Thread: Military surplus ammo

Originally Posted by Magnus

So I maybe a bit premature calling it rubbish. All I'm worried about is the corrosive factor and keeping my face.
So it may shoot OK in say a 5 groove barrel?

Yes, I would expect it to do fine in a 5-groove Lee Enfield.

Don't listen to the worry pots talking about a 'weaker' bolt than on a Mauser. It is not weaker, as the rear lugs just mean it had to be kitted out with a stronger receiver, but a stronger receiver it did get! It is entirely fit for purpose and you can shoot it safely with factory loads and recommended reloads.

Rear locking lugs and the 60 degree rather than full 90degree lock are a deliberate design which gives the Lee rifle certain advantages - including not having to lift your head out of the way to save your right eye whenever you extract a shell, or having the sight picture obstructed by a bolt handle between shots.

Addition of charger clip loading (post Boer war experience) was however required to bring it to a par with the Mauser rifle, possibly beyond it in some ways. The LE is not a sharpshooter's rifle, rather it's rather an unpretty agricultural tool originally designed to assault a lot of people in quick succession. We don't often hear stories of how Joey took a deer at 650 yards with granddad's Lee Enfield. Many of them have shot out barrels to different extents. If you have a good barrel, don't shoot WW2 or even 1950s ammo as Cordite burns too hot and so especially erodes the barrel throat (first part where rifling begins), never mind those corrosive primers.