Playing with my 2A enfield

[abunaitoo]

So I've been trying different loads, powders, boolet size and weight, in my 2A Enfield.
At 50yds it seems too shoot well. At 100yds, no so much.
I just thought I hadn't found the correct combination yet.
i was looking for something else and found my .308 head space gauges.
Decided to check the head space on the 2A.
Closed on the no-go gauge.
Ugggggggggg.
Never thought to check it. The head indexes to the body correct, so i assumed it was OK.
After doing so web surfing, I found this is a common occurrence.
The head is a #2, but it's a hassle to find a longer one that indexes correctly.
I've heard of people welding the face of the head, and machine it, to gain the length to correct the head space.
Seems like to much work.
I'm probably going to fire form the shells to fit the chamber and neck size only.
I'm hoping it will help with the accuracy.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Your plan about fire forming and neck sizing only sounds like a good one.

[Ed in North Texas]

Custom cases by fireforming has worked for me for years on an old M1917 "sporterized". I use .270 Win cases for that rifle and forming my 7mm Roller with the long chamber. That way I don't leave rounds about which my children or grandsons will mistakenly try to load in a different rifle. Don't have a .270, O'Connor never could convince me.

[Mk42gunner]

They do tend to have generous chambers, from what I have seen. Mine almost but doesn't close on a field gauge, the origin of rifling is also a long ways out there. When I was starting to load cast in the 7.62 NATO, I had two rifles-- a 2A Enfield and a 98 Mauser with a Parker Hale take off barrel, the Enfield wants an OAL of just about ¼" longer than the Mauser.

I hurt my back about then and haven't been able to do much with them, maybe this summer.

Robert

[Adam Helmer]

My Ishapore MkIII and Jungle Carbine clones love my Lyman 311467 175 grain boolit and 13.5 grains of Unique. Both arms shoot to the same sight settings as my 150 Jacketed boolits.

I have far too many old military arms to worry about "Go" or "No-Go" gauges; I just back off the resizing die and size cases to just get a slight "crunch" fit , then prime, charge, seat boolits and all is well. I custom load for each rifle, label the ammo boxes and keep loaded rounds specific to each arm.

Adam

[abunaitoo]

Forming from 270 sounds like a good idea.
I form 7.7 Arisaka and 7.65 from 270 so as not to mix them up.
I will see how much 270 brass I have.
i also never had a 270 rifle.
just the range brass i find.

[cheese1566]

My Ishapore 2A in 7.62 is the same and "failed" the no-go gauge. The brass I use are military surplus and I think are from a machine gun so it's already formed to a larger chamber ( it takes a little more umph to FL size it if needed). I don't full length size the brass at all, even in its once fired state. It chambers my 2A easily as is, so I neck size using a Lee collet neck sizer. All loads are 11.0 grains of Unique pushing a .311 cast boolit. Nice plinking load and suffices using the Williams peep site I installed on the receiver for steel plates out to 100 yds.

[castalott]

Chambers can run so large as to scare you. Some brass won't fit back into a sizing die.

Look close for cleaning rod wear at the muzzle. I think they cleaned them every day for 50 years from the muzzle end. The one I played with tumbled everything I shot in it...

Good Luck, Dale

[Ray1946]

I would like to say thank you for the wonderful and informative post on the 2A Lee-Enfield. There are 2 or 3 of them floating around this and I have had the hots for one. Since reading this thread my "hots" have been cooled considerably. I think I will stay with my Schmidt-Rubins, Mausers, a No.4, No.1 MkIII and maybe a Garand. Once again, thanks a lot guys...................

[flint45]

All that is needed is to just neck size your brass adjust your fl size die so it does not set fired case shoulder back or use neck size die only. I have 4 Enfields they all shoot cast very good and are sound accurate rifles.Also this method of loading and sizing gives long brass life.

[samari46]

Could be wrong and would not be the first time so here goes. There is a difference between commercial 308 winchester headspace and military headspace. The chambers are slightly different. I have a Ishapore in 7.62 nato and a set of commercial go and no-go guages. In my case it will not close on the no-go guage. However I did have a british #4 L39A1 which had a hammer forged match barrel and was a British conversion using the #4MKII action with changes to accept a 7.62 nato magazine and different forend and upper handguard. Beautiful rifle and mint bore. It would however close on the no-go guage. Once fired LC brass did have to be carefully sized so as to allow for proper headspacing. Slight crush fit upon initial firing of the LC brass in that rifle's chamber. Unfortunately someone made me an offer that was way too tempting and sold it. Frank

[abunaitoo]

I made 60 shells out of 30.06.
Had more of them than .270.
I was thinking of using .308 brass, but this way, it's easier to tell them apart.
I sized them to length by gradually sizing the shoulder lower and lower until the bolt would close.
That should take care of the head space.
Fire form should take care of the chamber.
Neck size only as I don't plan on using them in any other rifle.
Hope it helps with the accuracy.
.308 and 7.62 Nato are different.
Just like 5.56 Nato and .223.

[abunaitoo]

Shot much better.
Tried different powders and loads.
Lee 310/160gr gas checked.
Unique seems to be working out the best.
Had to make a taller front sight.
Good at 50yds. OK at 100yds.
Longer shells seemed to help more than I thought it would.
Neck sizing only now.