.375/.303 British wildcat?

[richhodg66]

Got a Sporterized one with a barrel that is junk, keyholes everything. Not sure if JES would do it, but could this be rebored to something like this? I wonder what dies would cost.

Seems like a bolt action .38-55, which is what this would be, would be cool.

[725]

A call to JES would be informative. What a great idea to get a .38-55 out of it. Even a .375 Win in an action as strong as the Lee Enfield.

[cwtebay]

Not a 375, but an acquaintance had an SMLE that he had redone to 35/303 by having his smith use a 35WCF reamer. He uses 303 brass and once a year borrows my 35 WCF dies - creates a short necked version of the 35. Shoots a 240ish grain cast bullet quite well.
Redding has dies available for about $120.

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[Doughty]

rich,
I have some rifles chambered in something very similar, the .30-40 Krag blown out to .375. I started with a gunshow set of .376 Steyr dies with the bottoms ground off to length, for seating and neck sizing. I soon got another gunshow die, a .30-40 sizing die and turned the top off so that it only sized the body and part of the shoulder. Later, I got another gunshow .30-40 sizing die and opened the neck up to the size I wanted. Modified an M-die to expand and bell. I can't remember if you have access to machine tools. Lots of work arounds.

The end result will give you something with more potential than the .38-55. I've got molds from 180 grain swc to 325 grain bore riders. From mild to wilder than my shoulder will take anymore.

[beltfed]

Here is a 38-50 Rem Hep cartridge that is easily made necking up 30-40 Krag brass along with a 200yd group
from my rebarrelled Brg BPCR.
I shoot this with BP loads, but it could easily be chambered in your SMLE or a P14.
It is an "obsolete" cartridge, but dies can be obtained from CH4D .
beltfed/arnie

[444ttd]

a 9.3/303 wildcat would cause some heads to turn...

[dverna]

I am pretty sure there was a .35/303. I think a guy in Canada, Elwood Epps, turned them out. Elwood passed about 20 years ago but his old gun shop is still there. Not sure if they can help you with info. Epps did many conversions back in the old days when a SMLE could be had for $15.

[richhodg66]

rich,
I have some rifles chambered in something very similar, the .30-40 Krag blown out to .375. I started with a gunshow set of .376 Steyr dies with the bottoms ground off to length, for seating and neck sizing. I soon got another gunshow die, a .30-40 sizing die and turned the top off so that it only sized the body and part of the shoulder. Later, I got another gunshow .30-40 sizing die and opened the neck up to the size I wanted. Modified an M-die to expand and bell. I can't remember if you have access to machine tools. Lots of work arounds.

The end result will give you something with more potential than the .38-55. I've got molds from 180 grain swc to 325 grain bore riders. From mild to wilder than my shoulder will take anymore.

HAdn't thought about modifications to existing dies, but that should work.

I'll call JES and see. Seems I heard he doesn't do military barrels?

We'll see. Thanks for all the input, guys.

[MT Gianni]

I am pretty sure there was a .35/303. I think a guy in Canada, Elwood Epps, turned them out. Elwood passed about 20 years ago but his old gun shop is still there. Not sure if they can help you with info. Epps did many conversions back in the old days when a SMLE could be had for $15.

Epps did conversions from a shortened 22/303 with 22-250 similarities to the 375/03. I don't recall a 40/03. Check out PO Ackleys book Handbook for shooters and reloaders. I think most of the Epps stuff is in V 1 but V 2 is great as well.

[Mk42gunner]

There was actually a factory version, back when Englishmen could own rifles. 375 Axtell I believe.

I think some of our Australian or New Zealand members have mentioned playing around with this or a very similar cartridge.

It does sound like a very useful conversion for a shot out or rusted .303 rifle.

Robert

[samari46]

There is a 375 cartridge called the 37 rimmed, which is basically a 303 British case necked up to 375 with no other changes. Leave a very small shoulder but since it headspaces off the rim no problem.I made up a 375 case neck expander just to see how it looked with a jacketeed bullet seated in the case would look. Sorts like a 375 Winchester on steroids. So check with Jess to see what 375 cartridge he has reamers for. The dummy case I used was one of the Greek HXP ones. Frank

[Wilderness]

The factory cartridge is the .375 Nitro 2.5". Some original Lee Enfield sporters were chambered for it. Cases are slightly longer than regular .303.

https://revivaler.com/watson-brother...nitro-express/

See Wikipedia for case dimensions.

[Bent Ramrod]

I don’t know the dimensions offhand, but there was a proprietary Westley-Richards cartridge called the .375-303 Axite Express.

One in African hunting style would be worth having just for the cool name. Might be hard to find any Axite powder any more, though.

[Mk42gunner]

I don’t know the dimensions offhand, but there was a proprietary Westley-Richards cartridge called the .375-303 Axite Express.

One in African hunting style would be worth having just for the cool name. Might be hard to find any Axite powder any more, though.

That just may be the round I was thinking of.

Robert

[jimkim]

I hope this is allowed. Check this out.

https://www.marlinowners.com/threads/38-303.571379/

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