New guy needs help with SMLE

[gishooter]

Hi everybody. I'm a new member and first post. I need help with a SMLE. All the old posts I've found deals with worn bores in these rifles. Mine is a bit different.

1. I'm an experienced jacketed reloader. I just started casting for .45ACP a few years back with very good results. I've now started down the road of casting for the military surplus rifles.

2. First rifle is a "Irish Contract" SMLE made Jan,1955. It was brand new in the grease when I got it. I've fired less than 200 rounds jacketed down the bore. It is not a FTR rifle. She is a beautiful rifle and shoots great. But I wish to use cast non-corrosive loads. I've got plenty of other rifles to shoot the corrosive surplus thru.

3. I cast some Lyman 314299s out of Lyman #2 alloy (ww with 50-50 solder and water dropped.) They mic out at .314-.315 and weigh 200-201 grains without a GC.

4. Here is where it gets interesting. I slugged the bore(breech to muzzle with a fishing weight) and couldn't really mic the slug because of the 5 grooves. So I tried with one of the 314299s. Boy, talking about tight! The bullet came out with the 5 grooves engraved the entire length of the bullet until the ogive. Plus I still can't mic the depth of the grooves properly. The driving bands(right term?) seem to mic at .310-.311.

5. So what size should I size these bullets to?

[1Shirt]

Just a few thoughts! Shoot 5 of what you have at .314 for results, then 5 at .313, then 5 at .312. Try the Harris "The Load", 13 gr of Red Dot, and see what you get. With a new bbl you might have a true .312, but the results on paper will tell you. Sure would like to find a new old one still in grease. Keep us posted on your test results. Good luck and Happy Easter.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[gishooter]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to buy just one sizing die. Looks like I will have to buy at least 2. I bought a pound of red dot just for shooting cast in the milsurp rifles using "the load." I hope to work up some good practice loads in my rifles and even some close range deer hunting rounds for them.
Anyone use a Lyman 311291 out of a .303 SMLE? I've cast some of these for anticipated use in a 1903A3 and Garand. They mic right at .311-.312.

[1Shirt]

My old smelly wants .314. Will shoot .313 but with a bit of leading. My 311291 casts at .312, so no dice on that for 303. However, if you have a tighter bore, and a fat 291, would probably be a good shooter. I would like to shoot 311284 out of mine, but even at .313, the nose is nowhere near bore riding, and will keyhole. May try beageling it sometime. 3l4299 shoots out of mine like a champ.
Good Luck!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[dromia]

Congratulations on your rifle and I concurr with the advice already given. Go for a .314" boolit, bigger is better than smaller.

45Nut used to sell a "v" block for measuring 5 groove barrel slugs, I think made by Pepe Ray. Check the Swapping and Selling forum to see if its still available.

For information its not a SMLE that you have, that was the name given to the Rifle No1 and its various marks. What you have is a Rifle No 4, and here my memory fails me but the date would siggest that it is a MK2.

It was made in Fazakerly, does its serial number have a PF prefix?

[n.h.schmidt]

Hi
I would take your as cast slug and drop it nose first into the chamber. Maybe give it a firm push with a cleaning rod using your palm. Look at the chamber .Is the rear of the slug somewhere into the neck area of the chamber? If so drive the slug back out and measure the dia of the front of the driveing band. If your slug isn't deep enough into the neck of the chamber ,tap it farther in . You would want the base of the slug to be at least even with the start of the neck and better if it was a little farther up. Tap it back out and measure. That measurement should work to get you a sizer that will do for starters.
You want the base of the slug so its not sticking down into the powder area of the case. Always inside of the case neck.

[gishooter]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to order some sizing dies and give it a try in a few weeks. Yes, it is a Fazakerly produced No.4 MKII. The prefix sounds right, I'd have to dig it out of the safe to check. The serial number falls within the range for the contract rifles. Wish I had bought a dozen of them 13 years ago. But I was poor at the time and $180 was a lot to me then.

[KCSO]

I don't know what kind of sizer luber you use but if you buy a Lee push through you can start with a 312 and then lap it out as needed till you get what you need. Then after you know what you need you can step up to the sizer luber of your choice. I keep a lot of Lee dies on hand for sizing cast bullets down in steps. I have lapped the standard Lee 310 die to 314 with no problems.

[docone31]

Down the road, you might try paper patching for your Smelly.
Mine absolutely loves it!
Full power loads with casting.
What is the bore diameter. I find .304 on the nose works well for me.
With paper, I final size at .314.
They are real sweet rifles, that is for sure.

[Jon K]

+1 for 314299 @.313-.314.......Shoot great.
The 311299 is a bit short for OAL.

Jon

[dromia]

Down the road, you might try paper patching for your Smelly.


Sorry to be picayune but it isn't a smelly which is an affectionate nickmane for the SMLE: Short, Magazine, Lee Enfield or the No 1 rifle.

[badgeredd]

SMLE=Smelly=Short Magazine Lee Enfield.

Edd

[docone31]

I have two acronym rifles, Smelly, my #1MKIII, and my Ishy, my #2MK2A. I now understand why they got the acronyms. They are gems to fire!
Handle great, point fast, and just feel like they want to be fired.

[JeffinNZ]

Actually the Poms should have been a bit more liberal with commas. It should be:

Short, Magazine Lee Enfield.

The rifle is short, not the magazine. The MLE's had 31 inch barrels whereas the SMLE has 25 inch you see.

And aren't we lucky Docone31 said "your Smelly" and not "you're Smelly"!!!!

[docone31]

I fahted.

[knappy]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to buy just one sizing die. Looks like I will have to buy at least 2. I bought a pound of red dot just for shooting cast in the milsurp rifles using "the load." I hope to work up some good practice loads in my rifles and even some close range deer hunting rounds for them.
Anyone use a Lyman 311291 out of a .303 SMLE? I've cast some of these for anticipated use in a 1903A3 and Garand. They mic right at .311-.312.

I use a 314299 at 314 with great results with red dot powder 14 grs

[Multigunner]

Make sure the chamber neck is perfectly clean. Using oversized bullets in a chamber neck choked down by hardened fouling can cause excessive pressures.

Normally the chamber neck of an Enfield has plenty of clearance, but the mixture of powder fouling, carbon from the mineral jelly used in cordite, atomized lead from bullet bases , and various types of sealants used with milspec .303 ammo, can leave a thick usually slick hardened coating in the chamber neck and shoulder areas. To the naked eye the fouling would look like polished metal but if there its difficult to remove with common solvents and chamber brushes.
I use a scraper made from brass or copper tubing to cut through the fouling while the surface is softened by solvents. This often takes several tries, you'll only know its all gone when the scraper no longer peels away thin threads of black and gray material the consistency of an old phonograph record, records were made of much the same materials before vinyl came into use. In fact surplus gunpowders were recycled to make records at one time.

When the teeth of the copper scraper reach steel you can feel the difference, and brass or copper won't cut steel.

[gishooter]

Multigunner, this rifle was a brand new unissued rifle. Not a FTR. So no problems with any build up or worn throat.
I shot my first loads of water dropped Lyman no2 alloy 314299s and sized .314 w lars 2500 lube and Hornady GC. Very nice palm sized group at 100 yards (10 rounds.) Used 13 grains Red Dot. Might bump it to 14 gr. Next up is some 2400 powder.

[dualsport]

Anyone using the .303british.com load of 47 gr. WC860/200 gr. cb? I have a lot of 860 and 5010, can't resist a bargain. The 860 is working well so far in a 91/30 7.62x54r.