What's wrong with my Ishapore?

[Peter Laidler]

As a matter of interest, what headspace gauges/measurements did you use with this rifle. I ask because your bolt action rifle has a specific headspace and it's not the usual L1A1/FN FAL spec either but closer to the L42....., sort of......, nearly!

[Brian Dick]

Another small correction is that there is no selection of bolt head lengths to correct headspace issues on the SMLE. Only the No.4 had a variety of sizes and once fitted the first time, the measurements are all over the place so the only way to know is to physically measure them and disregard the number stamped on. The only way to correct headspace on an SMLE is to get a long bolt head and stone it down on a piece of plate glass until it's in spec with the HS gauges. Having had more than my fair share of the RFI 2A and 2A1 rifles through here, my first suspicion when headspace is out of specification is that the thin hardening in the body is worn through and the bolt locking lugs are setting back.

[Peter Laidler]

'...........Having had more than my fair share of the RFI 2A and 2A1 rifles through here, my first suspicion when headspace is out of specification is that the thin hardening in the body is worn through and the bolt locking lugs are setting back........'

Brian, you can tell shooters this a thousand times and they'll swear that it's the body stretching. Even the long in the tooth old timers tell me that the bodies 'stretch'. It's all to do with the mystical arts of the full moon, Stonehenge and Halloween that causes bodies under compression to stretch

[Chris Sweeney]

I have a set of Forster .308 go/NOGO gauges.

If it was a problem with bolt setback, wouldn't the head space be too long? It's measuring a short chamber. With the GO gauge the bolt won't close that last few degrees of rotation.

[Brian Dick]

RFI headspace specifications are 1.633 GO and 1.642 NO GO. I forget what the Forster SAAMI gauges are except for the FIELD which is 1.638. If your rifle won't close on the GO gauge, it's over headspaced and should be relieved a bit. However, so many take bolts apart and have no clue whatsoever how to reassemble them properly that I would be hesitant to change it without inspecting it first to see if it's fitted together properly in the first place. Bolt lift and overturn are key. I can tell you from experience with many 2A/2A1 rifles, that yours is the exception to the rule if too tight. They are almost always out of specification. It's important to get them right because the 7.62 round is definitely pushing the limit on pressure with the SMLE body.

[Chris Sweeney]

RFI headspace specifications are 1.633 GO and 1.642 NO GO.

My gauges are marked 1.630 and 1.634. If the RFI spec is 1. 633 then I am really short!

The bolt will lock up (albeit snugly) on dummy cartridges made with a variety of brass (US, S. African, and German Nato; and Winchester and Federal .308.

I ended up having to replace both the safety catch and the locking bolt in order to fix the first problem. I was surprised to find out how little wear it takes to make these parts bad!

[Brian Dick]

Is the bolt serial number matching to the body on your rifle? My wild *** guess would be someone has screwed with it if it is matching. I would have to disagree on the safety parts. It takes quite a lot to wear them out.

[browningautorifle]

Perhaps someone changed the bolthead just because. Perhaps the rifle was more recently assembled after parts were pilfered for something else.

[Chris Sweeney]

My bolt has the original s/n.

My comment re: wear meant that I was amazed how little visible wear it takes to render the safety inop, not how quick it wore.
The only marking on the bolt head is crossed sabers (crossed signal flags?) (scissors?). The face is pretty smooth but it measures a little out of square - .640 on one side and .638 and change opposite. Don't know what the spec is. Gun has a Numrich Arm import mark so who knows what kind of junk it was built from.

Gun seems to have a very long throat. One of my dummy cartridges has a loosely fit bullet that I set out very long so as to get an idea of chamber throat length (close the bolt and it will push the bullet in when it touches the rifling). I pushed the bullet out to the absolute max that would fit in the mag. Didn't seat the bullet in a bit!

[browningautorifle]

My bolt has the original s/n.

Yes but the head could have been pilfered and then slapped on a replacement. The long throat will show it's been a range rifle and shot it's share...