Alternative use

[armoredman]

Due to some happy trading, I should have a mould for the Lee CTL312-160-2R , and a .311 Lee push through sizer. This is intended for the SKS to be used sized without gas checks.
My question is, this is the same size as the 303 uses - has anyone ever used this in a 303? Would be nice to kill two birds with one stone, being as cheap as I am, I was wondering if I could, like my 124gr Lee 9mm mould, get one mould to service two calibers.
Part two - if so, does anyone have any data for such? I have that 700X powder that meters so horribly.

[Ricochet]

It works well enough in the 7.62x54R. Don't see why it wouldn't work in the .303. If they'll chamber easily, you might not need to size the boolits. For that matter, you might not need to size the cases. If you're not using checks, 5 gr. of 700X would be a good starting point to work up from. The mould is a gas check design, so you won't likely be happy if you push it hard unchecked.

[bruce drake]

It will fit your 303 Brit if the bore isn't too worn. Ive got a Enfield that mikes out at .316 due to age and wear. This mold should work for most though. I use 6gr of RED DOT for my plinker loads in the Enfield/Mosins/Arisakas that are all .311 diameter barrels.

[armoredman]

Bore was put on brand new in Faz, and the rifle was only test fired after that. The whole time it was in the US, before I got it, it was never fired - still had cosmo in it. That rifle is WAY more accurate that I am, and I still kick myself for not getting into Enfields before. "Too ugly", I said, "Not American", I said, "Stupid", I say now. :)

[dromia]

Enfileds, ugly?

I say sir people could take exception to such gross offence. :-D

The 312 usually performs well in Enfield barrels, at the end of the day its down to boolit fit.

You need to know your barrel groove and bore dimensions and the actual size of the boolits cast from your mould with the alloy your using. If the boolits cast are a thou or so bigger than groove diameter on your rifle then that should be a good starting point.

[beemer]

It will work in the 303 if it pours big enough, my Faz does fairly well with it. The one with the grease grooves does better but it is a little bigger. My 2 groove LB does not like it at all. I run it through the sizer to crimp gas checks. I would give it a try, you just never know what will work best. The best 303 mould I have is the Lee .312- 180 gr,it pours at .314. Even if it doesn't work Lee moulds are cheep enough.

My No4Mk2 is a Faz made in 1949, I was told it was very early for a Mk2 and probably a collecters piece. Any collecters value was ruined by the scope mount holes, otherwise it is in full dress.I bought it for $145 in about 1994 still in cosmo. It is accurate enough for anything I have any business doing.

As for the ugly part it reminds me of my 74 BMW bike. When I bought it I thought it was the ugliest thing made. After 70,000 miles and still going the utility, craftsmanship and enginering made it a thing of beauty.

beemer

[dnepr]

It will work in the 303 if it pours big enough, my Faz does fairly well with it. The one with the grease grooves does better but it is a little bigger. My 2 groove LB does not like it at all. I run it through the sizer to crimp gas checks. I would give it a try, you just never know what will work best. The best 303 mould I have is the Lee .312- 180 gr,it pours at .314. Even if it doesn't work Lee moulds are cheep enough.

My No4Mk2 is a Faz made in 1949, I was told it was very early for a Mk2 and probably a collecters piece. Any collecters value was ruined by the scope mount holes, otherwise it is in full dress.I bought it for $145 in about 1994 still in cosmo. It is accurate enough for anything I have any business doing.

As for the ugly part it reminds me of my 74 BMW bike. When I bought it I thought it was the ugliest thing made. After 70,000 miles and still going the utility, craftsmanship and enginering made it a thing of beauty.

beemer

Well put , but now I am missing my old R75/6 again , should have kept that bike. :(

[Boerrancher]

when I was in Afghanistan I picked up an old Enfield and mailed it back home. I only bought it for the silver inlays and the alternating ruby and emerald gemstones set in the silver. Until I got home and actually looked at the rifle I thought that it was an old Ishapore Enfield from India that some Afghan Couchi had dressed up to look fancy and kill Soviets with. It wasn't until I tried to get other NO 1 parts to fit that I realized that it was a Khyber Pass copy. Some Afghani made it as identical to the original as they could. Even down to the front sight elevator fine adjustment screw that doesn't work and never did because it is actually part of the front sight.

I have only fired this rifle a couple of times just to see if it was safe to shoot, and to see if I could hit anything with it. I was able to shoot a 3.5 in group with factory loads at 100 yds. I am dieing to get the chance to shoot cast boolits out of this old one of a kind relic.

Best wishes,

CPT T.

[Ricochet]

The materials and heat treatment of those rifles are highly suspect, but the workmanship can be amazing.

[Boerrancher]

The materials and heat treatment of those rifles are highly suspect, but the workmanship can be amazing.

Yes I was initially worried about possible headspace problems, and the possibility of the locking lug being set back with each shot causing increased headspace and the danger of shearing off the locking lug. I haven't seen any issues yet with factory loads, and as long as I stick to cast loads and keep the pressure down I should be able to get years of enjoyment out of the old gun.

I know that since I cleaned it up everyone who has seen it tries to get me to sell it to them. I just can't believe the craftsmanship. Those people don't have a fancy lathe or milling machine, just simple tools some of which are several hundred years old. I plan on keeping the old gun and letting one of my sons enjoy her as much as I have so far.

Best Wishes

CPT T.

[mto7464]

I think you got a gem there. Pun intended. I think it would be very cool to have a khyber pass enfield. I had a friend that was over there and one of his jobs was to find and sieze caches of weapons. At the time he was told he couldn't keep any so they traded them to other soldiers to service their weapons. It was later, as he was about to come home, that he found out he could have sent a whole bunch of them home. He does have alot of neat stories though.

[armoredman]

First 4 loaded, 5gr 700X, COL 2.909, second crimp groove, CCI 200 primers, Fed brass, neck sized only. See if I can get out to the range tomorrow morning.

[Tumtatty]

I use that mold for my Enfield No4 Mk1. I can make the holes touch @ 50yrds with it.

The Enfield, next to my new Garand, is my favorite rifle to shoot.:Fire:


I use 17gr #2400

[yodar]

It works well enough in the 7.62x54R. Don't see why it wouldn't work in the .303. If they'll chamber easily, you might not need to size the boolits. For that matter, you might not need to size the cases. If you're not using checks, 5 gr. of 700X would be a good starting point to work up from. The mould is a gas check design, so you won't likely be happy if you push it hard unchecked.

Beg borrow or bum some magnum shot (a bag NOW costs $55 so BORROW or buy a fraction of a bag) which is high antimony lead/arsenic alloy. Add a KoolAde scoop full into your pot and cast some wheel-weight alloy with 0.5% tin

the bullets in the Lee mould and this "altered alloy" will produce a significant percentage of bullets as high as .315 and many .313, both of which will be useful in ragged out Enfields and Mosin Magant (the bores are ALL ragged out) rifles (They ALL demand larger bullets than we want to buy)

Your range bench with these bullets displayed will elicit envious commentary because the bullets look almost like they are chrome plated.

I have been urged to try the same bullet in the Swiss K-31 carbine sized to .309

yodar

[budman46]

armoredman

i use the same mold/sizer combo, gas-checked and tumble-lubed, for: 7.62x54r, 7.5 swiss, 7.5 french, 7.62x51 (ishipore), 7.65 arg., and .303 brit with either 32gr of surplus 4895 or 23gr of mp5744. all chrono 1750-1850fps. iron-sights keep them on a milk jug for all my rifles at 100 and 200 yd ranges from a rest.

budman