gunsmiths doing enfield caliber conversions?

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45ACPKING

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I've been toying with turning another drilled and tapped enfield receiver into a fantastic rifle with a caliber other than .303 strictly for hunting purposes.
I have both no4 and no1 MK3/shtle/smle receivers
I'd like to base the rifle on the .308 but will really want to take it to 338federal. the 'dcra" type mods for bolt and magazine and then a barrel.

anyone recommend anyone?

p.s. no restorable receivers will be so shamefully converted :D
I have a collection of them that were previously harmed with drilling and tapping in their past lives
 
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i dont think it would be a good idea, the .308 is pretty marginal for the enfield action, i wouldnt want to put my face behind that bolt in .338 federal. a better idea might be to convert one of those AIA rifles as they are beefed up in the action area i think
 
There's a gunsmith not far from me reputed to do .45-70 conversions on Enfield's. He lives in or around Tomslake, BC but I can't remember his name. I think he has a website. I'll see if google will give up the goods.

*EDIT*
I think this is the guy you want to talk to:
JR's Custom Gunsmithing
14585 2 Hwy
Tomslake, BC
V0C 2L0
1-250-786-5029

I'm not 100% he's the right guy, and he may not offer the services you're after so I apologize in advance if I'm wrong.
 
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scott585 said:
i dont think it would be a good idea, the .308 is pretty marginal for the enfield action, i wouldnt want to put my face behind that bolt in .338 federal. a better idea might be to convert one of those AIA rifles as they are beefed up in the action area i think
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I'm sorry, but this is according to who? The British turned many No. 4s into their 7.62 NATO L42 Sniper Rifles, not to mention the many conversions done by the DCRA and other shooting orgs. If a major military power believed these rifles adequately strong, who are you to say they are wrong? I will agree that the Lee Enfield does not necessarily lend itself to extreme accuracy and are not always kind to brass and reloading ammo, but they are plenty strong for conversion. As for cautioning against .338 Federal, it is identical to every other .308/7.62 variant round in existence. No practical, technical differences between it and the .243 Win., .260 Win., 7mm-08, and the .358 Win., among many others.

Conversion is not too hard. One only needs a new extractor and magazine (and barrel, obviously) and the rifle should function fine. You could move the ejector forward to make cycling easier, but it is by no means a necessity. I would not convert a No. 1 however, those that were "converted" were actually newly manufactured units made with modern materials in India. Excellent firearms if you can get one.
 
Blastattack said:
I'm sorry, but this is according to who? The British turned many No. 4s into their 7.62 NATO L42 Sniper Rifles, not to mention the many conversions done by the DCRA and other shooting orgs. If a major military power believed these rifles adequately strong, who are you to say they are wrong? I will agree that the Lee Enfield does not necessarily lend itself to extreme accuracy and are not always kind to brass and reloading ammo, but they are plenty strong for conversion. As for cautioning against .338 Federal, it is identical to every other .308/7.62 variant round in existence. No practical, technical differences between it and the .243 Win., .260 Win., 7mm-08, and the .358 Win., among many others.

Conversion is not too hard. One only needs a new extractor and magazine (and barrel, obviously) and the rifle should function fine. You could move the ejector forward to make cycling easier, but it is by no means a necessity. I would not convert a No. 1 however, those that were "converted" were actually newly manufactured units made with modern materials in India. Excellent firearms if you can get one.
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converted from rifles in the best shape and they were made to shoot military loads, not the really high pressure stuff sold comercially, start pushing a bigger bullet out of a 60 year old or older action is not the best idea. the 45-70 is a nice low pressure round compaired to .303 and the extractor works as is.

i dont think the enfield is weak or bad, but it was never built to handle 62000 psi regularly, especially after 6 or 7 decades of possible metal fatigue, i have seen one lose the small lug on the bolt just firing commercial .303 loads. nothing dangerous occurred, but the rifle is now unfireable, imagine a 20% increase in pressure to go with that.
 
I believe the pressures will be much lower than 62,000 PSI , more in the 50's but I don't have my date at hand.
I've done a lot of research into coming up with my own .338f in either a bolt action conversion or in an m14 when I eventually get a barrel. the m14 rifles operating system needs only a minor tweak to the gas system and and a .338federal barrel and she's off to the races. I've just been wanting a new project and thought hmmmmmm why not see if I can build up a .338federal enfield.

admittedly I have not compared the pressures between .303 loads and comparable bullet weight loads in .338f ..... but that's kinda why I'm looking for someone who has knowledge specifically with enfield conversions. I know about ol man Epps and his caliber conversions like .303 epps and such

I have a compulsive disorder about these things LOL but I hunt with a n1 mk3 custom already and for me the action is perfect, just want to step up the chambering
 
Remple in Tomslake BC does the 45/70 as well as the 375 x 2 1/2" flanged (nitro) conversions. Jim Duggan in Saskatoon SK was doing 223. Ron
 
thanx guys
I've got some queries in with jerry at mystic precision for possible barrel options
I'll follow up with some of the suggestions on gunsmiths posted here
thanx a bunch ;)
 
woodchopper said:
I was thinking 44Mag or 357Maximum with an 18" barrel would be a good little conversion.
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i have often thought a 44 mag carbine would be slick, but the rim is just too small to eject, i figured a spring style side ejector would do the trick, use the ejector screw to hold a spring flap with a pin that pushes in further ahead in the action, match it up with a bolt stop so the bolt doesnt travel as far, and put a not quite double stack mag up front in the well, could probably be faster than a lever gun
 
303 rim .540"
44Mag rim .514"

not a lot of difference.

And its not hard to modify the extractor to work with 308Win which has a .473" rim so I think with a minimum amount of work to the extractor that 44Mag would work.
 
45acp has been done a few times too.
but I still want a .338f hehehe which would be..... a custom barrel, machined and timed for the no1mk3 receiver, feed ramps and chamber cut to headspace. bolt's extractor modified to suit .308 case.... and a magazine that will hold and feed .308 cases. should be very similar to a .308 conversion as the .308 and .338F share the same parent case.
 
A .338/.303 would be the easiest .338 conversion. Handloading proposition for sure, and a custom ordered reamer, but the gunsmithing would be very straightforward. Only the barrel. Timing is not an issue - fit the barrel and headspace, then cut the extractor notch.
Prior to the First War, there were beautiful sporting rifles made up in various calibers, including a .375. A tang (shotgun style) safety was sometimes added.
 
woodchopper said:
303 rim .540"
44Mag rim .514"

not a lot of difference.

And its not hard to modify the extractor to work with 308Win which has a .473" rim so I think with a minimum amount of work to the extractor that 44Mag would work.
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i think they use a different ejector for .308, either a plunger style in the aia rifles or a longer, possibly springloaded screw, i think the extractor works fine as is to extract, just not eject a 44
 
scott585 said:
i think they use a different ejector for .308, either a plunger style in the aia rifles or a longer, possibly springloaded screw, i think the extractor works fine as is to extract, just not eject a 44
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the ejector is simply the screw, and the extractor must push the base of the spent case far enough over the edge of the bolt face to hitthe screw.

My DCRA 308 ejects, not a strong ejection, but the extractor is long enough to force the spent case over and engage the ejector screw.

now a plunger style ejector would work way better but its a lot more work to build.
 
woodchopper said:
the ejector is simply the screw, and the extractor must push the base of the spent case far enough over the edge of the bolt face to hitthe screw.

My DCRA 308 ejects, not a strong ejection, but the extractor is long enough to force the spent case over and engage the ejector screw.

now a plunger style ejector would work way better but its a lot more work to build.
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perhaps a little spring like a cooey 64, but flat rather than round could fit in the boltway to kick out into the base of the case to give a bit more positive ejection.
the dcra rifles didnt have to eject very well, they were target rifles, not combat rifles, and i have never been fully satisfied with the ejection system on them, a real 303 will eject the case before it hits that screw
 
Don't use a NO1 MK3 receiver it will fail Auz tried it in there NO6 with a 20 round L1A1 converted mag it failed,India did it but they manufactured a new receiver from stronger steel a NO4 receiver is the way to go. I have a LB NO4 with a 30 inch heavy barrel in 7.62/308 it uses a L42 mag,and the NO1 mag also works nicely in it after I fit the L42 mag to the receiver,mine uses the 303 ejector also and it functions fine. Been thinking of converting it to a L42A1 clone it has already been fitted with a NO8 forestock and LB butt with cheek piece.



45ACPKING said:
45acp has been done a few times too.
but I still want a .338f hehehe which would be..... a custom barrel, machined and timed for the no1mk3 receiver, feed ramps and chamber cut to headspace. bolt's extractor modified to suit .308 case.... and a magazine that will hold and feed .308 cases. should be very similar to a .308 conversion as the .308 and .338F share the same parent case.
Click to expand...
 
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