SMLE 303 Brit

[xs11jack]

I have a deal going on a 303 British. Made in 1952, the stock is beat up but has an inspectors cartouch on it. All the part have matching serial numbers on it. the bore looks really good. I am trading 420 rds of surplus .308 ammo for it. I was given the 308 ammo 25 years ago and because I don't have a 308 rifle, I just kept it around for this reason. I think I am getting a good deal. What do you guys think?
Jack

[docone31]

You will love it.
Privi brass works real well with it.

[xs11jack]

Update: the rifle is a No. 1, Mark III* made in the Isapore rifle factory in India. But it has an enfield nose cap. There is a small crack in the stock from the metal piece that the butt stock screws into, forward about 2 inches. As I have not had to pay anything for the ammo I will trade it for, I will get it. I can enjoy plinking with cast boolits with it.
Jack

[Jack Stanley]

Giving free ammo you have no use for to get a rifle you will use sounds like a fair deal to me .

Jack

[Bloodman14]

Are you sure it's a .303 and not a .308 MkII 'A'? Just askin'.

[Argentino]

Are you sure it's a .303 and not a .308 MkII 'A'? Just askin'.

I was about to ask the same, but then I realized the OP said that it was made in 1952. IIRC, Ishapores 2A and 2A1 (both in 7.62x51 ctg) are from the 60´s so probably a 52 should be a .303. It should be better to check it anyway.

[MtGun44]

Depending on the ammo, you may or may not be getting a good deal. I have seen
.308 ammo offered at over $1 per round at recent gun shows. In even remotely sane
times, this would be a really solid trade, but ammo prices are so bizarre now as to
be difficult to actually judge.

Bill

[dromia]

If it is UK made in 1952 then it won't be an SMLE, more likely to be a No 4.

[Epd230]

Double check that deal for value. Your ammo, at least is worth $400. That gun can vary due to condition, but should start at about $100.

[xs11jack]

further update, I am standing outside where i work and a bodyshop owner from 3 doors down comes up and asks what I reload for. When I said 303 brit. He said I got five or so boxes, do you want them? I said how much, he says well I don't have a 303 anymore and we will work something out that will be cheap. Boy, I am getting all kinds of trade stuff lately, I hope my luck continues!
Jack

[warboar_21]

I would suggest checking the head spacing on it prior to picking it up. I bought one and found out the hard way that the head space was bad. I know have a $150 rifle sitting in my closet taking up space. Would have to have the barrel turned down and refit and to me it's not worth spending the money on.

Since then I carry my no go and field gauge with me if I or a friend are looking at Enfields.

[xs11jack]

EPD 230, I talked to the owner before I traded for the rifle and showed him what the .308 ammo was selling for and he gave me back some of it.
Warboar 21, I did check the headspace before consenting to the trade. It is good, so now I just have to spend bucks for loading dies, boolit moulds, cases, etc. Not necesarily a 'cheap rifle, after all'.
Jack

[gwpercle]

Lets see some photo's of you're new 303. I'm refinishing the stock and cleaning up one now . Still looking for a mould for it... and don't tell me someone gave you a mould because they had no use for it. Some folks have all the luck.

Gary

[Teddy (punchie)]

By the way what is a good mold for the 303 British? Whats a good load?

[Artful]

One that fits the barrel, loaded over powder that you can find.

In my experience, most military .303 bores run large and you need to slug 'em to find the right boolit mold size.
Also, the chambers are considerably oversize, so I neck size brass only to minimize working the brass otherwise you suffer from short brass life.

If you are looking for moulds/boolits for .303 look here:
http://www.303british.com/id37.html
http://www.public.asu.edu/~roblewis/SMLE/IIID2a11a4.html
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?156427-Lee-Mold-for-303-British
http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/41279#.UZbfZaJm9lc
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?153402-220-gr-303-British-load-needed
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?108721-My-303-British-loads
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?104982-Good-powder-for-220gr-cast-in-303-British
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php?topic=229822.0
http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/31580#.UZbfXKJm9lc
http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/26142#.UZbfZqJm9lc
http://home.comcast.net/~gavinsw/guns/castbulletmilitaryrifle.pdf

NOE periodically makes the 311299 in larger .314 and .316 sizes
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/swedenelson/1111-001-311299202GrRN.jpg
It's good but heavy for plinking - if your bore is tight enough you can look for
Ed Harris 7.62x39 design molds in 155 grn
http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/primary/752/752956.jpg
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/752956/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c312-155-2r-762x39mm-312-diameter-155-grain-2-ogive-radius-gas-check
or 129 grn from NOE.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/1111-019-314SP129.JPG

[HiVelocity]

"What Artful said". Slug the barrel first, then decide what you want to cast accordingly. In any case, I'd go with a gas check only design. My only problem with the 303 is finding once fired brass. Folks suck it up all over the web, in my observations, at $.50/.60 a piece. I would try hitting the flea markets. I've been successful in finding all kinds of molds, brass, parts, you name it. Enjoy!

HV

[Epd230]

Sounds like a great gun dealer. Make sure you frequent his shop!

I just sold my 303 dies about two weeks ago. Rifle went about a year ago. Then I was moving some stuff around and found about 500 surplus rounds.

Now, I gotta buy another enfield!

[Multigunner]

I would suggest checking the head spacing on it prior to picking it up. I bought one and found out the hard way that the head space was bad. I know have a $150 rifle sitting in my closet taking up space. Would have to have the barrel turned down and refit and to me it's not worth spending the money on.

Since then I carry my no go and field gauge with me if I or a friend are looking at Enfields.

You can usually adjust headspace by replacing the bolt head with a longer one.
No.4 rifles used bolt heads numbered #0, #1, #2, and #3, the #3 being the longest.

Headspace tolerances for the Enfields is rather wide, from .064 to .074. Civilian headspace tolerance for the .303 British sporting rifles is .064 to .068.
When new from the factory a milspec Enfield was expected to have headspace no greater than .067 after proof firing.

Most civilian .303 cartridge cases have rim thickness under .060. Milspec .303 rim thickness usually runs to .063.
Due to the lousy quality control of WW1 .303 ammo rims could run to .068 or so. The quality control was so bad machinegunners took to gauging the rims of every round before loading belts, and the RAF contracted for its ammo from known high quality suppliers from 1918 onwards.

My SMLE and my No.4 have headspace under .068, but only because I replaced both bolt body and bolt heads for each. At .068 I have great case life. I haven't scrapped a case due to cracking or annular rings since tightening headspace, and that with Remington cases with .059 rims.

[Scharfschuetze]

Another way to get that closet bound Enfield shooting is to just neck size your brass after fire forming to your chamber. Let the shoulder do the head spacing. The brass will last longer that way too as most factory 303 British F/L sizing dies push the shoulder back to factory specs. This back and forth moving of the shoulder from shooting and sizing does nothing for brass life. Most WWI and post WWI Enfields have shoulders cut pretty far out as a remedy to dirty ammo in the WWI trenches. As you know, 303 brass separates at the web, often after only a few shots due to action design and the above shoulder issue. Cast bullet loads of lower pressure and neck sizing will extend the life of that brass significantly.