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Enfield action strength

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    Posted: November 21 2019 at 6:05am
This should be a sticky, I think. I'm tired of hearing how weak the enfield action is. Here's a stress test on a No.4 enfield chambered in 300 Win Mag.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 7:01am
What says the Hive mind? Sticky or not?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 8:38am
Sticky
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 9:27am
Sticky yes.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 9:52am
So, the take away with this test is non-destructive flaw testing the bolt before shooting 300 WM would be highly recommended.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 12:19pm
Interesting video. Not convinced that the crack was a manufacturer's defect though. There are marks that show it has increase in depth over the years. Maybe initially caused by proof testing and just increased slowly ver the thousand's of rounds that have probably been put through the rifle.
Still it's very pleasing to see that when it failed, it was not dangerous to the shooter. The long lug doing it's job.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Long branch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 2:02pm
Originally posted by Canuck Canuck wrote:

So, the take away with this test is non-destructive flaw testing the bolt before shooting 300 WM would be highly recommended.

My take away is that it lasted many decades firing 303 with that flaw. Then, it lasted a while in 7.62, which is a higher pressure cartridge. Then, it took 16 rounds of .300 win mag, 6 of them slathered in oil, to finally cause the already flawed bolt lug to break. Even then, that's not an action failure. The headspace did not shift throughout the test, which means that the receiver held up spectacularly. I wonder if it would have broken at all had the bolt not already been cracked.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 2:56pm
I agree, that initial crack was not a manufacturing "flaw".  While there would be a significant stress concentration at the lug to bolt body transition, it would not have been cracked at the time of manufacture; not even likely after the original proof test.  Given enough rounds of .303, the lug would have eventually failed, the .300 Win Mag loads just accelerated it.
 
Doesn't worry me though, shows that the action design is fail-safe with the long continuous locking lug. 
 
Goes to show that the No. 4 is perfectly safe to shoot 7.62 despite "warnings" that are out there.  
 
Bottom line:  Keep the chambers free of oil and keep the cartridges dry and bolt thrust loads are greatly reduced giving longer life.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 3:05pm
Testing to destruction is just that.
I can't believe thats a £50 rifle!
ARGHHHHHH!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 3:08pm
I can't believe how "worthless" they said these rifles are.  I'd pay some money just for that barrel!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 3:09pm
I know!
At those prices I'd empty Fultons & start parting them or something!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 4:20pm
I know I am using a 2A1 barrel on a No5Mk1 and No4Mk2 receiver accordingly with standard issue bolts and boltheads. To date the No4 has had 750 rounds through it and the No5 has had 550 rounds through it.  Both with my handloads of 40.0 grns of Norma 202,WLRM primers with the Sierra TMK 168grn  bullets with an advertised CUP of 49,500.
I have checked the headspace, bolts, boltheads and the receivers after every 150 rounds. Nothing abnormal, no cracks,and headspace still within specs of a NoGo gauge. The rear locking lug setup of these rifles do exactly what they are intended to do,period...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2019 at 6:15pm
very interesting and enlightening , sticky it , ive seen a lot of threads over the years that this might have answered quite nicely , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2019 at 3:55am
It would be interesting to see how a rifle with front locking lug's would fail. Would both lugs fail at the same time?
The long lug on the Enfield is an excellent safety measure for the shooter when it all goes wrong.

It would have been more interesting if they had examined the rifle a bit more before starting the shoot. I would like to have seen the bolt lug contact areas blued and tested. It is possible that if the small lug was taking more of the load, it may have initially started the crack over a long period of time.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2019 at 12:45pm
OK stickyfied four for ought.Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Long branch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2019 at 5:46pm
Originally posted by Zed Zed wrote:

It would be interesting to see how a rifle with front locking lug's would fail. Would both lugs fail at the same time?
The long lug on the Enfield is an excellent safety measure for the shooter when it all goes wrong.

It would have been more interesting if they had examined the rifle a bit more before starting the shoot. I would like to have seen the bolt lug contact areas blued and tested. It is possible that if the small lug was taking more of the load, it may have initially started the crack over a long period of time.

He has another video in which he reads a passage from an original manual. It said that an oiled cartridge produced roughly twice as much force on the bolt as a dry one as measured by a crush guage.

The front locking actions tend to be a lot "meatier" than the enfield, so it would be hard to get a good comparison. I don't think that would really be relevant anyway. The point he's making is that the action is plenty strong for service cartridges.
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