.30-30 lee enfield

I put up a posting in the bullet making forum just last week.
I've been using large pistol primers lately in my rifles with cast bullets.
I'm getting velocities that were unheard of 6 or 7 years back, before powder coating became popular.
99% of my shooting is with cast and I just used up the last of my rifle primed cases.
I'll use pistol primers exclusively and save my rifle primers for a rainy day.

I'm just relating what I've been doing, not what I'm recommending. YMMV, and you're on your own, responsibility wise.
 
Funny how much effort people are prepared to make for the difference between $40 a box of PPU or Remington .303 BR FMJ and $60 a box of hunting softpoints. It seems like false economy to me.

Since the summer I've seen PPU, Remington and S&B 174-gr FMJ selling for as low as $40 a box from CGN sponsors. There is new ammunition out there! You have to look and buy it when it comes up. That is how retail works.

But gents to give my opinion on the original thought exercise, why choose a lesser cartridge? The .30-30 is 46-gr of water capacity, and .303BR is 56-gr. If the issue is a poor chamber, there are ways of sleeving in a new tighter cylindrical piece. Not easy. Not cheap. Prone to failures at the junction of the old and new pieces, but possible.
 
antiqueguy said:
So I forgot about about this for a bit. .30-30 will sort of feed out of a lee enfield mag and the bolt grabs it nicely. I don’t not know how anyone has fired it in a .303 chamber as it would not go all the way in.

Should be a fairly easy conversion very little if any bolt work definitely some mag work probably use a pro mag. Main thing would be finding a shot out barrel to use the knox form or have something machined up.
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It is easy enough to turn up a bushing to thread into a Lee Enfield receiver, rather than use the stump of a Lee Enfield barrel. Thread externally for the Lee Enfield, internally for the barrel being fitted. Chuck a piece of steel in the lathe, thread the exterior to turn into the Lee Enfield receiver, drill, bore and thread for the new barrel, then part it off. A No. 1 barrel breeches against the internal collar in the receiver - you don't even have to bother with a breeching shoulder on the bushing.
Do you have the tools to remove the Lee Enfield barrel? No. 4 barrels can be a real challenge. If you are going to adapt a take-off .30 caliber barrel, do you have, or know someone with a .30-30 reamer?
Unless you are doing the work yourself, or have a buddy with a lathe who will do it for free, this is going to be an expensive project.
 
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tiriaq said:
It is easy enough to turn up a bushing to thread into a Lee Enfield receiver, rather than use the stump of a Lee Enfield barrel. Thread externally for the Lee Enfield, internally for the barrel being fitted. Chuck a piece of steel in the lathe, thread the exterior to turn into the Lee Enfield receiver, drill, bore and thread for the new barrel, then part it off. A No. 1 barrel breeches against the internal collar in the receiver - you don't even have to bother with a breeching shoulder on the bushing.
Do you have the tools to remove the Lee Enfield barrel? No. 4 barrels can be a real challenge. If you are going to adapt a take-off .30 caliber barrel, do you have, or know someone with a .30-30 reamer?
Unless you are doing the work yourself, or have a buddy with a lathe who will do it for free, this is going to be an expensive project.
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Have a buddy with a lathe I will have to source a reamer. Going to have to built an action wrench and make up some barrel blocks to use in the shop press. Tight fitting action wrench and a smallish sledge should handle barrel removal thinking. I’m going to use a no1 receiver would like a MLE but few and far between.

The magazine would definitely need a spacer or make it work with a savage 340 mag.
 
A two part receiver wrench can have a top with a semi-circular cut to fit the receiver ring, and a flat plate with a cut for the front action screw lug for the bottom. Make out of aluminum barstock. Clamp together with a couple of 1/2" bolts. Turn one end of the top bar round for a length of pipe as a handle.
No. 1 barrels tend to be much easier to pull than No. 4s.

A .30-30 solid pilot reamer is going to cost at last a couple of hundred dollars.
 
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tiriaq said:
A two part receiver wrench can have a top with a semi-circular cut to fit the receiver ring, and a flat plate with a cut for the front action screw lug for the bottom. Make out of aluminum barstock. Clamp together with a couple of 1/2" bolts. Turn one end of the top bar round for a length of pipe as a handle.
No. 1 barrels tend to be much easier to pull than No. 4s.

A .30-30 solid pilot reamer is going to cost at last a couple of hundred dollars.
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For me the point of it is I’d just like one something a little different. I like the lee action and I like the .30-30 being able to use pointed bullets over flat points is a plus. Would like a savage 340 or the stevens 325 but I’m not paying $600 for one.
 
I have done this many times. Honestly I've chambered Lee enfields in probably 15 different calibers using the barrel nut/thread adaptor. From 45-70, 43 Mauser to 25-20, 32 H&R. Right now I'm building one in 6.5x53r

Most were single shots but a few fed from the mag like my 6.5x55 no5

If using a smaller caliber I'd go with 13/16 -20 I'd thread and standard 1-14 Lee threads on the od (Winchester 92 thread, possibly 94 threads too. So it would've easy to find a 30-30 barrel. And with adjustable head space on the Lee its easy to get it in spec. I also wouldn't be surprised if the 3030 rim was the 303 rim thickness so you can make the thread adaptor tighten up to the outer ring and the barrel with the factory chamber tighten up to the inner ring it will head space fine. But the sights may be off on the barrel. So you can use a set screw to lock the barrel with the sights correct or I also have use lead free 5% soft solder to hold the barrel in place. Then adjust head space with the bolt head)

Also try a 3030 with pointed bullets maybe 164ish gr load them long they will most likely feed fine
 
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A Lee Enfield with a poor bore is a great basis for a project. A replacement SMLE barrel is $250, plus delivery, plus tax. Haven't seen any new replacement barrels for No. 4s for years - they were 3/$100 then, plus delivery and taxes. Only have one of those left, tucked away for a rainy day.
So, a caliber change can make sense. Particularly if you are not paying a gunsmith hourly rate to do it.
It is possible to find a take-off .30-30 barrel. That avoids having to access a reamer, if you are careful when setting up the breeching. I had a new old stock .340 barrel for years, back from the days when Numrich had them cheap and could send one without export hassles. Finally used it when I rebuilt a salvaged 340. Needed a decent take-off M94 .30-30 barrel; found one through the equipment exchange. So, they are out there.
Making a breech bushing from a scrap .303 barrel or from round stock is straightforward lathe work. All things being equal, it is easier to cut internal threads with a tap, rather than using a single point cutter in a lathe. But either way works.
Using a set screw to lock the barrel in place to hold headspace works, if you don't want to solder or use a bonding agent on the threads.
I'm going to scrub out the take-off barrel from the 340 action I rebarreled. The bore might not be bad. I replaced it because I had a new one. Seeing as I had to rebuild the bolt and was replacing the stock, I thought I might as well change the barrel to new.
antiqueguy - I'll let you know if this barrel is worth reusing. Might be suitable for your project.
 
tokguy said:
Hmm, funny thing is I'm looking at converting a 30-30 to 30-40. Different strokes eh?
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One of the reasons I am doing this is because of the primer shortage having something I can grab a box of ammo for at Canadian tire without spending an arm and a leg. I was also given 30rd of .30-30 and that was all the inspiration I needed.

If I end up with $400-$500 into it money well spent.
 
tiriaq said:
A Lee Enfield with a poor bore is a great basis for a project. A replacement SMLE barrel is $250, plus delivery, plus tax. Haven't seen any new replacement barrels for No. 4s for years - they were 3/$100 then, plus delivery and taxes. Only have one of those left, tucked away for a rainy day.
So, a caliber change can make sense. Particularly if you are not paying a gunsmith hourly rate to do it.
It is possible to find a take-off .30-30 barrel. That avoids having to access a reamer, if you are careful when setting up the breeching. I had a new old stock .340 barrel for years, back from the days when Numrich had them cheap and could send one without export hassles. Finally used it when I rebuilt a salvaged 340. Needed a decent take-off M94 .30-30 barrel; found one through the equipment exchange. So, they are out there.
Making a breech bushing from a scrap .303 barrel or from round stock is straightforward lathe work. All things being equal, it is easier to cut internal threads with a tap, rather than using a single point cutter in a lathe. But either way works.
Using a set screw to lock the barrel in place to hold headspace works, if you don't want to solder or use a bonding agent on the threads.
I'm going to scrub out the take-off barrel from the 340 action I rebarreled. The bore might not be bad. I replaced it because I had a new one. Seeing as I had to rebuild the bolt and was replacing the stock, I thought I might as well change the barrel to new.
antiqueguy - I'll let you know if this barrel is worth reusing. Might be suitable for your project.
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Im keeping an eye out for a lathe myself. I may end up grabbing a cheap one in the new year it won’t have a through bore big enough for barrels. Ideally if I can get set up and learn a thing or 2 with a few of my projects I have I may end up getting the license to do gunsmithing work on the side mainly bluing and stuff along those lines.
I’m just about ready to stop doing body work for a living getting tired of breathing in fumes and dust.

Your thread on the cooey carcano conversion has made me also start keeping an eye out for one of those cheap. One of the rings I wished I came across when surplus ammo was everywhere.
 
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If you want to get a business license, call the CFO in Orillia and find out exactly what you have to do to qualify. There is a lot more to it than just filling out an application.
Finishing operations could include hot caustic bluing, hot water/rust bluing, parkerizing, and coatings. There is a market for all of them. Parkerizing is the easiest. Hot caustic bluing is not fun. Preparation of the parts for bluing is a skilled operation if a first class job is to be done.
Any lathe is better than no lathe. A larger used lathe can cost less than a smaller machine in equal condition. The size and weight scare off hobbyists looking for a machine that can be easily moved. A 1 1/2" spindle bore is desirable.
If you are thinking of gunsmithing as a way of earning an income, sit down and do some calculations. How much money do you need to earn, to replace what you are doing now? How much a billable hour must you charge to yield an acceptable net income? How many billable hours a week? There are going to be serious startup and overhead costs that have to be amortized.
 
tiriaq said:
If you want to get a business license, call the CFO in Orillia and find out exactly what you have to do to qualify. There is a lot more to it than just filling out an application.
Finishing operations could include hot caustic bluing, hot water/rust bluing, parkerizing, and coatings. There is a market for all of them. Parkerizing is the easiest. Hot caustic bluing is not fun. Preparation of the parts for bluing is a skilled operation if a first class job is to be done.
Any lathe is better than no lathe. A larger used lathe can cost less than a smaller machine in equal condition. The size and weight scare off hobbyists looking for a machine that can be easily moved. A 1 1/2" spindle bore is desirable.
If you are thinking of gunsmithing as a way of earning an income, sit down and do some calculations. How much money do you need to earn, to replace what you are doing now? How much a billable hour must you charge to yield an acceptable net income? How many billable hours a week? There are going to be serious startup and overhead costs that have to be amortized.
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That’s the main issue with lathes right now lots of really big(some you could turn tank barrels on) machines some being old flatbelt stuff adapted in the traditional way of electric motor with a transmission of some sort. Issue with them is I do not have the space nor the 3 phase power. Would like to find a Logan.
 
antiqueguy said:
The biggest issue is I can’t even reload right now not a single large rifle primer available in this country it seems and I will be dammed if I pay $500 for 1000.

I have a bunch of .30-30 ammo and nothing to shoot it in figured I’d give this a shot before I pull it all down for primers.
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Buy a 30-30! Betcha can find one for a LOT less than a brick of LR Primers!

Like, I know this dates me as officially "old", but I have seen a fair few beater Model 94 Winchesters sell for a whole lot less than a couple hundred of those primers! At 'old' prices. Hard worked, and hard worn, is NOT the same as NFG! The price that it took to make a LE look good, was that it was LESS than a Dozen Beer! Yeah. Old.

Sell or trade yer ammo for primers. Seems a no-brainer from this end! Everything else either costs you money, time, or both!

And if you cannot find a deal on a decent sized Lathe, try harder. I keep seeing guys posting that they bought way more than they thought they could handle, yet they managed! There are a LOT of old buggers offloading their life collections of tools, these days. Watch the adverts and respond politely, and you never really know who might be the guy that just wants it all to go to a place where it is appreciated!
 
trevj said:
Buy a 30-30! Betcha can find one for a LOT less than a brick of LR Primers!

Like, I know this dates me as officially "old", but I have seen a fair few beater Model 94 Winchesters sell for a whole lot less than a couple hundred of those primers! At 'old' prices. Hard worked, and hard worn, is NOT the same as NFG! The price that it took to make a LE look good, was that it was LESS than a Dozen Beer! Yeah. Old.

Sell or trade yer ammo for primers. Seems a no-brainer from this end! Everything else either costs you money, time, or both!

And if you cannot find a deal on a decent sized Lathe, try harder. I keep seeing guys posting that they bought way more than they thought they could handle, yet they managed! There are a LOT of old buggers offloading their life collections of tools, these days. Watch the adverts and respond politely, and you never really know who might be the guy that just wants it all to go to a place where it is appreciated!
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Idk if you have seen the prices lately but a lever gun in .30-30 bottom end $800. I know what I can deal with as far as size of lathe their usually snatched up quickly in my area. only ones that sit around are the size of the average single car garage I ain’t go the space for that.

Got 2000 large rifle primers now btw but planning for the future. I still refuse to pay $500 plus for a $200 gun (savage 340).
 
antiqueguy said:
Idk if you have seen the prices lately but a lever gun in .30-30 bottom end $800. I know what I can deal with as far as size of lathe their usually snatched up quickly in my area. only ones that sit around are the size of the average single car garage I ain’t go the space for that.

Got 2000 large rifle primers now btw but planning for the future. I still refuse to pay $500 plus for a $200 gun (savage 340).
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Well, if you think buying a gun is too expensive, you are REALLY gonna not like how the math works out, buying a metal lathe that is in any ways capable of doing what you need, and tooling it up! Plus the learning curve of ruined parts and broken tooling, along the way to becoming competent with it!

Been playing at machining for almost 40 years now, spent 8 years actually teaching apprentice tradesmen and women how to keep all their fingers, while making parts on manual machine tools, too.

Not saying don't get a lathe, but you gotta understand that it may not be as cheap as you think it will. FWIW, you can do worse things, than to educate yourself as best possible, on what machines have what capabilities, so as to be able to act fast when one does pop up on your radar. Just as in the EE here on CGN, the good stuff, that is priced correctly, sells VERY fast!
 
trevj said:
Well, if you think buying a gun is too expensive, you are REALLY gonna not like how the math works out, buying a metal lathe that is in any ways capable of doing what you need, and tooling it up! Plus the learning curve of ruined parts and broken tooling, along the way to becoming competent with it!

Been playing at machining for almost 40 years now, spent 8 years actually teaching apprentice tradesmen and women how to keep all their fingers, while making parts on manual machine tools, too.

Not saying don't get a lathe, but you gotta understand that it may not be as cheap as you think it will. FWIW, you can do worse things, than to educate yourself as best possible, on what machines have what capabilities, so as to be able to act fast when one does pop up on your radar. Just as in the EE here on CGN, the good stuff, that is priced correctly, sells VERY fast!
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I have a pile of books I just bought from an estate on gunsmithing as well as a few that I have had for years. They have a lathe for sale from the estate but with Christmas coming not an option.
 
Hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, but perhaps the best .30-30 bolt action rifle would be a Remington 788. Not common, but they do turn up.
 
tiriaq said:
Hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, but perhaps the best .30-30 bolt action rifle would be a Remington 788. Not common, but they do turn up.
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LOL! Gonna disagree! The BEST one, is the one you have!

No matter how cool the pictures inna brochure look, they are still just pictures!

As for books, they contain a LOT of good ideas, but they are a lot like the old joke about statistics. Statistics are like Bikinis! What they reveal, might well be fascinating, what they conceal, may be critical!

None of the roughly 3 tons of books I own, made me as much a metalworker, as Practice did!
 
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