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Load Data

View Poll Results: Barrel size for Lee Enfield

Voters
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  • .311

    12 8.96%
  • .312

    27 20.15%
  • .313

    20 14.93%
  • .314

    51 38.06%
  • .315

    16 11.94%
  • .316

    21 15.67%
  • .317

    7 5.22%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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Thread: Actual barrel dimension of bullet size for the Lee Enfield?

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    I have a no. 4 MKI dated 1942 , no. 490, it has a 5 groove barrel
    and measures , bore size = .303. groove dia. .311.
    The rifle appears to be well used so I was surprsed to find the tolerances to be right on . I measured everything three times to make sure .
    In the survey are you asking for bore size or groove diameter ?

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    I have a no. 4 MKI dated 1942 , no. 490, it has a 5 groove barrel
    and measures , bore size = .303. groove dia. .311.
    The rifle appears to be well used so I was surprsed to find the tolerances to be right on . I measured everything three times to make sure .
    In the survey are you asking for bore size or groove diameter ?
    Actually a .311 bore is out of spec according to the British "Small Arms Identification Drawings".
    They wanted a .303 bore but minimum groove depth was .005 which would give a major diameter of .313.
    They depended on bullet upset and the greater land surface to force the bullet surface down into the grooves. The Glazeboard over the charge wad helped seal the bullet base till the projectile was well on its way down the bore.

    I have a 1915 Enfield lock with .311 bore, the only Enfield I've miked that had a true .311 major diameter.

    The British used the term "Minor diameter" for the bore and "Major diameter" for the imaginary circle that would encompass the bottom of all five grooves.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    My 1942 Savage No 4 two groove goes .306/.3185. I have yet to find a boolit that passes the "light test" when looking down the bore from the chamber end. It shoots jacketed pretty good. My mold collection has a gap between .318 and .322, so I'm going to try the .318 'super fat' over some kind of filler or dacron. I tried 'beagling' a NOE 316299, can't get a gas check on it. 8mm gas checks were a no-go.

  4. #24
    Boolit Bub

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    I have two #4, MK 1*'s. A '42 Savage 2 groove that is .304 x .315 and a '44 Long Branch 5 groove that is .304 x .314.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master Canuck Bob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    I have a no. 4 MKI dated 1942 , no. 490, it has a 5 groove barrel
    and measures , bore size = .303. groove dia. .311.
    The rifle appears to be well used so I was surprsed to find the tolerances to be right on . I measured everything three times to make sure .
    In the survey are you asking for bore size or groove diameter ?
    Sorry if I confused things, I'm asking for groove specifically but appreciate the bore as well in the write-ups. The question was to help folks decide on bullet size assuming groove as the minimum and usually a bit larger for cast. It is interesting that jacketed bullets of .311 and .312 are undersize for many rifles.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy 303british.com's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Canuck Bob View Post
    ...It is interesting that jacketed bullets of .311 and .312 are undersize for many rifles.
    I'm not surprised. I started making my bullets larger based on what I've seen over the years. The only thing is to watch the throat, but that isn't too critical with this rifle.

    I think you'll find that these bullets are undersized for the majority of barrels. Assuming that the LoL measurement is 0.303, with a 0.005 to 0.008 groove depth, the minimum will be 0.313. Most grooves are actually deeper than 0.005.
    Safe Shooting!
    Steve Redgwell
    www.303british.com

    Excerpt from Cold Iron by Rudyard Kipling

    Gold is for the mistress - silver for the maid -
    Copper for the craftsman, cunning at his trade.
    "Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
    "But Iron - Cold Iron - is master of them all."

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I've mentioned before that my two-groove No.4 with a .304 bore and .318 groove shoots .310 Highland bullets real accurate. I'm going to try .308 bullets in my mint bore two-groove to see what happens.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
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    Had a 1950 Long Branch No.4Mk1* with a crisp, minty 5-groove barrel (which probably makes the barrel left-over wartime stock).

    Major was .318, as was throat. Minor I don't know.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
    A pause for the COZ's Avatar
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    Interesting thread. I just pick up a long Branch 303. Judging by the amount of lead I am scrubbing out of the barrel. I bet I have a pretty wide bore. Or who ever owned this gun previous just shot regular 30 cal bullets.
    The fattest bullets I have are .314 so I hope thats it. I have a few 314299's loaded to try today. Thats sure is a nice looking load for that gun any way.


  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Well I slugged the bore of that long branch 2 groove measured .303 bore and.317 groove yikes thats big!!! I am not sure how that correlates to bullet size though. Would a .314 bullet expand to fill the grooves or do I need to get a .318 mold? Not sure how to deal with a .014 difference between bore and groove.

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by A pause for the COZ View Post
    Well I slugged the bore of that long branch 2 groove measured .303 bore and.317 groove yikes thats big!!! I am not sure how that correlates to bullet size though. Would a .314 bullet expand to fill the grooves or do I need to get a .318 mold? Not sure how to deal with a .014 difference between bore and groove.
    Keep the velocity to below about 1200fps and you can get away with murder. Fast pistol powder is your friend, 6-8 grains IIRC

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    Well I tried ten 314299's at .314 ahead of 19 gr 2400. That should be around 1600 fps. Accuracy was ehhh once I figured where they were hitting. I got 5 that papered 3 touching and 2 that flew out about 6 inches away. at 100 yards.
    No leading though.
    I got ten more loaded up.
    hmmmm should this be in my own thread?????

  13. #33
    Moderator Emeritus JeffinNZ's Avatar
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    The answer to your poll is "yes".
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    Cheers from New Zealand

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  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipehand View Post
    Believe it or not, my 1955 vintage Fazakerly No.4 Mk2 is close to the US standard .300/.308 bore and groove dimensions. The throat, will admit boolits of a much larger size, however.
    My No.4 Mk1* ROF Fazakerly FTR 7/55 slugs. 3005x.3095

    My 2-groove Long Branch No.4 Mk2* 2-groove slugs .302x.315

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    An Old surplus .303 of mine needs .316" bullets and an orig. Winchester'95 likes .312".

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
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    My #4 mkII has a freebore of .316

  17. #37
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    I've had two #4s that shot jacketed well. I had a Lithgow that slugged .314" and it didn't. I love Enfields I just can't seem to keep them. The actions are a piece of history & legend. Not so much the barrels IMO. Best, Thomas.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    I slug the throat and size to that,the bore's not important.My 5 groove barrels are .303 with .314 grooves,my 2 groove are .303 to .317.

  19. #39
    Boolit Master Bad Ass Wallace's Avatar
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    According to the Small Arms Identification Series by Ian Skennerton "Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle" Page 29

    1) Lee Metford and Lee-Enfield Mk1:
    Barrel Specification:
    Barrel Length - 30.5"
    Rifling Metford - 7 groove L.H. 1 turn on 10"
    Rifling Enfield - 5 groove L.H. 1 turn in 10"
    Bore Dia - 0.303"
    Metford Rifling Depth - 0.004"
    Enfield Rifling Depth - 0.0055
    Metford Land Width - 0.023"
    Enfield Land Width - 0.0936

    From book "The British Service Lee" by Ian Skennerton Page 86
    2) Short Magazine Lee Enfield Mk 3:
    Barrel Specification:
    Barrel Length 25.2"
    Rifling Enfield - 5 groove L.H. 1 turn in 10"
    Bore Dia - 0.303"
    Enfield Rifling Depth at muzzle - 0.0065
    Enfield Rifling Depth at breech and to within 14" of the muzzle - .005
    Enfield Land Width - 0.0936

    From book "The British Service Lee" by Ian Skennerton Page 158
    3) Short Magazine Lee Enfield Mk 4 & 5:
    Barrel Specification:
    Barrel Length 25.2"
    Rifling Enfield - 5 groove L.H. 1 turn in 10"
    Bore Dia - 0.303"
    Enfield Rifling Depth at breech - .005
    Enfield Land Width - 0.0936


    BSA made factory bore gauges in sizes .3025, .303, .3035, .304, .3045, .305. .305 being considered worn out!

    It would seem from this data that an Enfield 303 could be .303" over lands and a bore of up to 0.314" at the breech and to 0.316 at the muzzle.
    Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Somewhere I read that during WWII the tolerances were somewhat relaxed due to the war time need to build rifles asap. And that after the war the tolerances were tightened up again. I have a '49 Faz that as close as I can measure has a .312 bore. My '42 Long Branch Parker Hale sporter has a two groove barrel and have yet to slug it. Normally I use a 314299 that casts .303-.304 on the nose and .314 on the body to slug barrels. Will have to dig a few up to see what the numbers are. Have to glass bed the Long Branch as the wood doesn't come anywhere near the draws and the butt end of the forend takes all the stress. Since the wood is in decent condition don't want any cracks in the butt end of the forend. Frank

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check