My Ishapore 2A Refurbish

[cheese1566]

How does my Ishy 2A look?

I can now find the parts without all the crud, cosmo, paint, and sludge...now I need to see how she loads and shoots.

Before,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,After

181741817518176

[Mk42gunner]

You used the wrong color paint!!!


Robert

[mike in co]

yep the oem finish is called "stoving".
i'll get corrected by someone..but sorta a gloss black paint.....

so while you cleaned it well, its time to put some color back into it.

mike in co

[docone31]

That is one sweet looking rifle!
Just wait untill you see how if fires.

[milsurp mike]

When I refinished my 2a1 I used high temp Black BBQ grill paint.It turned out perfect.Mike

[Bloodman14]

I prefer the ceramic based high-heat engine paint, myself. That stuff does not come off!

[cheese1566]

No paint, if I did it would be GunKote.

This was blasted using DuPont Starblast, then homebrew manganese Parkerizing. I admit, I wish it came out darker like the park found underneath the black "paint".
The finish came out very, very close to Ruger's gunmetal finish. I am happy with it.

[cheese1566]

Sorry about the last reply, it sounded kinda snotty.

Anyway, it was my first attempt at the homebrew park. It took some getting used to, but I found some internet pics of some looking the same. I think it has some resemblance to some of the Gibb's rebuilds. My local gunsmith was impressed and suggested I out her in his bluing tank, until he found out I parked it and drenched it in oil. I can always strip it and either blue it or paint it.

I am leaning towards to the addition of a Williams Peep sight on the rear which would require a new hole and tap which will lose the originality and collectors potential. I am sure she will rise in value over the years, but I bought her to refurbish, cast, load, shoot, and enjoy.

[docone31]

Cheese, you and I will be long gone when the Ishy is a collector. I wouldn't worry about it.
As far as the rear sight, get the corresponding drill and tap. Makes a big difference.
Installing the rear sight is simple. Lay teh top sight ramp on the open rails of the reciever. Move the sight body up, mark the holes and drill.
I drilled a pilot hole first, then the main drill.
It is not an hardened reciever so it goes easily.
And,
I like the way it looks.

[cheese1566]

Thanks! I am getting wish list ready for the order for the Lee 309-180 mold, 308+309 sizers, and other goodies. Maybe Santa will be good and add the Williams sight that you pointed me to.

[docone31]

The taps need to be 6-48.
Lets hope Santa leaves a sight in the stocking.
All mine went on real easily.
Not like the 03-A3.
I got one that had been Bubbaed, I put on on it. Snapped the tap! I tried to do it without an handle.
No, no, no.
I got it out by splitting the tap with a diamond burr. I split in in four pieces. Those pieces I pulled out one at a time.
They be hard for sure.

[bcp477]

It certainly is.......different. Different is not bad, though....only different. Viva diversity !!, I say. Besides, each time I look at the photos.....it grows on me a bit.

[Shiloh]

Nice.

How does it shoot??

SHiloh

[Mk42gunner]

Cheese, I was joking about the color; altough I prefer darker parkerizing, it looks good like it is.

I need to find a peep sight for mine, too.

To make a long sad story short; I loaned it to my best friendsd Dad, for his grandson to use deer hunting. The next time I was home on leave, he had taken the adjustment slide off and lost it, and had filed the steps off the sight base, because it 'shot high'.:groner: I had put a couple hundred rounds through it just plinking, before loaning it and it would hit a gallon milk jug every time and a quart oil can most times.

Oh well, one of these days I will fix it.

Robert

p.s.

Mine will swallow Lee's 312-185 sized to .313" with the top of the lower lube groove just showing.

R

[cheese1566]

No problem! I was actually refering to my own reply sounding snotty and no one elses. I had to go back and edit what I said just in case.


It is actually a little darker than the pic because of the flash.

Docone31 has been tutoring me on how to paper patch for it. Just need to get the equipment now.

I may push some FMJ's through it until then, to give a comparison for the future.

[cheese1566]

p.s.

Mine will swallow Lee's 312-185 sized to .313" with the top of the lower lube groove just showing.

R

Is yours a .303 British or .308 NATO?

I also have a sporterized No.1 MK 3 in .303 that I may revive. It needs some small parts like the full safety mechanism and cocking piece. I am just unsure if somenone maybe touched the chamber dimensions.

[docone31]

Cheese,

http://www.e-gunparts.com/product.asp?chrProductSKU=487730&CatID=11952&mySort=2

Everything you will need is right there. Good people to deal with also.
They won't have fooled with the chamber. If they made it into an Epps, it still will chamber the round fairly well.
If you have the milsurp barrel, I would go full wood for it. There is something about the SMLE that just cries out for it.
If it has the milsurp barrel, and it is unsupported, it will migrate like a piece of spaghetti when hot.
Do the bedding job with the Ishy. You will like the results. You have already had the wood off, not it will be easy. JBWeld in three spots and forget it.
On the #1MKIII, the pieces are real easy to fit. Numerich has the wrench to tear down the bolt also.
Try it out. Give the family the goodies, and when they are playing with their toys, go out and try out yours. IF you only fire five hundred or so, you will at least get the feel for it.
Merry Christmas!

[docone31]

MK4Gunner, I have several slides. Let me know if you need one.

[cheese1566]

I orderd some small parts for the Ishy from Springfield Sporters, extra springs, assorted front sight posts. They were fast. I should have ordered the parts for the No1 while I was at it. Oh well, shipping is only $6. If I go thru Numrich's I'll order an extra 2A extractor as mine if slightly chipped, but still works.

The No.1 has a Monte Carlo stock and the milsurp barrel was stripped down. the front sight base key slot was filled in and roughly filed. Same with the rear sight base-the pin hole was filled in and roughly filed down. Rough file marks up and down the barrel too. When compared side by side to my Ishapore 2A, the front band of the receiver and barrel aren't as high. But no rough filing like the rest of the barrel. It's even and symetrical though. My dad bought it 15 years ago for $20 so I cannot really go wrong. I will have more invested in a mold and sizers than the gun when done! I figure on this one I can do a modified "angle iron" scope mount.

I did make a bolt=firing pin removal tool with roll pipn and my trusty file. Works good for as often as I need it.

[docone31]

Way to go.
The Angle Iron scope mount really works. Another alternative is to get the aftermarket mount, and put three threaded bolt holes on it. One to pull, two to push. I found the scope mount got loose the other way.
Sounds like you got it going on.
Good luck.

[MtGun44]

Anything would be an improvement over the "finish" that came on my Ishy 7.62. Looked like
it was dipped, fully assembled less the wood, in locomotive paint and hung in the sun to
dry, then put back in the stock.

Among other fine details, the rear sigh aperture was difficult to even LOCATE, let alone
see thru. I had to chip off the paint to even find that there was a hole. Nasty stuff.

Of course, when the Mumbai terrorists were running around killing folks the Mumbai
security folks with Enfields were running and not shooting back. Turns out that the
whole STATE that Mumbai is in (Mumbai, the city alone has 14 MILLION people) had
a grand total of a few thousand guns in all police services and branches. Then it turns
out that the total inventory of ammo was in the range of 1 million rounds. Sounds like
a lot until you realize that is close to zero when you consider that they probably have
50,000 cops or maybe even twice that. If each cop was qualifying with 50 rds twice a
year like is fairly typical in US police depts, that would be 5 million rounds per year for
50,000 cops. It became apparent that they had never shot the guns and likely had
never even seen ammunition for them, and certainly didn't actually HAVE any ammo.

A bit of a black eye for Indian police forces, but it gives an idea why dipping the whole
metal into locomotive paint may be fairly practical where no one will ever actually shoot
the gun. . . .

Bill

[Mk42gunner]

Is yours a .303 British or .308 NATO?

I also have a sporterized No.1 MK 3 in .303 that I may revive. It needs some small parts like the full safety mechanism and cocking piece. I am just unsure if somenone maybe touched the chamber dimensions.

7.62 Nato, dated 1968.

The paint on it actually looks almost like bluing.



Robert

[Mk42gunner]

MK4Gunner, I have several slides. Let me know if you need one.

Thanks,

I appreciate the offer, but there's really nothing left for the slide to bear against. I think I need either a complete rear sight base, a peep sight, or just make an angle iron mount for a scope base.

I wonder if a rear sight base for a No1 MK III would work?

Robert

[docone31]

It will, but,
The #1MKIII has a rounded charger bar, the #2 2A has a square charger bar. The mounts will fit after it has been filed to fit, then the three bolts installed. The center bolt is threaded into the charger bar.
The angle iron mount is far simpler.

[EMC45]

Cheese, I think it is a jam up job Sir! I like it a lot. I have taken your thread on this as inspiration and will get with you about this as well. I have some projects to fiddle with and would like to pick your brain.......

[Multigunner]

Anything would be an improvement over the "finish" that came on my Ishy 7.62. Looked like
it was dipped, fully assembled less the wood, in locomotive paint and hung in the sun to
dry, then put back in the stock.

Among other fine details, the rear sigh aperture was difficult to even LOCATE, let alone
see thru. I had to chip off the paint to even find that there was a hole. Nasty stuff.

Of course, when the Mumbai terrorists were running around killing folks the Mumbai
security folks with Enfields were running and not shooting back. Turns out that the
whole STATE that Mumbai is in (Mumbai, the city alone has 14 MILLION people) had
a grand total of a few thousand guns in all police services and branches. Then it turns
out that the total inventory of ammo was in the range of 1 million rounds. Sounds like
a lot until you realize that is close to zero when you consider that they probably have
50,000 cops or maybe even twice that. If each cop was qualifying with 50 rds twice a
year like is fairly typical in US police depts, that would be 5 million rounds per year for
50,000 cops. It became apparent that they had never shot the guns and likely had
never even seen ammunition for them, and certainly didn't actually HAVE any ammo.

A bit of a black eye for Indian police forces, but it gives an idea why dipping the whole
metal into locomotive paint may be fairly practical where no one will ever actually shoot
the gun. . . .

Bill

According to news stories from India most police have never had their hands on a loaded gun other than prior military service.
Police in high crime districts if issued an Enfield (.303 for police) are given 10 rounds of ammo only, none of which is to be used for practice.
Police ammo is usually 50 yr old or older Cordite , with only a couple of boxes in reserve per police station if that.
Ammo in military calibers is tightly controled, and only recently a move was made to strike .303 off the list of military ammo. That came from a death penalty case apeal, where an off duty cop who'd killed a woman with a .303 got the death penalty because using military ammo was a special circumstance.

Indian civilians can only own a rifle in a military caliber by obtainly a special permit, they can buy an Enfield sporting rifle in .315 caliber but not a .303 or .308.

The original Brit paint for weapons is Suncorite, a very durable oil proof paint, similar to the BBQ paint mentioned earlier.
I've used BBQ paint on a couple of airguns, it holds up to handling very well.

PS
I like the refinished 2A, looks nice, and as mentioned earlier its not going to be a museum piece while anyone we know still lives.
I'd avoid factory ammo using bullets over 150 grs, chamber pressures climb by as much as 20+% for loads using heavier bullets due to intrusion of the bullet base into the powder space to remain within OAL.
The rifle was intended to use NATO Ball generating 48,000 CUP or 51,000 PSI, not a whole lot higher than a hot .303 load. With worn and oversize chambers commercial .308 at max pressures can cause problems.

[jh45gun]

I hope yours shoots good I bought one a few years ago (308) and it did not shoot well at all yet the crown looked good as did the rifling. Not sure why it did not shoot well but it did not I even scoped it with one of those after market add on scope mounts and it still shot unacceptable groups so down the road it went. I was really disappointed but then all milsurps are a **** shoot ya get good ones and bad ones.

Ya did a nice job it looks great.

[txpete]

I picked one up this month.any cast data would be a great help.
thanks
pete