.311 - .313 Caliber Barrels

[Drew_CarreyAB]

I would like to inquire about where to purchase(in Canada preferred) replacement barrels for a .303 Brit rifle. Is there any shops that can order them in? I really like my #1 Mk4 but I have shot out/stretched the barrel through reloading(original 2 rifling barrel) and would like to replace it. Would/ could a fella put a .308cal barrel on instead and ream it out to a .303 case diameter? Trying to keep the cost around $500 if I could.(Is that a reasonable price/quote for the work required?).

Thanks in advance.

Brad

 

[louthepou]

Not sure, but finding a sporterized rifle with a good barrel. Shouldn't cost you much more than $100 or $150 (I can only guess that you have a No4 Mk1, no a No1 Mk4), plus the labor to swap it?

Lou

 

[rgg_7]

There a chap in New Brunswick that does a 30/303 conversion.

Why not just convert it to 308 Win? You need to change the extractor or modify the existing.

You might find a good used barrel that could be installed.

Is the rifle in sporter or military configuration?

You should be able to get something done for your $500.00 budget.

 

[Tyler]

Check in with Marstar for replacement No4 barrels. Failing a local source, try Springfield Sporters or Numrich south of the border. No4 barrels are pretty easy to come by in good shape if you know where to look.

If you have the right tools you can probably do the job yourself. Paying a gunsmith to do a straight swap shouldn't cost you more than $200, I know Ellwood Epps in Ontario does it for $150. For that cost though, you could easily buy the equipment and do it yourself and be set up to do more than one swap. There are guides online.

To set up a No4 as a .308 would be expensive, you have to pay for a custom barrel, and if you don't have a .308 enfield magazine (which is pricey), then all you have is a single shot.

 

[p-17]

I recently used a .308 diameter barrel in exactly this way. I had a noted CGN member (who is a gunsmith) thread it for the Lee-Enfield and cut the chamber with a .303 Br reamer. The result is marked ".30-303". It is technically a wildcat, but the net effect is that you reload the brass like any .303 but use .308 bullets instead. The downside is that you can't use factory loads, but that's not a big deal for me because I never use factory loads, anyway.

I got this rifle back from the gunsmith in December. However, because the weather has been so crappy here, I haven't had a chance to take it out yet to see how it performs. I'd expect it to be pretty decent, but I'll have to keep my fingers crossed.

This seems to be the most practical solution to rebarreling a Lee-Enfield, in my opinion, if for no other reason than there are a ton of different bullets to choose from now.

 

[Mystic Precision]

I can offer you a match CM Shilen barrel blanks that will fit into your budget.

The big difference is the exterior is not a match so you can't put on the front site, etc. Of course, you could machine it to match.

Most companies will not ship barrels out of the US without permits and that cost is going straight up.

As was mentioned, the least expensive is to buy another Mk4 for parts or to use in whole.

Best performance is to rebarrel. Shilen will make a 0.311" bore with 10 twist so orig ammo can be used without any issue. Of course, all manner of 308 barrels can be speced.

Jerry

 

[rgwhitman]

Lothar Walther offers match grade .303 cal barrels and they can be sourced in Canada.Not available in the military profiles but if you are burying it under a full wood stock you would not be able to see the differance.

 

[Leeper]

I have used barrels from Shilen, McGowan, and from Ron Smith, in 311 groove diameter. All have been excellent. I think Bevan King also makes a 311. Be advised, you have to really like your No.4 to spend the required dollars to put on a custom barrel. You'll be looking at 500 dollars and up altogether. Regards, Bill.

 

[H Wally]

Unless you want a new made barrel, I've seen a few parted out no4 barrels in vg internal condition for about $50 at the last few gun shows... pay a gun smith to take the old one off and install a new one and you're golden.

 

[josquin]

Unless you want a new made barrel, I've seen a few parted out no4 barrels in vg internal condition for about $50 at the last few gun shows... pay a gun smith to take the old one off and install a new one and you're golden.

Agreed. I had a .303 Martini with a shot-out barrel and picked up a NºIII barrel from a CGN member for about $50.00 and had Epps install it. I think the cost from Epps was about $100, including machining the Martini extractor slots.

Stuart