P14 enfield barrel machining

[spitfire_er]

So I've done a lot of 1917 barrels of every flavor. Its been a long time since I looked at the backnend of a P14 barrel. I have the spec sheet on dimensions, but didn't they delete the bolt lug recess at some point?

I have a barrel that needs to be done in 303 brit and I vaugly remember flat breaches with the extractor cut being done.

Can a guy dress the front of the left lug and run a flat breach vs cutting the lug recess. Seems it would be much easier. I can do it ether way, just thinking doing it with the bolt lug recess would make it much more involved and time consuming.

I normally cut a cone for new 17 and 14 barrels, but I'm usually chambering something other than 303 or other rimmed cartridges.

Any advice?

 

[FredC]

I read a book about gunsmithing 40 years ago. The author recommended "safety breaching" military rifles. When I had to rework my dad's 1917 '06 I did that. I made a split bushing to hold the bolt in a Hardinge spin fixture. The Hardinge fixture was very short and allowed the bolt handle to clear in the back. I ground the tapered extension off the 1917 bolt and turned the barrel to fit the bolt and added a slot to clear the extractor. No problem with feeding either fast or slow. Did this many years ago and have not had the time to throat it for 303 bullets or proof it. One of these days I will test it against my 1917 and whichever shoots the worst will install the 6.5-06 barrel on it. Too many 30 calibers.
Seems like I took some photos I will look for them when I get a chance. I also made 2D CAD drawings when I did that, but they are a little messy and would be hard to interpret.
Found one photo and made a couple more of the bolt. You can see the grinding marks there the taper was ground of the front. I also rounded off the outside corners off the bolt handle for aesthetics.

 

[john.k]

I did a Ross Mk 111,and there is similar enclosure of the entire case base .....now,the question is ,can a 303 case be relied on to have similar base strength to a rimless case.......for as we know ,the M17/1903 design has the case unsupported for .2" at the base.......Every British gun in 303 has such total support of the case,that even a split base does no more than release a bit of smoke,whereas a similar event in a 1917 blows the gun apart.......Criterion put the semicircular lug relief in their barrel,I think Id do the same,and not cut the bolt.

 

[spitfire_er]

I've seen some pretty insane pressures ran through 1917's. Unless your using the wrong powder, they are "harder" to blow apart than many other actions. Theres a reason they were are still are in some circles the action of choice for big crazy cartridges.

I ended up cutting the bolt lug recess. If it wasn't a rimmed case, I would have just cut a cone and would have been much quicker.

Cutting that stupid recess involved removing the barrel after threadding, cutting the half round recess, re-indicating the barrel, then finish chambering.

Based off some thread specs I have (i think they are from one of the GS colleges) the recess is about 0.045", which leaves a little less than the unsupported about 1/2 way around the barrel. Also the aforementioned thread specs were more ball park than exact.

 

[Buckbrush]

The barrel is not “coned” on a P 14, only the M-17.

 

[1yesca]

The barrel is not “coned” on a P 14, only the M-17.

as buckbrush had to say but also some 14"s have an * on the bolts , barrels and rec. there bolts have a longer locking lug on one side so the barrel has to have an under cut to clear that lug

 

[john.k]

The P14 was designed by engineers at RSAF Enfield......Always a principle with British guns that the case base is completely enclosed .......inspect a 'best gun' ...with the extractor closed ,the gap between extractor and chamber is near invisible ......almost gas tight..........this is why the Mauser rifle design was rejected out of hand ,a split case will blow up the rifle in spectacular fashion ............This was a common happening with Spanish Mausers and Spanish ammunition .....in some South American armies certain Mauser designs were know as soldier killers.

 

[1yesca]

The P14 was designed by engineers at RSAF Enfield......Always a principle with British guns that the case base is completely enclosed .......inspect a 'best gun' ...with the extractor closed ,the gap between extractor and chamber is near invisible ......almost gas tight..........this is why the Mauser rifle design was rejected out of hand ,a split case will blow up the rifle in spectacular fashion ............This was a common happening with Spanish Mausers and Spanish ammunition .....in some South American armies certain Mauser designs were know as soldier killers.

ya that was with the 1893 . 1895 but not the 1898 for the most part most the others are just copy's of the 1898