couple ammo questions

[FlyingHigh]

i'll be getting a Lee Enfield soon. i don't know if it's mag fed or stripper clip. it's a .303. does this mean i can go to crappy tire and buy a box of .303British for it? also, is there any bulk suppliers of .303? i'm assuming (please don't kill the milsurp noob) 7.62x39 is totally different.

 

[CanAm]

Yes, totally different. No bulk these days.

 

[sgt.rock]

Yes, you can go to walmart or Crappy tire and get .303 brit ammo and shoot the heck out of it. 7.62x39 is a whole other ammo. Much smaller casing, and you wont be finding it at any crappy tire or walmart.

 

[maynard]

i'll be getting a Lee Enfield soon. i don't know if it's mag fed or stripper clip. it's a .303.

Stripper clips are for quick loading or topping up the mag while it is still mounted on the rifle. Once the rounds are pushed into the mag you remove the stripper clip.

 

[faswagon]

Yes, totally different. No bulk these days.

When will the great day come that more surplus ammo is available (esp. 7.62x54r) will you post here? or is there a waiting list to get a crate?


thanks!

..sorry for the hijack

 

[Mike_R23A]

Looks like there is surplus Pakistani .303 (50's/60's era) on the market down south, about $73 for a 320rnd crate @ w ww.sportsmansguide.com

I wonder if there is an untapped supply sitting in Pakistani warehouses a Canadian importer could make use of!

 

[CanAm]

What is in the US is there, not in Pakistan any longer.

 

[Mike_R23A]

roger... ahh well, dare to dream!

 

[FlyingHigh]

thanks for the info folks. i'd been wondering how the hell stripper clips work.

 

[maynard]

thanks for the info folks. i'd been wondering how the hell stripper clips work.

There is a trick using stripper clips and .303 since it is a rimmed case. The rim on each round must be in front of the one below it or the rifle will not feed.

 

[sunray]

"...getting a Lee Enfield soon..." Get proof of good headspace before you buy. The model of Lee-Enfield determines how, relatively, easy bad headspace is to fix. Don't shoot it until you know the headspace is ok.
"...7.62x39 is totally different..." Yep. A .303 case is almost as long as a whole 7.62 x 39 cartridge.
"...any bulk suppliers of .303?..." You local gun shop can order a case of anything you want. Mind you, if you're not reloading, you'll have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your new rifle shoots best. There's no point buying cases until you know that.

 

[FlyingHigh]

Get proof of good headspace before you buy. The model of Lee-Enfield determines how, relatively, easy bad headspace is to fix. Don't shoot it until you know the headspace is ok.

what do you mean by headspace? would my local shop be able to check headspace for me?

 

[sunray]

Headspace is a manufacturing tolerance. In a Lee-Enfield(being a rimmed cartridge) it's the distance between the bolt face and the beginning of the chamber where the cartridge rim goes into.
If your local shop has .303 British headspace guages, they can check it for you. Or you can buy a set from Brownell's and do it yourself. $25 or $30 USD each. You'd need the No-Go and the Field only.
Slip the guage under the extractor(or take it out) and gently close the bolt. If the bolt closes on the No-Go, try the Field. If it closes on a Field, the headspace is excessive and the rifle is unsafe to shoot with any ammo.

 

[FlyingHigh]

thanks for the info. so i should check the headspace on both guns before i fire them?

just out of morbid curiosity, what happens if i don't check it, and fire without adequate headspace?

 

[TimberPig]

thanks for the info. so i should check the headspace on both guns before i fire them?

just out of morbid curiosity, what happens if i don't check it, and fire without adequate headspace?

If the headspace is inadequate, you will be unable to close the action on a round. Highly unlikely that you will fire it in this condition.

If it has excessive headspace, it can blow cases, causing hot gases from the burning powder to be vented, or possibly even bits of brass from the case. Given that your face is quite close to the action during firing, it should be obvious why you want to avoid the situation.

 

[plightning]

If it has excessive headspace, it can blow cases, causing hot gases from the burning powder to be vented, or possibly even bits of brass from the case. Given that your face is quite close to the action during firing, it should be obvious why you want to avoid the situation.

Ummm, speaking of headspace: I was reading my ABCs of reloading and went through the section on headspace. It had some pictures of cartidges that has some swelling due to excessive pressure and headspace, but frankly the pictures weren't that great, and i'm not quite sure that I'm understanding what to look for. So I better ask:

I have some spent cartridges from a .303 enfield, the head area has been bulged out/mishapen a bit (the one on the left), where as the unfired case is straight from the all along the from the bottom of the head to the neck

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is this a sign of excessive headspace or is this just the case taking the shape of the chamber? Also are those scratches actually stretch marks?

thanks for any help

 

[Stewienb]

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Does the one on the right look like its standing crooked? ive seen this before. why does it come out with a bulge only on one side and stand crooked when stood on its end like this???