303, 7.5 case failure?
Has anyone had a case head separation in a Lee-Enfield No. 1 or a M.A.S. 1936?
I have heard the advice to neck size only, but since the cases are all 0.450 at the base for a .303 and the chamber's probably .460 or bigger, it's going to go eventually. I have already found one neck-sized-only case with a crack at the base after only 2-3 firings.
So how bad is it when a case separates in one of those things? Can you lose an eye?
I have heard the advice to neck size only, but since the cases are all 0.450 at the base for a .303 and the chamber's probably .460 or bigger, it's going to go eventually. I have already found one neck-sized-only case with a crack at the base after only 2-3 firings.
So how bad is it when a case separates in one of those things? Can you lose an eye?
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Don't push your luck! Check each fired case for a incipient failure line around the body, just above the case head after each firing.
Since your already having problems after just two firings mark the brass and discard it after reloading it twice.
You might also try different types/brands of brass. Some might be more durable then others.
Neck size only after the first reload so your not resizeing the base back to minimum dimensions each time you reload it.0 -
Annealing is a plus with these rounds as they are rather generous in the chamber. I used to reform 6.5 Swede for the MAS rifles, but only got perhaps 3 reloads before the necks started cracking; in other words my issue was with neck fialures rather than case head seperations. Annealing helped (along with neck sizing) and got me something like 7 or 8 reloads, but it was an ugly, labor intensive bummer.
The 303 is another story entirely. The heavy taper to the case and the small shoulder meaqn the brass flows like the dickens anyway, so you factor in the generous chamber dimensions of an Enfield, and you get about 5 reloads off good commercial brass, and no amount of annealing will help as there is so much expansion and heat generated that it work hardens and seperates about an eighth of an inch above the rim. Had to dig more than a few forward ends of cases out of the front of the chamber so after I got a better grip on what was happening, the No. 4 and the No1 Mk III only get the first 4 reloads befor the brass is relegated to the American Enfield can, where the case head seperation makes little difference; I actually keep full length resizing and reloading until the case seperates and I have to pull the remnants out with a dental pick. I have several Remington built Enfields and the one I normally use for this purpose is ugly, but mechanically very robust and in spec. I should put a caveat in here that this is by no means a reccomendation for anyone else to do this...don't try this at home!!! Only reason I do it is in my experience, anything short of a full case of Unique will not destroy these guns...super, super tough, and the gas escape port is sufficient to handle any escaping gasses from the seperated case in my experience. I have not even developed a gas ring in the back of the chamber as I clean it every time meticulously. To sum up...the British Enfields are just a little too loose chamber-wise to get good case life from, and using reformed brass from another caliber to form French 7.5 x 54 is a losing proposition. FNM out of Portugal was making 7.5 Frnch a few years back and I laid in about 3000 loaded rounds. The purpose built cartridges seem to last as long as 10 reloadings (as long as I keep them out of the 49/56's...that's another story!) and I'm sure with annealing they might make it a bit further, but as you can see brass supply is not much of an issue for me personnally. Graf and Sons is importing Both the 7.5 French and the 7.5 Swiss in boxer primed brass and I believe both loaded and empty cases are avaiable.0 -
Thanks but is it going to blind you when one of them goes? 0 -
I've never had gas escape backwards in my Remingtons, but that is DEFINATELY NOT the case with any of the British Enfields; fortunately I wear polycarbonate glasses and shooters glasses over them otherwise after having a couple go in a No 4 my knickname of "four eyes" might not have any longer applied! More like NO EYES! Meant to add also that I had a bunch of Greek boxer military brass (HXP headstamp I believe?) that made it through about 8 reloads befor going...often times military brass is a bit stronger tha n commercial and will last quite a bit longer. Good luck finding the Greek stuff though; dried up years ago I believe. 0 -
"Lee-Enfield No. 1"........well part of THE problem is the .303 is supposed to headspace on the RIM, not the shoulder. by neck sizeing you are changing the headspace point (for the better I might add) but you are not completely solving the problem. The best way is to find a new (higher numbered) bolt head. They made them from #1 to #5 for the mk4 series rifles but I'm not sure about the #1's. 0 -
While the #4s had a numbered bolt head to deal with increasing headspace as the rifle wore, the #1s did not. The replacement bolt heads were just longer than the original, and were pretty much "file to fit". The RSO at our range recently had a shooter remove a rifle from the range- a SMLE- was so far out of headspace with new commercial ammo, cases were cracking halfway round about a half inch above rim, and primers were falling out of their pockets. 0 -
The problem with case head separation in the Enfield is only partially one of headspace. As mentioned, the chamber is usually a bit oversized, particularly in the P1 area right in front of the rim.
If you can find some Greek HXP brass it is boxer primed and is a bit heavier than commercial stuff, and lasts a lot longer.
I found that sleeving the P1 area with a small bit of brass tubing about .01" thick solved the issue and I now get normal life from my brass. Just cut a piece about 2mm long and slide it down; when you fire the gun it will press it into place nicely. Then only neck size (full length sizing might pull it loose). A poor man's solution would be to wrap the area in a single layer of duct tape.
On the plus side, when I have had case head separations, no gas came out of the gun. It seems that the case still obdurates sufficiently given the rimmed design, and any gas that does leak out gets diverted away from the shooter's face. Not that I'd press my luck on that, but it's my experience anyhow.0 -
I was gonna use masking tape because I figured duct tape would get melted and bubbly from the heat of the chamber.
Has anyone had a case head fail while firing, though? In a way which let them extract the back of the case without having to pound on the bolt handle or hammer the case out with a rod from the muzzle?0 -
When this happens in my p-14 the case head just comes out normally...no resistance. The issue is with the front of the case as the bolt is no longer connected to the case! Most of my case head seperations are just that...complete seperations. I would assume I have had better than 100 fail completely and 250 split most of the way around. Almost all were in a P-14, and there were no issues of note to my person; just a little unnerving! 0
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