction completes the separation. I know I've had several cases over many years come out in two pieces but with no sign of gas leakage anywhere on the case. I have had the occasional one that looked like Para's example with obvious soot marks on the case.

[Sentryduty]

Originally Posted by Lee Enfield
I've seen 2 people have their glasses shatter after the striker came back with enough force to hit their glasses lens. Both incidents occurred with No4 rifles.
Any idea what caused this? Knowing the cause could prevent a big accident.

Accidents are never a good thing and I hope each of your friends recovered fully.

But I too would like to learn more.

What was the believed cause of the issue?
Did the striker physically separate from the rifle, or was this a body positioning issue?
Were any parts of the rifle permanently damaged, and if so which ones?

Anything else that could be shared would be valuable knowledge/

[Surpmil]

Looks like a classic case of overly long headspace. The case expands on firing and locks itself momentarily into the chamber wall, while the rear of the case goes backwards until it pushes the bolthead and bolt as far back as it can, or as far as the case will stretch, whichever comes first. That backward movement while the rest of the case is locked to the chamber wall causes the case to stretch right about there and voila, cracks and eventual separation, or sometimes all in one go?

We can see where the thicker base of the case has prevented it expanding and locking against the chamber wall. Naturally the "give" occurs around the point where thick meets thin and expansion meets not enough expansion.

[Richard Hare]

Surpmil,

That is a very good picture of what happens after a few reloads. (if full length re-sized,... or used in a rifle with a generous chamber,... or plain overused brass...)
I have had them blackened all the way around where they came apart. We can normally see a light coloured ring around the case where they are about to come apart, and the next reload will more or less guarantee this.

I too would like an explanation of what happened when the shooters got their glasses broken, mentioned by Lee Enfield in a previous post. I see no reason for it, unless as Sentryduty mentions above, it had something to do with "body positioning".
I can well imagine a "stock crawler" whipping the bolt back into his glasses whilst engaged in 'rapid fire', but if the striker blew back, they would be fishing more than glass out of the chaps eye.

[Patrick Chadwick]

You are very likely right about the rimmed case rather than the action blocking gases,

It seems that some of you guys are still overlooking something basic about the Lee Enfield chamber, although Parashooter has already posted good photos to illustrate the feature. There is a gas vent on the left side, so that the action does NOT block gas in the event of a case rupture. That is why 5th Batt on the left was getting sharp puffs of "Enfield exhaust" !

[Patrick Chadwick]

Having said that, I've seen 2 people have their glasses shatter after the striker came back with enough force to hit their glasses lense.

What hit them was presumably the cocking piece. It could hardly have been the striker, unless the bolt assembly completely disintegrated. I have seen such an incident, caused simply by the shooter being afraid of recoil and thus holding the rifle too far forwards and too loosely. Anyone who has ever held up a horse's hind leg for the farrier will know that the trick is to hold the leg folded up tight against your shoulder, so that it can't get up speed. Hold it tight and it can push strongly, but can't strike. Hold it loosely, and it can really wallop. Same applies to rifles.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I have Never had any gas in my face with these actions.

Thanks to the aforementioned gas vent!

[Richard Hare]

Patrick,

Yes, I am quite aware of the gas vent, and it is behind the rim. It works as it is meant to; That's why we don't get a face full of gas, and that's Why I started this thread, And why I appreciate this action!! :-)

Same with cows as horses as well Patrick...........the further you are away from them, the more speed they get before they hit you!

Best,
R.