Grease groove in WWII .303 bullets important or not ?

[Brian Dick]

It's not grease. BAR has it right in that it's a tar based sealer.

bob q, you contradict yourself in the first sentence of post #10. I'd suggest you have a good long look at the bolt and body locking lugs and recesses in your rifle/s. I've never seen an Enfield bolt without locking lugs. If you have one like that, I'd caution you about firing it! Working pressures are around 45,000 psi in .303 and 50,000 in 7.62 NATO. That's not exactly what I'd call low powered either.

[Daan Kemp]

We agree to differ.

I fail to see that the lack of many locking lugs indicates "low power". That is a perception. In my opinion many of the other statements too.

[browningautorifle]

It is grease .

That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion. Even when the facts are wrong. It's your opinion.

By the way, the crimp is mid neck, not at the mouth. You can see it on any of them. All military ammo has this type of sealant...and none of them need a bullet lube.

[green]

IIRC the cannelure was filled with grease as a sealant. Post WW2 the bullet was redesigned without groove and had a crimping cannelure for the end of the ctg neck to crimp to.
Always thought that when fitting a LE bolt both locking lugs were supposed to bear on the body.

[bob q]

All my Enfield's lock on rear right hand side of the receiver , just like a 71 Mauser . Yes I have cut the rear cocking lug off a bolt . It made no difference on firing , but it made working the bolt very hard . I guess Lee did know how his own design worked since he called it a cocking assist lug in his patent drawings . .303 was the lowest power ammo used by major militaries . The British military wanted to replace the Enfield with a Mauser because of the weak action . The British use replaceable bolt head of different lengths to keep rifles in service because the actions stretch and the bolt body compacts . That action movement is what causes the cases to want to separate at the head . All my original .303 bullets have a blue - green grease on them . None of my original WWI era German , Italian , Austrian ammo has Anything on the bullets . I do find it hard to believe you people do not know any of this , it is common knowledge , I am sorry to have upset you with it .

[browningautorifle]

IIRC the cannelure was filled with grease as a sealant.

Yes, with tar as a sealant.

All my Enfield's lock on rear right hand side of the receiver , just like a 71 Mauser . Yes I have cut the rear cocking lug off a bolt . It made no difference on firing , but it made working the bolt very hard .

It appears you'd be the wrong one to shoot beside...

I do find it hard to believe you people do not know any of this , it is common knowledge , I am sorry to have upset you with it .

We're not upset, you're just wrong, sounds like a bit of trolling...

[green]

From 1909 Armourers Handbook amended 1915 states that proper fitted and numbered bolt must be used otherwise uneven bearing will cause shots to disperse right or left.
From "Textbook of Small Arms 1929" states that British service cartridges are treated with beeswax as a lube and sealant. Beeswax not tar. Post war made design of bullet was changed to eliminate large cannelure and sealant was changed to a tar like substance.

[browningautorifle]

that British service cartridges are treated

Yes they are. Check your terminology...the cartridge...

Anyway, you two can have fun with your greased bullets.

[green]

Yes they are. Check your terminology...the cartridge...

Anyway, you two can have fun with your greased bullets.

OK again from "Text Book of Small Arms 1929" "the bullets are first lubricated before loading in a machine in which a disc runs in a bath of melted BEESWAX and deposits the WAX in the bullet cannelure." Again wax not tar.
Wax was replaced by tar post 1945 but the bullet in the op would have been waxed.
BAR can you back your assertion with documents?

[André]

I confirm. My pulled bullets cannelure are filled with a greenish wax/grease and the cases were headstamped MJ VII 1942, CP VII 43 and CP VII 44.