Lee enfield # 1 mk 3 military Help PICS
- Thread starter gunsdora
- Start date
Bolt, Body (receiver), Forestock, Barrel and Nosecap numbers should match. Also, if a new gun, the rear sight number will match.
Wartime rifle, BSA production, likely machining a bit on the rough side, no maker's markings but a CODE on the left side of the Butt Socket.
Took the same Proof test as the pretty ones.
Seem to run 400 to 500 these days.
Wartime rifle, BSA production, likely machining a bit on the rough side, no maker's markings but a CODE on the left side of the Butt Socket.
Took the same Proof test as the pretty ones.
Seem to run 400 to 500 these days.
awesome
Let's see some more pics of the matching bits...great pick up.
When you strip her pay close attention to the butt end of the fore stock, look for cracks where the buttstock bolts in...around the draws and the front trigger guard bolt. Fingers crossed you have no cracks. If there is, don't despair...they can be fixed, I've done a couple myself now and I'm no gunsmith.
REMOVE THE FORE STOCK BEFORE THE BUTT !!!!!!
Enjoy and thanks for sharing !
Let's see some more pics of the matching bits...great pick up.
When you strip her pay close attention to the butt end of the fore stock, look for cracks where the buttstock bolts in...around the draws and the front trigger guard bolt. Fingers crossed you have no cracks. If there is, don't despair...they can be fixed, I've done a couple myself now and I'm no gunsmith.
REMOVE THE FORE STOCK BEFORE THE BUTT !!!!!!
Enjoy and thanks for sharing !
The 'HXP' ammunition is of Greek manufacture - actually reads NXR, and is some of the very best .303 British ammunition ever made. We have none left here on sale in UK, and those lucky guys who still have some hoard it like crazy.
See -
HXP headstamp,
(Greek Powder & Cartridge Company,
1, Ilioupoleos Ave.
17236
Athens,
Greece.
(PYRKAL) S.A. is the oldest Greek Defense Industry, as it was founded in 1874. Today, PYRKAL:
Manufactures a wide range of NATO type Ammunition, from 5.56mm up to 155mm, Rockets and Fuses.
Is the Greek MoD's exclusive supplier of ammunition.
Exports its products to all five Continents.
Is a State owned company, having three plants, and maintains a staff of 1300.
Holds an ISSO 9002 Certification.)
Made nitro-cellulose loaded .303 cartridges in. Ball, L1A1 to British Government contract (1982-85)
& Ball (1969)
303 British ammo with a headstamp "HXP 75". when disassembled it contains 41 grains of ball powder, a 174 grain FMJ bullet, and is boxer primed.
In the 1960s, the factory, under NATO/US agreements, became part of the US Offshore Procurement Program; as a result, machinery and technology from Olin Industries (Winchester Western) was set up in Piraeus to make US cal. ammo at US Specifications, with Olin Ball Powder; as the Greek Army was then currently also using .303 British, they also made this ammo to the same technical specs.
As a result, any HXP marked ammo is of Winchester-Western quality (some say better), is Boxer primed, Noncorrosive, and with Ball Powder loading.
I've seen it claimed that HXP ammo was made on equipment from Britain, but there’s no similarity between the HXP and British MilSurp .303 that I can see.
The other stuff may have originated from the FN ammunition plant in Belgium [Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre of Herstal, a district of Liége] and if you've never heard of FN, well, my friend there's no hope for you
. I can't make out the rest of the packaging, apart from possibly ...[L']estricorp Enterprises Inc., St. Laurent, a district of Montréal, Québec.
tac
See -
HXP headstamp,
(Greek Powder & Cartridge Company,
1, Ilioupoleos Ave.
17236
Athens,
Greece.
(PYRKAL) S.A. is the oldest Greek Defense Industry, as it was founded in 1874. Today, PYRKAL:
Manufactures a wide range of NATO type Ammunition, from 5.56mm up to 155mm, Rockets and Fuses.
Is the Greek MoD's exclusive supplier of ammunition.
Exports its products to all five Continents.
Is a State owned company, having three plants, and maintains a staff of 1300.
Holds an ISSO 9002 Certification.)
Made nitro-cellulose loaded .303 cartridges in. Ball, L1A1 to British Government contract (1982-85)
& Ball (1969)
303 British ammo with a headstamp "HXP 75". when disassembled it contains 41 grains of ball powder, a 174 grain FMJ bullet, and is boxer primed.
In the 1960s, the factory, under NATO/US agreements, became part of the US Offshore Procurement Program; as a result, machinery and technology from Olin Industries (Winchester Western) was set up in Piraeus to make US cal. ammo at US Specifications, with Olin Ball Powder; as the Greek Army was then currently also using .303 British, they also made this ammo to the same technical specs.
As a result, any HXP marked ammo is of Winchester-Western quality (some say better), is Boxer primed, Noncorrosive, and with Ball Powder loading.
I've seen it claimed that HXP ammo was made on equipment from Britain, but there’s no similarity between the HXP and British MilSurp .303 that I can see.
The other stuff may have originated from the FN ammunition plant in Belgium [Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre of Herstal, a district of Liége] and if you've never heard of FN, well, my friend there's no hope for you
. I can't make out the rest of the packaging, apart from possibly ...[L']estricorp Enterprises Inc., St. Laurent, a district of Montréal, Québec.tac
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Nice toy, missing a couple bits of wood from the replaced top forward handguard, but that can be fixed.
That is about a $40 cleaning rod and the action cover is genuine WW2 and worth about another $30.
The ammo: The HXP (Greek Powder Company) is reloadable and Boxer primed. Their brass is a bit on the small side, so you put a rubber O-ring on the base of each cartridge when you shoot it. The O-ring holds the cartridge in the exact centre of the chamber so that all expansion is equal: makes it very easy to reload AND it fireforms the brass to fit this rifle only.
The Belgian ammo is Berdan primed and thus not generally reloadable. Their slugs usually are boat-tailed also: work great in machine-guns but the Enfield rifling in the rifles does prefer a flatbased bullet.
You got a great rifle there and it should last you a lifetime or three if you look after it.
You will have to let us know how it shoots.
Have fun!
That is about a $40 cleaning rod and the action cover is genuine WW2 and worth about another $30.
The ammo: The HXP (Greek Powder Company) is reloadable and Boxer primed. Their brass is a bit on the small side, so you put a rubber O-ring on the base of each cartridge when you shoot it. The O-ring holds the cartridge in the exact centre of the chamber so that all expansion is equal: makes it very easy to reload AND it fireforms the brass to fit this rifle only.
The Belgian ammo is Berdan primed and thus not generally reloadable. Their slugs usually are boat-tailed also: work great in machine-guns but the Enfield rifling in the rifles does prefer a flatbased bullet.
You got a great rifle there and it should last you a lifetime or three if you look after it.
You will have to let us know how it shoots.
Have fun!
The front handguard, forward of the rear sight, is missing the two pieces of wood that continue rearward and meet up with the "fingers" of the rear handguard, which project forward to meet the forward guard. This picture shows the "fingers" of the forward handguard coming in from the left, and meeting the "fingers" of the rear handguard coming in from the right of the picture. They meet under the rear sight.
And a couple more:
And a couple more:
"Headspace" can vary depending on the ammunition in use and there is NO ammo made today which sticks with the original specs.
Your best bet is to put an O-ring (or doubled pony-tail tie: much cheaper) around thee bases of your cartridges. This will hold the ammo back against the bolt, reducing headspace to an effective ZERO, no matter what ammo you are using.
Your Bolt matches the Body matches the Barrel, so more than likely it would be okay if checked with a proper MILITARY gauge.
Do have fun!
Your best bet is to put an O-ring (or doubled pony-tail tie: much cheaper) around thee bases of your cartridges. This will hold the ammo back against the bolt, reducing headspace to an effective ZERO, no matter what ammo you are using.
Your Bolt matches the Body matches the Barrel, so more than likely it would be okay if checked with a proper MILITARY gauge.
Do have fun!
The little rubber elastics that girls use for tying-off braids and pony-tails.
I got a bag at our local Dollar Store: 500 in a blister-pack for 1 buck.
Make things better, they were BLACK (Tactical, y'know!).
Plus 12 cents tax, mind you.
I got a bag at our local Dollar Store: 500 in a blister-pack for 1 buck.
Make things better, they were BLACK (Tactical, y'know!).
Plus 12 cents tax, mind you.
Yup.
The extractor will compress the band or move it out of the way. Chambering might be a bit stiff, but the casing will be held centrally and will expand centrally outward, so no weak spots in your fired cases.
Also, headspace problems diminish to zero.
When you are done, the brass is perfectly sized to THAT rifle's chamber. Easy now to neck-size only and load about 10% UNDER factory. Your brass will last 15 shots or more.
WITHOUT the rubber-band trick, it is a JOB to get 4 firings out of your brass..... and it is expensive stuff: half the price of a box of ammo.
The extractor will compress the band or move it out of the way. Chambering might be a bit stiff, but the casing will be held centrally and will expand centrally outward, so no weak spots in your fired cases.
Also, headspace problems diminish to zero.
When you are done, the brass is perfectly sized to THAT rifle's chamber. Easy now to neck-size only and load about 10% UNDER factory. Your brass will last 15 shots or more.
WITHOUT the rubber-band trick, it is a JOB to get 4 firings out of your brass..... and it is expensive stuff: half the price of a box of ammo.
