Converting No.1 SMLE to .308

OK, now to bring some sanity to this argument. The .308 or 7.62 NATO round came out in around 1952 and 1954 respectively. The SMLE receiver ceased to be newly manufactured with only a couple exceptions in 1948. (the exceptions being a small run of Lithgows in around 1956 and sporadic production in India up until 1986 or so).

The Ishapore 2A/2A1 is the only SMLE pattern receiver ever produced for 7.62 NATO. It was NOT made of the same steel alloy as the SMLE of old.

Put bluntly, the No.4 action can barely withstand a regular diet of 7.62mm. The Brits stopped L8 production shortly after they started it due to the receivers not standing up to the kind of round count you see in the military.

A No.1 action is NOT a safe choice for a conversion to 7.62 or .308. It WILL stretch the receiver after a short time and could fail catastrophically. Not worth the risk IMHO.
 
Try and find yourself a 2A/2A1 rifle then as long as you aren't running Nitro or hot loads through it all the time it will last years to come and that would also go for the NO4 receiver the high pressures is what kills them or any rifle.



Fenix.NZ said:
No, Aussie is the equivalent of that nasty downsyndrome kid at school..
its just not worth the effort trying, and if you do, the answers to your questions will just leave you confused and kind of angry.

the mind boggles, plus i prefer the No.1 to the No.4 .. simply on aesthetics
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Fenix.NZ said:
No, Aussie is the equivalent of that nasty downsyndrome kid at school..
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...:eek:........

Fenix.NZ said:
its just not worth the effort trying, and if you do, the answers to your questions will just leave you confused and kind of angry.
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Sounds like the result of a CGN conversation !...:wave:

Fenix.NZ said:
the mind boggles, plus i prefer the No.1 to the No.4 .. simply on aesthetics
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Duly noted :yingyang: , but apparently the No.4 was stronger in action and thicker in barrel than the SMLE....:redface:...if you watch the E&E here you'll see the No.4 sporters command a higher price than the SMLE sporters for that very reason; the barrel on a sportered SMLE can heat up real quick !......:(
 
I have two of the 2A1s because I am not a big fan of conversions like the SMLE in 308. I like the 2A1 because the FN stripper clips work with them. Had a third but sold it a few years back. One is in original Ishipore wood and metal the other one is in new Lithgow wood. Bought a 2A1 years ago when nobody even knew what they were. A gun was in the Gun Runner for months and I called the owner about it I was the only guy that called in the months it was advertised. Ian Skennertons book on the Lee-Enfield Rifle just came out and I had an early copy. Now we have the internet but is everything correct on the net?
 
cyclone said:
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Duly noted :yingyang: , but apparently the No.4 was stronger in action and thicker in barrel than the SMLE....:redface:...if you watch the E&E here you'll see the No.4 sporters command a higher price than the SMLE sporters for that very reason; the barrel on a sportered SMLE can heat up real quick !......:(
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Ah the barrel on my pipe-dream No.1 conversion would be brand new and made by True-flite in NZ .. no way would i have tried to use an original barrel
 
Why don't you go for something water cooled with a higher rate of fire. :rolleyes:

RUGBY4a.jpg
 
Claven2 said:
snip...

Put bluntly, the No.4 action can barely withstand a regular diet of 7.62mm. The Brits stopped L8 production shortly after they started it due to the receivers not standing up to the kind of round count you see in the military.

snip....
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This is not true, the reason they stopped converting L8 rifles is because they didn't need to convert .303 rifles to 7.62 anymore.

The plan was that front line personnel were to be armed with L1A1 rifles, second line personnel were to be armed with L8 rifles until sufficient stock of FN rifles were built up, and third line personnel were to be issued .303 rifles until the L8s passed into their hands.

3-4 main events occurred which changed that:

1. The British military size was reduced by some 100,000 personnel.

~ Many proud regiments were amalgamated with other Regiments which were their historical rivals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Army_regiments_(1962)
2. The BSA and Enfield factories were producing L1A1 rifles faster than forecast.

~ CAL had manufactured some 60,000 C1 rifles from 1957-1959, BSA and Enfield weren't far behind, and rapidly overtook us.

3. The Sterling company and Enfield crown corporation got into a patent right dispute which temporarily halted export sales to India

~ By the time that got straightened out, Lithgow was manufacturing L1A1 rifles and selling them to everyone who would possibly have been interested in a conversion.

4. Pakistan and India went to war.

~ The sanctioning of India & Pakistan ended that sale of some 100,000 rifles and conversion kits to India when India cancelled the purchase (along with a whole pile of L2A3 Sterlings).
 
Fenix.NZ said:
ammunition availability..
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.303 is everywhere in NZ - just gotta know where to look.

A case of 1200 rounds CAC 1918 MkVII walked in to my local gunshop a few months ago - all wrapped up in their ten round packets - it shot pretty good too.

Join the Antique Arms, go to auctions and pick up whatever you find.... there were three cases at last years Wellington Auction - which all sold for less than $1 a round. One of the cases was HXP 75 - the champion of surplus .303

....just don't go to the same auctions as me, cos I'll be doing the same thing.... :):D
 
fernleaf said:
.303 is everywhere in NZ - just gotta know where to look.

A case of 1200 rounds CAC 1918 MkVII walked in to my local gunshop a few months ago - all wrapped up in their ten round packets - it shot pretty good too.

Join the Antique Arms, go to auctions and pick up whatever you find.... there were three cases at last years Wellington Auction - which all sold for less than $1 a round. One of the cases was HXP 75 - the champion of surplus .303

....just don't go to the same auctions as me, cos I'll be doing the same thing.... :):D
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That sounds good to me, I reload so you guys buy the ammo, I'll buy the rifles:D
 
5THBATT said:
That sounds good to me, I reload so you guys buy the ammo, I'll buy the rifles:D
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You go for it, dude.

I got out of collecting Lee Enfields seven years ago as I had all the easy to find examples, and the hard to find examples cost too much money, and I was competing with guys who had more money than me....

The only Lee Enfield I own now is a LB No4 that I use for Service Rifle competitions. It loves CAC 59 Mk VII ball...
 
bigedp51 said:
Why don't you go for something water cooled with a higher rate of fire. :rolleyes:

RUGBY4a.jpg
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New Zealand must have a one or two man Rugby Team, because if his right hand is being held on the grips the same as his left, after the first round or two, (if he is really slow,) he will have had his knuckles rapped smartly by the operating handle. ...:)
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