.303 Enfield pitted bolt face

Topload · October 31, 2011, 03:20 PM

My .303 Enfield has a badly pitted bolt face and I was wondering if this hinders accuracy or is a safety concern? For the most part, I reload all my own .303 ammo and have been going rather light on the loads but thought I'd check and see what the collective thoughts were of the forum.

Thanks for your insight.

Howard31 · October 31, 2011, 06:05 PM

Looks like pitting from years of shooting corrosive primed ammo . I pesonally would not worry about it and would continue to shoot it for ever. If you are worried about it simply replace the bolt body.

Dfariswheel · October 31, 2011, 07:22 PM

With the Lee-Enfield, you don't replace the bolt body, you only have to replace the bolt head.
Lee-Enfield bolt heads are numbered so that if a rifle developed excess head space a longer bolt head could be installed.

Simply determine what model rifle you have and check the number on the bolt head. Then buy a new one with the same number.
Yours looks like a #4 rifle.

Topload · October 31, 2011, 09:34 PM

Thanks - it is a No. 4 rifle. As long as it isn't a safety concern, I'll keep shooting. Its a fun rifle to shoot - not all that accurate but its good shooting a piece of history.

Kiwi Hunter · November 8, 2011, 10:53 PM

Thats nowhere NEAR a badly pitted enfield boltface

Ignore - shoot - enjoy

Jerry45 · July 6, 2012, 08:20 PM

I know the is an old post but I think I may now have the answer. I've been shooting new Remington Brass in my Remington 06. The old brass, from the 70's I've had no problems with even after 8 to 10 reloads. However after about 8 relabellings some of the new (purchased last year) brass started blowing holes at the edge of the primer pocket. I threw everything away that was loaded 5 or more times and broke out a new batch. I prepped 30 new cases. Annealed, full length sized and chamfered inside and outside of the neck. 2 of the brand new casings blew holes. Now I've been using the same load for years. There's never been a sign of overpressure and the old brass has held up just fine with no holes blown in the primer pocket edge.

My bolt face shows the same piting as those pictured. Seems someone else had problems with holes being blown in the primer pockets.

Strange thing! I just received a custom 308. I loaded 20 rounds of once fired Winchester brass. Peeped it and loaded Lyman's starting load (43.0 gr. IMR 4064) for brake-in purposes. 2 out of 20 blew holes n the primer pocket edge. I've shot 50 new, prepped Nosler cases for latter testing five of which were max load (48.0 gr. 4064) with no problem. I now have two pits in my brand new bolt face.

Anyway that's what the pits pictured look like to me.

October 31, 2011, 06:05 PM	#2
Howard31 Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2009 Location: Hudson Valley,NY Posts: 231	Bolt face Looks like pitting from years of shooting corrosive primed ammo . I pesonally would not worry about it and would continue to shoot it for ever. If you are worried about it simply replace the bolt body.

July 6, 2012, 08:20 PM	#6
Jerry45 Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2000 Location: Metairie, Louisiana Posts: 890	I know the is an old post but I think I may now have the answer. I've been shooting new Remington Brass in my Remington 06. The old brass, from the 70's I've had no problems with even after 8 to 10 reloads. However after about 8 relabellings some of the new (purchased last year) brass started blowing holes at the edge of the primer pocket. I threw everything away that was loaded 5 or more times and broke out a new batch. I prepped 30 new cases. Annealed, full length sized and chamfered inside and outside of the neck. 2 of the brand new casings blew holes. Now I've been using the same load for years. There's never been a sign of overpressure and the old brass has held up just fine with no holes blown in the primer pocket edge. My bolt face shows the same piting as those pictured. Seems someone else had problems with holes being blown in the primer pockets. Strange thing! I just received a custom 308. I loaded 20 rounds of once fired Winchester brass. Peeped it and loaded Lyman's starting load (43.0 gr. IMR 4064) for brake-in purposes. 2 out of 20 blew holes n the primer pocket edge. I've shot 50 new, prepped Nosler cases for latter testing five of which were max load (48.0 gr. 4064) with no problem. I now have two pits in my brand new bolt face. Anyway that's what the pits pictured look like to me. __________________ Guns are not dangerous! People are! RKBA!

October 31, 2011, 07:22 PM	#3
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	With the Lee-Enfield, you don't replace the bolt body, you only have to replace the bolt head. Lee-Enfield bolt heads are numbered so that if a rifle developed excess head space a longer bolt head could be installed. Simply determine what model rifle you have and check the number on the bolt head. Then buy a new one with the same number. Yours looks like a #4 rifle.

October 31, 2011, 09:34 PM	#4
Topload Member Join Date: November 6, 2008 Location: Florissant, MO. Posts: 36	Thanks - it is a No. 4 rifle. As long as it isn't a safety concern, I'll keep shooting. Its a fun rifle to shoot - not all that accurate but its good shooting a piece of history. __________________ The devil's strategy is to trivialize human existence and to isolate us from one another while creating the delusion that the reasons are; time pressures, work demands, or economic anxieties. Dr. Phillip Zombardo. "The Age of Indifference"

November 8, 2011, 10:53 PM	#5
Kiwi Hunter Member Join Date: August 13, 2009 Posts: 76	Thats nowhere NEAR a badly pitted enfield boltface Ignore - shoot - enjoy