Grease groove in WWII .303 bullets important or not ?

[bob q]

The Enfield bolt locks by the middle of the bolt on the receiver bridge , it has no locking lugs . The proof would be looking at it . And no the little lug ion the rear of the bolt is not a locking lug , it is a cocking assist .The proof would be reading the original patent description . . The Enfield was originally a black powder action , was later used with low pressure cordite and it was not even cleared for Nitro powder except for war emergency . Read original British military ammo test reports .The groove dia is around .314 on the average with a .3095 dia bullet . Again the proof would be measuring real rifles and bullets . Bore riding was used my all militaries in their early small bore rifles . Again just look . I have a vast collection of original ammo and the crimp is not at that groove and the grooves are all full of grease . Again for proof just use your eyes .

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[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.

[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.

[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...

[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 .

[harry mac]

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 .

I have previously pulled quite a lot of post WW2 ammo and never seen any grease on the bullets. All, however had the tar/pitch sealant. Just the other week I pulled a bullet from a much earlier round of .303 and not only did it have the pich sealant, but the canelure was full of a blue grease. The round was a mis-fire, and the propellant was cordite, the bullet was silver coloured rather than copper jacketed.

[harry mac]

I have previously pulled quite a lot of post WW2 ammo and never seen any grease on the bullets. All, however had the tar/pitch sealant. Just the other week I pulled a bullet from a much earlier round of .303 and not only did it have the pich sealant, but the canelure was full of a blue grease. The round was a mis-fire, and the propellant was cordite, the bullet was silver coloured rather than copper jacketed.

I had another look at that bullet today, and I have to correct myself. It did not have the pitch sealant, just the wax in the groove.

[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.