Originally Posted by
Bigslug
I recently watch footage of a British No.4 (produced later than this poll, but still substantially a Lee-Enfield) that was deliberate ran to destruction by being rebarreled in .300 Win Mag and single-fired from a vise with a string. Proof marks indicated lengthy prior service life as both .303 and as a .308 match rifle.
The gun was behaving itself through a number of shots, so the destruction was accelerated by oiling the cartridges to increase bolt thrust. That did the trick after about five shots if I recall correctly, but the test was somewhat invalidated when it became evident that the smaller locking lug that sheared off did so at a pre-existing crystalline crack that coloration indicated had been there for decades - possibly since the action was made.
Good to know there's enough overkill in these designs that if you're running anything like original spec ammo, you're unlikely to mangle yourself