Comparison of 3 chambers

[ssgross]

I have 3 lee enfields, all No. 4's. The newest to me is also the newest. I bought it still mummy wrapped. The bolt handle had worn its way out of the wrapper, the area around the serial and the muzzle had been peeled back for inspection at some point long ago. When I got it home, I gently put my cheap borescope down the muzzle end to take a look. the first couple inches were "dry", but the rest of the barrel was full of cosmoline. I carefully cleaned just the first couple inches to make sure that what I saw there wasn't dried cruddy cosmoline. Indeed, it was light surface rust. The exposed bolt handle didn't look new anymore either. So I decided I would unwrap it, clean it up, and shoot it. I haven't shot it yet, and thought I would post for posterity what a factory new chamber looks like, compared to wartime use and heavy cordite erosion.

Here is the first and worst. First two pics are at the start of lands. Max length to ogive (Hornady 150gr used) is 2.583. The base of the bullet just barely remains in the case mouth
Attachment 115748Attachment 115749Attachment 115750Attachment 115751

Next up is my first enfield...named Doug after the soldier who seems to have scratched/doodled his name in the butt. Max length to ogive is 2.484. bore looks better than the outside faired over the years...saw some service in the wet places.
Attachment 115752Attachment 115753Attachment 115754Attachment 115755

Last...a brand new unfired rifle. Max length to ogive is 2.477. Not the bad chatter marks when the freebore area was cut.
Attachment 115756Attachment 115757Attachment 115758Attachment 115759

I've shot reasonably good groups with the first 2 rifles and hand loads, but haven't taken the new one out yet.

Information

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[Micheal Doyne]

Thank you very much this is very interesting. You have made me want to go and check mine! Just need to acquire the OAL gauge, wait some...

[Bindi2]

If you use open base projectiles free bore has no meaning you only need 6" of rifling to stabilize the bullet.

[30Three]

Easy enough to make an OAL gauge Michael. Just get a piece of welding rod or similar; drill out the primer pocket to suit the diameter of the rod.
Fit an electrical "domino" connector to the rod. Fit your ogive to the case, chamber it and push the rod through the primer pocket to move the ogive fully into contact with the lands.
Slide the domino up to the rim and tighten the screws. Remove the round and you can measure the OAL.

[ssgross]

Modified cases are easy to make. For the Hornady gauge, this is the correct tap.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195UFBUY

---------- Post added at 02:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:09 PM ----------

Easy enough to make an OAL gauge Michael. Just get a piece of welding rod or similar; drill out the primer pocket to suit the diameter of the rod.
Fit an electrical "domino" connector to the rod. Fit your ogive to the case, chamber it and push the rod through the primer pocket to move the ogive fully into contact with the lands.
Slide the domino up to the rim and tighten the screws. Remove the round and you can measure the OAL.

it would be nice to have one a bit sturdier. the inside rod on the Hornady is flimsy plastic. Handle with care and it works fine.

[ssgross]

I found a new old stock Long butt that matches the new rifle perfectly. It came with a normal length, but I'm excessively tall and figured I might as well tailor it just for me. Fitting went exactly as described in Peter's butt fitting writeup. The new one was slightly oversized, and only went in the socket about half way. I used a thin layer of white grease (thinned with mineral spirits) to show the contact points and, with a scraper and file kept at it until it went all the way in with a light tap on the mallet.
I then turned my attention to the rim of socket and edge of the butt.
Now, Peter's article says 1/16 inches or 2mm. Looking at the rifle, I this would be excessive. Using feeler gauges on the original butt tightened on the rifle, it has a visible gap and is ~0.3mm all the way around. My other 2 enfields are ~0.4mm. Using a smooth-edged file, I relieved the edge of the new long butt to a gap of ~0.4mm all around - and I am happy.
Next...fitting the butt plate on the new butt...I'll let you know how it goes.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Butts were not something changed "in the wild".

As you noticed, the ferrule (socket) is tapered, as is the wooden bit that plugs into it. At the factory and in bigger workshops, they had a special press that drove the very-well linseed-oil-saturated butt into the body until the "tenon" was very hard up against the flat steel internal face of the ferrule. Then the stock bolt and washers were wound in until they squeaked. There IS supposed to be a small gap between the exterior rear of the receiver ferrule and the "wrist" of the butt, otherwise chunks will eventually start chipping off.

If your bore is as "toasted" as it looks, your only hope is "special brew" ammo or a new barrel.

And as Bindi said, use open-based bullets if you can find them. These rifles are NOT immortal.

[ssgross]

If your bore is as "toasted" as it looks, your only hope is "special brew" ammo or a new barrel.

which of the 3? the first two actually shoot really good with the Hornady 150gr flat base SPs with mild loads. I can easily get a 3-4" group off the bench with each of those. I guess we have another outlier of "toasted" barrels that shoot just fine. The third rifle with the chatter marks from the throat cutting is brand new and never fired, took it out of the wrap for reasons stated.

The tenon on the long butt fits great now - I would say tighter than the originals. It bottoms out with some love taps with the the gap reported above. The butt plate is going to take some work as its milling is both slightly off.

[Micheal Doyne]

Are your measure measurements OAL or base to ogrove?

[ssgross]

Are your measure measurements OAL or base to ogrove?

base to ogive, with the Hornady bullet comperator.
just looking at the position of the cannelure says it all...the first, in the first rifle, you can see a Parker sling swivel on the action screw. somebody likely shot a loooot of surplus cordite ammo through it as a target rifle before it got to me. There was a rectangular putty like bedding material midway down under the barrel - and slivers of waxed cloth patch under the handgaurd tenons to keep the wood tight. I have threads on cleaning up and shooting the first 2 rifles.