Jaak
02-22-2015, 02:37 AM
I need some bullet sizing advice for an Enfield No.2 Mk1 so here I am with a story to tell.
I bought an Enfield No.2 Mk1 three years back and two months after purchasing this new to me gun (obviously) I was able to track down a box of Winchester 145gr 38 S&W bullets. I finally found some time to get to the range and let me tell you, loading a cylinder of a top break revolver is something I will never get enough of. It's the bee's knees. Swing out revolvers can take a seat. I fire the first round and don't even hit paper at fifteen meters. Well, it is a double action only so I probably pulled it. I take my time with the second shot and the paper only has staple holes. What the hell? I go into OCD mode and go through the stance/grip/sight checklist and take the third shot. Still nothing. I aim at the bottom edge of the target's paper. Nothing. I aim at the top edge of the target's paper. Wait a minute. Something's changed. The paper is missing half a circle on the bottom left corner of the paper! I hit the paper! I am at the top right hand corner of the paper and a hole appears a little to the left of centre and almost off the bottom. Time to go to the Internet!
Turns out the Enfield No.2 revolvers used a near custom loading of the 38 S&W. 200gr at about 650fps and nobody manufactures that ammo. Figures. I can either mess with the guns fixed sights or try to replicate the original load. Thus I entered into my revolver reloading adventure. I've been reloading for rifle and semi-auto pistol for a while so I 'knew' what I was doing. I check the bore diameter of the Enfield and find that it measures .363. Hey look! NOE molds has a mold for just this revolver. I buy it and make some bullets. Only ever having used Lee molds I was amazed at the difference. NOE makes some nice molds! But that's for another post, let's continue with my story. The bullets am dropping from the mold measure .366. Too big, I buy a Lyman .363 lube sizing die and all is right with the world. I buy a set of Hornady dies that were hell to find and make up a couple dummy rounds. It's a really tight fit. So tight that I need to put a crimp on the cartridge so it will drop into and from the cylinder. Hmm. I do some internet reading and find the section on revolver reloading and find that you are supposed to size to the cylinder throat not the bore, so I check the cylinder throats. Damn it! They are .360! So here is my question:
Can I shoot my .363 sized bullets though a .360 cylinder safely? I ask because I don't think a .366 bullet is going to take kindly to being re-sized to .360 and I don't want to spend even more money getting the smaller mold that is offered by NOE and a .360 lube sizing die. I've already spent more money trying to make these bullets than the gun is worth.
P.S. I live in Canada so shipping and exchange rate is a killer.
P.S.S. I'm also a poor student.
I bought an Enfield No.2 Mk1 three years back and two months after purchasing this new to me gun (obviously) I was able to track down a box of Winchester 145gr 38 S&W bullets. I finally found some time to get to the range and let me tell you, loading a cylinder of a top break revolver is something I will never get enough of. It's the bee's knees. Swing out revolvers can take a seat. I fire the first round and don't even hit paper at fifteen meters. Well, it is a double action only so I probably pulled it. I take my time with the second shot and the paper only has staple holes. What the hell? I go into OCD mode and go through the stance/grip/sight checklist and take the third shot. Still nothing. I aim at the bottom edge of the target's paper. Nothing. I aim at the top edge of the target's paper. Wait a minute. Something's changed. The paper is missing half a circle on the bottom left corner of the paper! I hit the paper! I am at the top right hand corner of the paper and a hole appears a little to the left of centre and almost off the bottom. Time to go to the Internet!
Turns out the Enfield No.2 revolvers used a near custom loading of the 38 S&W. 200gr at about 650fps and nobody manufactures that ammo. Figures. I can either mess with the guns fixed sights or try to replicate the original load. Thus I entered into my revolver reloading adventure. I've been reloading for rifle and semi-auto pistol for a while so I 'knew' what I was doing. I check the bore diameter of the Enfield and find that it measures .363. Hey look! NOE molds has a mold for just this revolver. I buy it and make some bullets. Only ever having used Lee molds I was amazed at the difference. NOE makes some nice molds! But that's for another post, let's continue with my story. The bullets am dropping from the mold measure .366. Too big, I buy a Lyman .363 lube sizing die and all is right with the world. I buy a set of Hornady dies that were hell to find and make up a couple dummy rounds. It's a really tight fit. So tight that I need to put a crimp on the cartridge so it will drop into and from the cylinder. Hmm. I do some internet reading and find the section on revolver reloading and find that you are supposed to size to the cylinder throat not the bore, so I check the cylinder throats. Damn it! They are .360! So here is my question:
Can I shoot my .363 sized bullets though a .360 cylinder safely? I ask because I don't think a .366 bullet is going to take kindly to being re-sized to .360 and I don't want to spend even more money getting the smaller mold that is offered by NOE and a .360 lube sizing die. I've already spent more money trying to make these bullets than the gun is worth.
P.S. I live in Canada so shipping and exchange rate is a killer.
P.S.S. I'm also a poor student.