Help with "new" Enfield - she lives!! Range Report!

[smellie]

Hi, OEM!

No, the larger brass means that the rifle the stuff was fired in has a larger (fatter) chamber than yours. Likely, the other chamber was made with a new reamer, yours after the reamer (made to the same specs) was sharpened once. That's all: nothing terrible.

Good photos.

I have some bits here that will fit on rather nicely. They'll be in Monday's mail to you, so don't go spending money. I do remember we PM'd back and forth regarding headspace. Gauges cost money, but there IS a way to fake it that works. In the package.

Old girl is lookin' real good from what I can see.

She's a keeper for sure now!

 

[OEM]

Hi Smellie, yes, I've been waiting for those bits eagerly! Yes, the old girl looks good, and with all the money I've already spent on reloading stuff, she's gonna be a keeper whether I like it or not

Since buying the reloading stuff, I've been researching and reading some very interesting things about how people are doing things like using 308 bullets in their SMLEs. Do you see anything wrong with that? I ask only because someone gave me a whole boxful of 100 Hornady 168 GR BTHP Moly Coated bullets in .308. This is in addition to the 100 Hornady 174 Gr FMJBT that I bought to practice with before I look for Soft Points for hunting.

 

[H Wally]

I'd personally say don't waste the nice 308 bullets, you won't get much accuracy out of them in most enfields. Don't know how much reloading you have done, but if you're new to it, a good idea is to slug your bore to determine what bullet would fit best.

The basics are you get an all lead slug and force it down the bore from one end to the other. The lead is soft so it'll conform to the rifling, and the resulting lead negative of your bore will be the exact diameter of your barrel at the tightest points. I think you'll find that almost all enfields are in the .310-.313 range. I like a longer slug, it's a little harder to get going, but you're a little more assured that you'll get full expansion into the lands and grooves and get a true measure, rather than short slugs that might actually remain smaller than the bore in places.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm

and of course, iraqveteran888, with his video series that covers everything known to pre-1950's shooters.

[youtube]ErFaJlUVs1Y[/youtube]

 

[OEM]

I'd personally say don't waste the nice 308 bullets, you won't get much accuracy out of them in most enfields. Don't know how much reloading you have done, but if you're new to it, a good idea is to slug your bore to determine what bullet would fit best.

The basics are you get an all lead slug and force it down the bore from one end to the other. The lead is soft so it'll conform to the rifling, and the resulting lead negative of your bore will be the exact diameter of your barrel at the tightest points. I think you'll find that almost all enfields are in the .310-.313 range. I like a longer slug, it's a little harder to get going, but you're a little more assured that you'll get full expansion into the lands and grooves and get a true measure, rather than short slugs that might actually remain smaller than the bore in places.

Thanks for the link and video Wally. I seriously thought that ball wasn't going to come our from his rifle! But yeah, that looks like something I should do even if only to know how big my bore is.

About the 308s, my initial thought was "well, here now is a reason to get another rifle, cos I've got bullets for it" Well, it just turn out that way in the end.

I actually know nothing about reloading, except what I've been reading religiously lately. I know I want to get into it, cos of the sticker shock of commercial 303 rounds. I have a good buddy, fellow CGNer, who will help me. He's got a press and 21 years of experience in reloading...but for pistol cartridges. He'll be doing rifle for the first time, and well, it will be a learning adventure or the both of us. I also have another buddy (the guy who gave me the 308s, that is going to be reloading for his 308 too, so it looks like its going to be quite a party!