I'm looking for a #2 bolt head for a no. 4 Enfield. Can someone steer me in the right direction? I can't seem to find a place that has #2 heads.
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Where to buy parts?
Moderator: joseyclosey
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chuck mcgillicudy
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2004 3:04 am
Re: Where to buy parts?
Most of the places I know of online are out. But! You might try this
http://www.leesgunparts.com/
I used to go in and ask for really oddball parts and lee never failed to walk to the back and come back with one, or say come back tommorrow and I'll look in 1of 10 storage (big) units.
I'm sure he'll have 1. Or file down a #3(shudder)
http://www.leesgunparts.com/
I used to go in and ask for really oddball parts and lee never failed to walk to the back and come back with one, or say come back tommorrow and I'll look in 1of 10 storage (big) units.
I'm sure he'll have 1. Or file down a #3(shudder)
Re: Where to buy parts?
Lee is a Great Place I have been amazed by what they have come up with.
Magstar in Canada does however have number 2 bolt heads in stock or did a couple of months ago
Magstar in Canada does however have number 2 bolt heads in stock or did a couple of months ago
Paul in Texas
Re: Where to buy parts?
Be aware that the boltheads vary in size - ie a "2" can be a "1" or a "3" - and that they need to fit so that the bolthead does not rotate past the rib by more than a few degrees. I normally have to try 15-20 boltheads to get the correct set-up for a particular rifle; you are very unlikely to get a correct fit by buying single boltheads mail order.....
Re: Where to buy parts?
That's an interesting comment Brewstop. You are saying the actual bolt heads vary in length within the same numbered size within an average batch of them. Couldn't it be that the bolt bodies vary in length, or the threads in the bolt body, modified by use, cause the head to fit a size differently, or maybe the receiver framework has, from use, loosened the bolt to frame lockup and affected measured headspace?
Can you point to where there is any further information on what you state? I don't doubt your sincerety, I just am curious why the variation would exist. Certainly the bolt heads wouldn't have been numbered if they were all subject to size variation. At least that's the way it seems to me. Could you explain it?
Can you point to where there is any further information on what you state? I don't doubt your sincerety, I just am curious why the variation would exist. Certainly the bolt heads wouldn't have been numbered if they were all subject to size variation. At least that's the way it seems to me. Could you explain it?
Re: Where to buy parts?
Obviously the dimension that actually affects headspace is the portion from the front face to the rear face (ie before the screw thread starts), as this rear face sits on the bolt body when the bolt is closed.
(Hence the need to make sure the bolthead does not over-rotate by more than 20 degrees. If the bolthead rotates too far, then the firing impact is transferred to the threads of the bolt/bolthead, instead of directly to the bolt body. The overturn can also affect headspace: if the bolthead overturns too much, then the screw thread itself is adding to the overall bolt length, and thus decreasing headspace.)
Official sizes:
00 - .615 to .62 (only encountered on late L39A1 rifles)
0 - .62 to .625 inch
1 - .625 to .63 inch
2 - .63 to .635 inch
3 - .635 to .64 inch
4 - (not specified; gauge use only)
If you put the callipers on this face-to-face dimension, then you will see that there is quite a variation from the official listed sizes, and that there is a broad overlap between each "size". From a rough sample of the ones I use for repairs (I have about 300+ No4 boltheads), I'd say that at least 20% of each size batch are actually over or under that specification. I.e. its very easy to find a "1" that gauges as a "2" or even a "3", even when only checking "new" unused boltheads. The calliper measurement can be seen to be confirmed when using headspace gauges with the boltheads fitted and matched in terms of rotation index.
I guess this is down to simple manufacturing variations: there were millions of boltheads made (4 million on manufactured rifles and x? million as spares) in at least five or six main factories, and possibly also off many sub-contractor lines. The whole Enfield weapons system was designed to be built from sub-contracted parts and then fitted & maintained by unit armourers with access to large stocks of spares. It was probably not necessary to have particular precision on the bolthead dimensions, as they'd simply "find one that fits". The wartime headspace no-go specification was slipped from .74" to .84", so the bolthead "sizes" didn't need to be that accurate anyway.
An Enfield has to have a trial-and-error matched set of receiver, trigger, sear, forend, bolt body, cocking piece and firing pin in order to function as specified (hence why civilian owners end up with problems when they change one component and promptly lose the trigger pull or similar!).
(Hence the need to make sure the bolthead does not over-rotate by more than 20 degrees. If the bolthead rotates too far, then the firing impact is transferred to the threads of the bolt/bolthead, instead of directly to the bolt body. The overturn can also affect headspace: if the bolthead overturns too much, then the screw thread itself is adding to the overall bolt length, and thus decreasing headspace.)
Official sizes:
00 - .615 to .62 (only encountered on late L39A1 rifles)
0 - .62 to .625 inch
1 - .625 to .63 inch
2 - .63 to .635 inch
3 - .635 to .64 inch
4 - (not specified; gauge use only)
If you put the callipers on this face-to-face dimension, then you will see that there is quite a variation from the official listed sizes, and that there is a broad overlap between each "size". From a rough sample of the ones I use for repairs (I have about 300+ No4 boltheads), I'd say that at least 20% of each size batch are actually over or under that specification. I.e. its very easy to find a "1" that gauges as a "2" or even a "3", even when only checking "new" unused boltheads. The calliper measurement can be seen to be confirmed when using headspace gauges with the boltheads fitted and matched in terms of rotation index.
I guess this is down to simple manufacturing variations: there were millions of boltheads made (4 million on manufactured rifles and x? million as spares) in at least five or six main factories, and possibly also off many sub-contractor lines. The whole Enfield weapons system was designed to be built from sub-contracted parts and then fitted & maintained by unit armourers with access to large stocks of spares. It was probably not necessary to have particular precision on the bolthead dimensions, as they'd simply "find one that fits". The wartime headspace no-go specification was slipped from .74" to .84", so the bolthead "sizes" didn't need to be that accurate anyway.
An Enfield has to have a trial-and-error matched set of receiver, trigger, sear, forend, bolt body, cocking piece and firing pin in order to function as specified (hence why civilian owners end up with problems when they change one component and promptly lose the trigger pull or similar!).
Re: Where to buy parts?
So back in the day....the numbers on the bolt heads were just a guess. Why mark them at all? Must have been a waste of time.