.303 bore pics
- Thread starter Shooter1971
- Start date
I've seen eroded throats before but they don't look like that. Your buddy's rifle is done. I'd bet that a rebarrel would be just as expensive as getting another one in better shape. Some rifles are simply not cost effective to "fix."
It's called "Nitriting'' and it's caused by shooting surplus ammunition with "Cordite" propellant.
I've seen this before and there is no fix for it, other than replacing the barrell.
As mentioned, unless there is something very special about this particular "sporter'' it will be cost effective to look for and purchase another ''sporter''
I've seen this before and there is no fix for it, other than replacing the barrell.
As mentioned, unless there is something very special about this particular "sporter'' it will be cost effective to look for and purchase another ''sporter''
It burns extremely hot and instead of being a powder, it's in stick form, already cut to length, and inserted by hand into the case before it's final forming.
I'm editing this post to clear up an error. Metford rifling came about because normal, sharp edged rifling fouled to badly with the original Black Powder loads for the 303Brit. It helped to cut down fouling and bore erosion. It also gave fewer issues with Cordite but the Enfield rifling turned out to be superior for accuracy, according to some, likely it was just cheaper/easier to cut than the "Polyginal" Metford profile.
I have a couple of rifles with Metford profile rifling, a Martini and a No 1 MkI, both chambered for the 303Brit. They are quite accurate and do seem to foul less with smokeless, jacketed bullets as well as cast lead bullets.
That's a very limited explanation, I'm sure one of the local experts can fill in a lot more detail
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Would using a “THROATING REAMER” (?) remove the damaged area and perhaps give some more life to to barrel?
OR loading up several CAST BULLETs, rolled in a fine abrasive, over a light charge remove a lot of the damage?
The cast bullet method is very cheap, easy to do and not risking further damage.
OR loading up several CAST BULLETs, rolled in a fine abrasive, over a light charge remove a lot of the damage?
The cast bullet method is very cheap, easy to do and not risking further damage.
Unlikely, as the cordite has burned/eroded the critical area of the bore substantially. Compounding the matter is the possible damage done by corrosive primers, which can pit or rust the whole bore.
Lots of Lee Enfield barrels out there. Sporterized ones are common.
Easy to change,....some of the time! And often a few thou removed from new barrel or few thou shim required.
Mk III's are inexpensive, #4's are more money. Perhaps crown and taper wanted, still more money. Then headspace if need, a different length bolt head will do.
Easy to change,....some of the time! And often a few thou removed from new barrel or few thou shim required.
Mk III's are inexpensive, #4's are more money. Perhaps crown and taper wanted, still more money. Then headspace if need, a different length bolt head will do.
With decent bolt heads costing as much as $100 each??? It had better be a very nice sporter to make it worth the overall cost.
Just get the smith to cut back the tenon enough to require a reamer be used to re cut the chamber after the barrel has been installed with the knox and extractor groove indexed properly. Not a difficult job at all, but it can be a bit tedious.
Some of those No1 receivers can be screwed on extremely tight and after a hundred years or more of being in place, along with relatively soft metal, with very little area to use a receiver wrench while unscrewing them, all sorts of things can go awry, if care isn't taken.
IMHO, just go to the local gunshop with a smith and ask if they have any barreled receivers in their bins and swap over the parts from your barreld receiver to the one with the good barrel.
If headspace is an issue, fireform the cases to the new chamber and neck size only afterwards. This is a perfectly safe procedure and extends case life by eliminating a lot of stretching.
This makes the most good sense to me as well
I would assume a military LE already has a "generous" leade. A throating reamer would greatly exacerbate that problem, leaving the bullet with a Grand Canyon jump to the lands. The distance to the lands is the majority of the current problem.
Might be as good a time as ever to start looking at the various custom calibers that were made to take advantage of that there was a time you pretty near had to pay someone to take a .303 LE away.
Stuff like the Epps line of cartridges, and some of the ones out of Australia/New Zealand. There were a fair few .303 based wildcats out there, not all are suitable for the LE.
The advantage of going with a new (or recycled) barrel blank, is that you can get a nice, tight fitting chamber, matching dies, and do away with the problems of Military wartime specs and tolerances, while keeping the rifle (which, I assume, you like).
I used to see buckets full of stripped down Enfields at gun shows for a couple bucks each, some of those barrels have got to be out there still. May be worth prowling the gun shows and contacting the guys that run gun wrecking services (used gun parts dealers) wherever you can find them, to see if they have a decent one in stock. But that route still leaves you dealing with the basic problem of essentially wartime production specs.
Stuff like the Epps line of cartridges, and some of the ones out of Australia/New Zealand. There were a fair few .303 based wildcats out there, not all are suitable for the LE.
The advantage of going with a new (or recycled) barrel blank, is that you can get a nice, tight fitting chamber, matching dies, and do away with the problems of Military wartime specs and tolerances, while keeping the rifle (which, I assume, you like).
I used to see buckets full of stripped down Enfields at gun shows for a couple bucks each, some of those barrels have got to be out there still. May be worth prowling the gun shows and contacting the guys that run gun wrecking services (used gun parts dealers) wherever you can find them, to see if they have a decent one in stock. But that route still leaves you dealing with the basic problem of essentially wartime production specs.
That's a very astute and experienced smith and he's right.
Not only that but if the bore diameter in that barrel is well over .312 in, it's not worth the extra work.
303 throats are Loooooonnnnngggg. Way to long IMHO and the last thing the rifle needs is more "Freebore" to have an adverse affect on accuracy, which likely is marginal already.
If you have to purchace a throat reamer, which is what I would do if I were the smith, look at twice as much cost for the job as just picking up another barreled receiver.
Finding barreled actions at gunshows or even barrels in bins is now a thing of the past.
I go to several shows each year and I've yet to find a barrel over the past 4 years that I would deem serviceable.
There are a few gunsmiths, that still have ''clunker bins'' that might have what the OP is looking for, but they won't be cheap.
I was on the upper floor of Del Selin's Gunshop in Vernon BC last spring and he had several ''sportered" No1 and No4 barreled receivers on the floor, as well as a few loose barrels.
The thread tenons on Martini, No1, No4 and No5 rifles are all the same diameter and will interchange on the different receivers.
The shoulders may have to be cut back or the tenon may have to be trimmed and the chamber recut, (expensive)
OP, there was a lovely drilled and tapped for scope, Pattern 14 Enfield rifle for sale at the Salmon Arm Gun show last weekend. $350. IMHO, as far as a hunting rifle goes, an upgrade. (I love Maritinis, Lee Enfields and Enfields so that is an honest opinion).
$350, =- $50 is the going rate for these rifles. Dirt Cheap at today's prices.
