Gunsmithing questions

[jessebogan]

I have the full set of "okie" mil spec gauges on the way. The rifle I want to build the bolt for is ex greek I think, and has a re numbered bolt. It passed headspace on a borrowed gauge years ago, and I do shoot it w/ surplus ammo . It is a nice old piece, and everytime I look at the bolt it bothers me. The rifle I am fitting the forend to is DP marked, and had yellow stripes at one time.(gone before I bought it, but evidence is there) I do not plan on shooting it ever, but given the history, it deserves to be cosmetically restored. Thank you all for your assistance.

Jesse

[Alan de Enfield]

I have the full set of "okie" mil spec gauges on the way. ........
The rifle I am fitting the forend to is DP marked, .............
I do not plan on shooting it ever, but given the history, it deserves to be cosmetically restored. .........

Maybe I'm getting the 'wrong end of the stick' but if you are just doing a cosmetic restore why bother about the headspace ? (is that different rifle?)

If you restore it to look like its 'shootable' then how would anyone in the future know it was DP ?

Do you plan to actually make it 'un-shootable' by drilling thru' the chamber, welding up the barrel or something similar ?

[jessebogan]

I am actually working on 2 rifles here. The second one, the one getting the forearm has DP on the chamber. I bought it years ago to get the wood for rifle #1, ny first ever SMLE, and the one that I shoot the most. Rifle number 2, in spite of the DP,has an Australian history, but was made by BSA. I still have most of the wood that rifle came with, and think it should be at least cosmeticly restored. Rifle number 1 is just an old favourite, and since I came across a NOS bolt body I thought I might give it a go, and make that rifle just a bit better. Neither of these is likely to leave my hands as long as I am still breathing. I have no idea why rifle #2 was DPed, but maybe if I am successful with #1, I *might* explore whether #2 *could* safely be fired, perhaps with low power reloads. I have several other LEs, and making it a shooter is not a priority. Restoring it as a tribute to the tommys that carried it through 2 world wars means much more to me. Part of why I collect military weapons is it is a way for me to hold in my hands a connection to the brave men who did what folks like me believe to be the near impossible.

[Peter Laidler]

I'm totally lost about what you're doing but here's the answer to your bolt head question. I don't even know if you've fitted the bolt to the rifle as per the CORRECT, even bearing fitting instructions yet..... As Armourers, your bolthead underturn problem wouldn't apply to us as we'd have a big box of new and used (but calibrated/certified) bolt bodies to try. But you haven't. So, bearing in mind that the new bolt body you have is worth a LOT more than boltheads,, find the bolthead that underurns the least.

Set this in a lathe, nose first and then, GENTLY skim off the tiniest of a fraction at a time off the rear bearing shoulder - the part that bears down tight onto the bolt body. DON'T remove thge bolt head from the lathe, but now screw the bolt body onto the bolt head that's still held firmly in the chuck. And IF NECESSARY, repeat the process until you get 0 degrees over and underturn. THIS IS THE BEST OPTION. Once you have that, try the bolt in the rifle and try the CHS. If it's tight, then do the same to the front face of the bolt until it just closes over the .064" gauge. If it closes over the .074" gauge, then you STILL have your untouched/new bolt body. So try the same with the other bolt heads but this time............. anyway, do this first

Look............ and another thing............. forget all about those other gauges that you will have heard and read about from the experts. The ONLY two gauges you EVER need for a No1 or a No4 rifle are a .064" GO and a .074" NO-GO

[jessebogan]

Peter, thank you for that. I wanted to get a bolt head to fit the bolt first, and then will proceed with fitting it. I will go and see one of my machinist buddies and see how it goes. I guess it makes more sense to alter the head... Don't know why I didn't think of that. I see in your "sig box" that you are in Abingdon. Hurrah!! I have 5 MGs in here at the moment from a frame up on a late MGA to a couple of 60s midgets. I do a lot of Jaguars, but have been an MG man since I was 16. (Long time ago)

Thanks again,
Jesse

[jessebogan]

Worked perfectly!! As I expect you already knew.... I set up a model makers lathe, set it up and made 1 careful pass. Checked it w/ the bolt body, and the amout of under turn was cut by about half. Another very fine cut, and we have perfection...Now I wait for the gauges,and will re read the bolt fitting instructions. Thanks for the help folks, this must be the greatest collection of knowlege out there.
Thanks
Jesse