.308 Enfield?

greg11

greg11

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Are Enfields in .308 very common? I've been looking at getting into bolt action guns, but like the idea of a higher capacity. The 10 in an enfield sounds nice to me, but I'd really like the rifle to be .308

What years was the .308 available and are they fairly common in today's used market?
 
Not as common in .308. the .303 Brit cartidge is common, can be found just about anywhere and has a great history from WWI and WWII....up to having dropped most North American big game. A good round for shooting paper as well at various ranges.

In .308 you will want to look at the AIA rifles (look at marstars site) but they are considerably more expensive than the older .303s. The .308 conversions of the original .303 Brits are collectors items a fetch a premium. All come onto the EE and at any given time there are at least 5 various .303s for sale, if not more.

The LeeEnfield rifles are common as well as inexpensive and fun to collect.
 
If you're just looking for a shooter, look at the AIA rifles for sale at Wolverinve or Marstar. Both are banner advertisers and the AIA rifles run around the same price as a CAI converted No4 MkI Lee Enfield. $800. You might be able to find an Indian 2A style No1 MkIII.

Anything Lee Enfield in 7.62x51 (308Win) is going to cost from $500 to $1000
 
I have a DCRA and it shoots awesome. Better than me. Got mine for a steal ($500) - Thanks Claven2! (he saved it from being sportered at a gun shop)
 
"...Are Enfields in .308 very common?..." Not really. They're out there, but not nearly as many as the standard .303's.
A lot depends on who did the conversion. DCRA No. 4 rifles, if you can find one, were done properly. So were the Brit Enforcer's and L39A1/L42A1. They look like sporters(target sighted or scoped), but were converted by the Brits for use as sniper rifles. India built a bunch that look like a No. 1 Mk III(Ishapore 2A1. Squared mag), from new materials, in the 60's and there are some that are just rebarreled without changing the mag.
"...the AIA rifles..." Pricey and a lot of rumours about the quality.
"...a CAI converted..." Century assembled thousands of Lee-Enfield rifles out of parts bins with zero QC. Not even checking the headspace to ensure the rifles were/are safe to shoot. While you should always check the headspace on any Lee-Enfield, it's especially necessary on any rifle Century had anything to do with.
 
Sunray, I fixed that it should have read CAL for Canadian Arsenals Limited.

I wasn't even aware that CAI converted No4 rifles to 7.62x51.

As for the AIA rifles from what the boys from Oz say, only the stocks are made in Viet Nam. Even the owner of the company will verify that. They are fine rifles and are suffering from an unconfirmed bad rap. The Australians really like them.

When the AIA rifles in Canada are gone, it isn't very likely there will be any more. The owner of the company has been ill for a while and production has slowed to a crawl as he insists on overseeing the fitting and assembly of his products.

In some internet requests for prices on bringing over a batch of M10-A1 in 7.62x39 he was leery to say the least to deal with North Americans after he had been stiffed in the US. The rifles at Wolverine are steals at the price they are asking. AIA quoted a friend and myself a price of slightly over $1000US for a minimum order of 10 rifles, if they could be made available after the Australian commitments had been filled. That price didn't include shipping or taxes on this end.

From the AIA rifle I shoot, I would happily endorse the rifles.
 
yah, i had a AIA 308 enfield, the thing was built like a tank, and was a beauty to look at and to shoot, people that say there is quility issues probally never seem or handled one first hand....
 
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