Enfield troubles

[mg4201]

@diopter: great (what's the reverse of an acronym, anyway?) But it's great: that's exactly what it does.

I have had excellent results using the Sierra Pro-Hunter 180. This is a soft-point hunting bullet, but it does fill in for the Mark VII very well. I shoot it with 37 grains of 4895 for an MV of about 2250. I seat it to the OAL of a Mark VII Ball round. Yes, due to the slightly differing OGIVE of the Sierra bullet, this does crowd the leade just a bit, but the rifles seem to like it. Pressures are relatively low, as compared o factory stuff and, in a good rifle, this load can shoot under point-five MOA. I am actually getting this point-five MOA from an Aussie 1918 rifle and the load shoots exactly an inch at 100 from an absolutely-untouched 1918 National. I won't tell you what it does in a Ross because you'll call me a d*mn liar. Yes, this is a .311" bullet, but it does obturate very nicely.

Another bullet I have had good results with is the Hornady flat-base .312" 150 Spire Point, seated so the cannelure shows, over 40 grains of 4064. This is a warmer load but also very accurate, especially in the P-'14 rifle.

Note, kindly, that in each case the bullet is the cheapest in its class.

REMINGTON and WINCHESTER also make flatbase .303 slugs and neither of their jackets are very hard. This is what you want for best obturation: a soft bullet. Perhaps someone will have these in bulk form. I would not hesitate to try either one.

Hope this helps.
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smellie all my mosins like that load too same bulet same powder. weird eh

 

[diopter]

@diopter: great (what's the reverse of an acronym, anyway?) But it's great: that's exactly what it does..

Bacronym:

The reverse of producing an acronym; taking a word which already exists and creating a phrase (usually humorous) using the letters of the word as initials: e.g. Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody (BANANA), Guaranteed Overnight Delivery (GOD).
• From back(wards) + acronym.

 

[Lee Enfield]

@ciphery: you forgot the 6-groove barrels made by Savage and Long Branch.

Who made the 4-groove critters?

But those are all Number 4 tubes; the man is talking about an SMLE and they were ALL 5-groove Enfield rifling, unless somebody has slipped one in there that I am not aware of. Enfield DID experiment with other rifling patterns, including a 3-groove like the Swiss, but NONE of them were ever released and the only existing specimens are in the Pattern Room collection.

Easiest way to determine bore diameter at the muzzle with a proper Enfield barrel (5 lands, 5 grooves, deep grooves), given that you don't have factory gaugs (I have) is to rotate a slug in the muzzle and mike the polished ring around the slug. Quick and easy if your mike is working right.

BTW, Metfords were 7 grooves.

But the SMLE was 5.
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Most of the BSA "dispersion" No1 MkIII* SMLE rifles manufactured from 1942-44 have 4 groove barrels. I've owned several & seen many more.

I have a 4 groove No4 Savage manufactured barrel (sadly sporterized by Puker Hale). I'm still looking for a complete one.

The 3 groove barrels were manufactured in quantity (by ackles & poluck), but because they had the knox form reinforce shrunk and pinned on they were actively sought out and destroyed during the post-war FTR program. When they heated up, sometimes the re-inforce came loose...