Originally Posted by Adam Helmer
There is no need for slandering another fellow's rifle. If you think it's junk keep it to yourself. If you can't say something nice, you know the rest. Personally I wouldn't mind having one just like it to shoot. Remarks like this do a lot to turn off new shooters an run seasoned shooters to other websites.
Slug the barrel with a soft lead slug to find the bore diameter, then I would suggest checking with NOE molds who have a good assortment of .31x size molds to cast whatever size you need. Check out ADI powder web site. ADI is Australian powder company that makes powder for repackaging by US companies and the Aussies have a lot more loads for 303 British and using the ADI powder equivalent chart that shows the US brand names for their powders allows one to get good loads for heavier and lighter bullets than we typically have in US load data.
For me it was ADI load data for a 200 grain .314 bullet that lined up with 3 or 4 US powders. You might also want to look at NOE expander plugs to get the neck tension you want for cast lead.
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat
If the standard butt socket mounted safety doesn't work its most likely due to having been reassembled incorrectly at some time.
The safety works on a fast thread multiple splined screw principle. if reassembled with the threads one thread off the safety won't work properly or not at all.
Its a fairly easy fix.
The rifle looks to be well worth the expense of finding a replacement fore end and nose cap.
On other boards I've seen posts from those who have restored these successfully. At one time a few skilled stock makers on these boards used profile cutting machinery to make reproduction fore ends.
You might wish to look up a few dedicated Enfield collector forums and post your questions about restoration there.
Thanks for the welcome aboard, gents. Multigunner is 100% right about the butt socket safety catch being easily misassembled. I don't believe any of the short rifles (such as the OP's rifle) used the cocking piece style of safety catch. That was an early Lee feature, as BigEyeBob said, used on the long LE mkI etc., Lee-Metfords, and the carbines made on those actions. With so many variants, subvariants, upgrades, conversions and so forth, British Lee rifles are a fascinating and confusing topic. IIRC (often questionable), many of the MkI*** were refurbished and sent to Ireland sometime between the world wars.
Here is a pic of all my Enfields, the No.I*** a NO.4 MkI and a No.I MkIII.
I shoot the MkIII quite a bit using a #314299 on top of 7-10grs. of red dot. Shot the No.I some and haven't shot the No.4. it's covered in some sort of black varnish,cosmoline maybe. Looks like a real job to remove.
If I happen to purchase such a piece I would bring it back to its former glory, but I'm currently bringing back a Japanese 99 that I'm very in the red so just keep looking good and don't jump on what you need till you get a decent price. Good luck and remember that we are just the keepers of these pieces of history
"haven't shot the No.4. it's covered in some sort of black varnish,cosmoline maybe. Looks like a real job to remove. "
Could be "Suncorite" locomotive paint. The British began painting over the blued or parkerised finishes of rifles around WW2.
If the paint is applied reasonably evenly I'd leave it intact.
No real reason not to remove it if it looks blotchy or slapped on.
The paint was never meant to last forever, just prevent rust in tropical enviroments, which it did quite well.
If the finish under the paint is wrecked you can repaint it using outdoor flat black enamel or better yet a baking lacquer.
Clean the bore religiously of course before firing. I've seen slopped on paint in the chambers and down the muzzle of some third world returns.
I think Boyd's can furnish the stock bits you need for around $100 or so. Best, Thomas.
The charger guide is missing from the bolt head it appears.Springfield Sporters may have some Mk 1 parts.
Neat rifle and I can say I am stumped. It's a mk1*** that's for sure and if you can source a charger bolt head it is worthy of restoration. The rest looks like a mish/mash of parts. So get the headspace checked!!!. I have seen rifles like this, many made after WW2 from surplus parts, our navy was issued mles, long Lee's and mk1s. I have a carbine and a rifle from that era and I like them alot.
Be well
When you read the fine print you get an education
when you ignore the fine print you get experience
I have 3 very early Enfields 1900 (LSA) , 1901 Sparkbrook) & 1902 (BSA). They are wonderful old rifles and IMHO worth the search for parts to restore if the bore is still in good shooting condition. I shoot a lot of cast boolits through mine.
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
Nice looking lineup BA.........
I hunted for years with a rifle very similar to that. After ww2 those rifles were what kept a lot of meat on the table. I still have my grampa's sporterized smle that he bought from Sidney I Robinson (bought out by Cabelas must be 20 years ago). They were sold with the wood cut down. I know there is a lot of purists literally angry when they see a sporterized rifle but most don't realize that these conversions were done more than 50 years ago. If I was going to hunt with a .303 I would grab grampa's old rifle cause its a hell of lot nicer to carry than the full wood lee enfields in my collection other the maybe the number 5. Like many of you guys know in the 50's and 60's a new Winchester or Remington was beyond the price range of a lot of guys and they bought what they could afford. There is quite the projects going on up here with guys literally buying parts around the world or making them to restore to original configuration. I know I will never restore grampa's old gun as it has a lot of memories for me as it is. Its nice to see my kids fire it too. I did buy a cheap LE mk 1* years ago that I'm slowly restoring to original specs. Good luck with yours.
james23,
WELL SAID. = My Uncle Larry bought a (frankly rather nicely) sporterized Mk 1* for about 35.oo from Sears & Roebuck about 1953-53 & hunted with it every season until his untimely passing in 1972.
(I have that rifle now & it won't be restored, as it has too many nice memories for me of many days in the deer woods & hunting with him in the early 1960s.)
yours, tex
Thanks for all the SMLE info! I just had a SMLE III follow me home tonight. Yes it is sporterized and I think that's the way it will stay, kinda of a shame tho as it still has a bunch of cartouche on the stock still but was nicely shortened. If I was better at posting pic's I be glad to show her off!
It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years (Abe Lincoln)
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” George Washington
I'm reminded of the pilot episode of The Lone Ranger when (in British tourist disguise) he requests "a proper Lee Enfield rifle" from a suspect bad guy in order to shoot something off of Tonto's head. Thanks for the memory BA Wallace!
Do all SMLE's take the same magazine? I need to get one for a SMLE III.
It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years (Abe Lincoln)
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” George Washington
I've got that on tape, There is another part where the Lone Ranger are galloping down the road and you see a steel towered powerline in the background. Don't you just love Roy Rogers, biff, biff, double biff: but the hat never moves!
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
We watched just about every Western that was. The Rifleman is my favorite even though he should have had a 73 Win. The area in SoCal where a lot of them were filmed remains beautiful.
Best, Thomas.
Yes, .303 SMLE's use the same mag. Keep in mind, though: No.4 rifles and the No.5 "Jungle carbine" are not SMLE's and the magazines are different.
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