Epps .303/Enfield Wildcat Conversions

[Andy]

Anyone with a reamer can do the conversion.

The 303 Brit round is one of the better rounds for "improving" and the conversion will give it a capacity between the 308 and 30-06, and add about 100 fps to your MV if you keep the pressures the same as before conversion. In a Lee Enfield you'd be wise to do just that.

Anyone "getting" anywhere close to 300 Win Mag velocities out of a 303 Epps is working at an exceptionally high pressure.

 

[burnt_servo]

.

Anyone "getting" anywhere close to 300 Win Mag velocities out of a 303 Epps is working at an exceptionally high pressure.

you need to think in terms of a 300 winmag case necked up to 303 diameter ( 303 epps mag ) , not a 303 case with a sharp shoulder ( 303 british improved ) .

there was a thread a couple months ago about this .

 

[Andy]

you need to think in terms of a 300 winmag case necked up to 303 diameter ( 303 epps mag ) , not a 303 case with a sharp shoulder ( 303 british improved ) .

there was a thread a couple months ago about this .

There have been several threads over the years on running a 300 Win Mag reamer into a P14 chamber, but it was always called a "303 Win Mag" - until recently apparently. Elwood Epps never did such a conversion, so I don't know how his name got attached to it, but when someone does, the distinction between a real Epps conversion (from 303 Brit) and that one (from 300 Win Mag) gets lost and the confusion could result in too high expectations, i.e. 300 Win Mag velocities from a 303 Brit conversion.

The 303 Win Mag conversion is simple: aside from the reaming, the neck of the brass will need to be reduced by up to 5 thou to provide adequate clearance.

A more common conversion is to ream a P17 (Enfield Model of 1917) to 300 Win Mag and use a P14 bolt - I have one.

 

[Steve.30-06]

Just a question, can the .303 Win Mag conversion be done to a SMLE No 4 Mk 2? Or is the action not strong enough?

 

[Andy]

Just a question, can the .303 Win Mag conversion be done to a SMLE No 4 Mk 2? Or is the action not strong enough?

This is actually a trick question. You can do the conversion if you then limit the 303 Win mag loads to 40K psi, not the 60K+ psi that you will find in factory loads.

Since that won't happen, the answer is NO.

 

[Tyroma]

I had a Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I that was built by Ellwood Epps (...yup - same as the store in Orillia...that was his place). It was chambered in 25/303. What a varmint destroyer that was! Shouldn't have sold it, but was tricky to make the ammo...

TY

 

[sbound]

Rob Wise, of Wise Choice Gunsmithing, is Ellwood Epps grandson. His shop is located just a couple of miles north of the Epps store and he currently operates as a gunsmith.

If anyone knows about this stuff, I would think it would be him.

 

[Steve.30-06]

This is actually a trick question. You can do the conversion if you then limit the 303 Win mag loads to 40K psi, not the 60K+ psi that you will find in factory loads.

Since that won't happen, the answer is NO.

What about the .303 Epps in a No 4 Mk 2? or is this another trick question?

 

[Andy]

What about the .303 Epps in a No 4 Mk 2? or is this another trick question?

No - many were done and it will show a major improvement in velocity over the 303 Brit. Like with any gun, you will still need to respect its pressure limitations after the rechambering. You will likely see a 100 fps increase in MV with 174 gr bullets, and some improvement in brass life. It's up to you if that's worth it - you'll certainly never recoup the cost of rechambering and dies, but you'll have a cool chambering.

 

[stevejones]

I had a Ross that Epps had converted to 358/03. The cartridge was comparable to 358 Winchester. I had a gunsmith inspect it and he noticed that the original barrel had been re-bored. I'm no gunsmith but I am sure that was a notable piece of work. I recall a caliber that was brought out in the 80's (?) called the 303 Imperial magnum. I'm not sure but it was probably a 300 Winchester case that was used.

Cheers. Steve.

 

[fat tony]

I have read that .25/303 was quite popular with hunters in Australia, something to do with onerous legislation there in past eras. I presume that there are some pretty interesting SMLE's, #4's, #5's, P-14's and Martini-Henrys in the "decimal X"/303 calibers in Australia.

 

[copperhead1971]

There have been many, and more that aren't listed anywhere
303 Savage A 0.311 2.15 0.501 0.332 0.414 0.439 2.52 L 1895
303 British A 0.311 2.21 0.530 0.337 0.402 0.458 3.05 B/L 1887
303 Adder E 0.311 1.464 0.532 0.355 - 0.430 - - -
303 Fraser A 0.310 2.2 0.466 0.339 - 0.457 - - -
303 Gaudet E 0.357 1.67 0.527 0.392 - 0.455 - - -
303 Lewis A 0.307 2.44 0.531 0.342 - 0.501 - - -
303 Magnum C 0.312 2.34 0.557 0.345 0.462 0.530 3.25 - 1919

from here
http://members.shaw.ca/cstein0/riflelist3.htm

 

[RRCo.]

I had a Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I that was built by Ellwood Epps (...yup - same as the store in Orillia...that was his place). It was chambered in 25/303. What a varmint destroyer that was! Shouldn't have sold it, but was tricky to make the ammo...

TY

I've got one of those barrels by SPORTCO on a No4 Mk2 action. Must finish that sometime! What did you do for cases?

 

[Banished]

I had a Ross that Epps had converted to 358/03. The cartridge was comparable to 358 Winchester. I had a gunsmith inspect it and he noticed that the original barrel had been re-bored. I'm no gunsmith but I am sure that was a notable piece of work. I recall a caliber that was brought out in the 80's (?) called the 303 Imperial magnum. I'm not sure but it was probably a 300 Winchester case that was used.

Cheers. Steve.

It was called the .311 Imperial Magnum and was based on the .404 Jeffery case.

Regards; Aubrey

 

[klondike pete]

303 epps

A number of years back I had my no4 done to this conversion,later I had it rebored to 35 cal on303 improved case,this worked good for me,I use the lower end of 358 win loading with 180gr and 200gr jacketed bullets only thing I have to use it as a single shot,never had the magazine modified.