Quote Originally Posted by Bruce_in_Oz View Post
If it is chambered for 7.62 NATO, it may well have a shorter throat than a SAAMI-spec .308 Win has. Having a competent gun-plumber extend the length of the throat (leade) will reduce The "peak" of the pressure curve and extend its duration slightly. In the "trade" this is known as "free-boring".

Roy Weatherby was a big fan of the concept, for what that is worth.. If the bolt is "stiff" on closing on a factory cartridge, is it still stiff when closing on an empty chamber?

A set of Brownells / Forster "one-thou" incremental headspace gauges (1.630" to 1.638", inclusive) will quickly establish the true headspace state of affairs. One thing about Lee Enfield actions: When subject to serious over-pressure, they do not explode like grenades, but stretch and distort laterally. Not pleasant, but not usually fatal to the firer and colleagues. May you never go there!

Who knows what other indignities these rifles endured at the hands of the "converters"?
Thanks for the info.

One thing that's interesting is the bolt is smooth but seems tight when closing empty...but, when I load ammo, then it closes a lot easier...more like I would expect.

I have shot light reloads through it and it fires and cycles fine. I inspected the bolt pretty closely for any defects and I didn't see anything.