Enfield Bolt

[Menner]

Hello all
I have a question I have #1 MK4 that I bought 20 years ago never really did anything with it but a friend of mine is a Boolit shooter and has got me into it so I figured I would get the enfield out and mess with it. Tonight I was trying a new boolit that I cast and trying to reach the lands with it got messing with the action working it and I dry fired it and noticed that the bolt handle jumped up maybe an 1/8 to a 1/4" when it "fired" I had not noticed this before is it normal or not
if not is there a fix bolt still seems to be locked i feel it release when I cycle the handle all the way up
thanks in advance

[wallenba]

Hmmm...a lot of my bolt guns do that, but not 1/4". What really matters is that the locking lugs stay put in the recesses. It probably is just the bolt body moving a bit. It's a cock on closing, when fired the spring pressure is released allowing movement. Also if you dry fired it without a case in the chamber, that would make a difference.

[BruceB]

It's normal.... don't worry about it.

All my .303 Enfields do it, as did all the ones I saw in active Army service.

[Menner]

Thanks
Don't know why I never noticed it before
great to have a place to ask these questions
Thanks again

[Ragnarok]

I've noticed my Enfields will do that just dry-firing

[1Shirt]

Yep, the jump is just in the nature of the beast!
1Shirt!

[Multigunner]

They jump less if fired than if dry fired, unless you have a noticable hangfire.
The jump is caused by vibration, mainly if the bolt handle is in contact with the butt socket strap which it normally is.
You can nudge the bolt handle away from the action strap just enough to see daylight under it and theres little or no jump when dry fired.

Excessive jump , and I'd consider 1/4" excessive, is a sign that theres too much slack between the cocking piece stud and its track in the bolt body. This is usually due to excessive gap between the end of the cocking piece and the rear of the bolt body due to a poorly fitted firing pin.
Normally armorers were supposed to carefully fit the pin and cocking piece so the gap was minimal, less than 1/16". Most were not that well fitted during wartime or after the rifle became obsolete. Many Enfields on the market today have unfitted firing pins, straight from replacement stores with no attempt to fitt them properly. I've seen many with pin tips still flat, not rounded as they were supposed to be and with excessive protrusion.

When properly fitted there should not be enough slack in the fit of cocking piece stud to cocking cam surface to allow more than a smidgeon of bolt handle jump when pin is fully forward.

[30calflash]

They jump less if fired than if dry fired, unless you have a noticable hangfire.
The jump is caused by vibration, mainly if the bolt handle is in contact with the butt socket strap which it normally is.
You can nudge the bolt handle away from the action strap just enough to see daylight under it and theres little or no jump when dry fired.

Excessive jump , and I'd consider 1/4" excessive, is a sign that theres too much slack between the cocking piece stud and its track in the bolt body. This is usually due to excessive gap between the end of the cocking piece and the rear of the bolt body due to a poorly fitted firing pin.
Normally armorers were supposed to carefully fit the pin and cocking piece so the gap was minimal, less than 1/16". Most were not that well fitted during wartime or after the rifle became obsolete. Many Enfields on the market today have unfitted firing pins, straight from replacement stores with no attempt to fitt them properly. I've seen many with pin tips still flat, not rounded as they were supposed to be and with excessive protrusion.

When properly fitted there should not be enough slack in the fit of cocking piece stud to cocking cam surface to allow more than a smidgeon of bolt handle jump when pin is fully forward.

Could you provide a little more info on the specs and what is required to fix the problem? Is it something an astute gun person can try or are there special tools and knowledge needed. Thanks. 30calflash.

[Multigunner]

I'll look around to try to find instructions. I'd found a site with detailed illustrated instructions to armorers on this subject but that was years ago and two PCs ago so I no longer have the link.
Theres no specialized tools or great amount of skill needed.
You will need the illustrations to go by to get it right.

Check the "air gap" between cocking piece and bolt first, if 1/16" or less with pin fully forwards you may not be able to improve the fit. The cam path or stud on the cocking piece may be worn so theres excessive play. Theres a good deal of play anyway.

PS
Looking at my rifles I don't think 1/4" movement of the bolt handle is much to worry about.
I'd been thinking of 1/4 inch movement of the locking lug rather than the handle.
I would not want there to be that much disengagement of the lug surfaces just in case of a hangfire.

With normal ignition the back thrust of the case would hold the lug tight before the handle could kick up.
With a hangfire the handle might kick up reducing lug engagement before the cartridge ignites.
Since most Lee Enfields have a very slight rake to the lug surfaces any disengaement also adds a hair to the effective headspace before ignition.