Bolt Bounces Back on No4

[nijalninja]

Yeah its a Lee Enfield thing. An inch or so back from the farthest forward point of the bolts travel, the cocking piece bent (Underneath) contacts the sear bent. Then by pushing it home with some added force you compress the spring in the bolt body as the cocking piece stays in the same place but the bolt body moves forward and then down so as to lock it. Meaning that if the rifle is cocked and the bolt shut you will have a certain amount of force always wanting to push the bolt back, and when you unlock it quickly that force flings the bolt back. Keep in mind if you fire it or un-cock the bolt the spring force is removed and you can open the bolt without it springing back. That also applies if you just hold the trigger in when you close the bolt since the sear misses the cocking piece bent and the cocking piece slides forward to its fired position. If you ever pull it apart take a close look at the trigger, sear, and cocking piece arrangement to understand it a bit better. They are just robust and kinda odd old rifles.