Lee Speed?
- Thread starter stang
- Start date
I wonder if .314 cast would grab. 24.5 grains of imr4227 gets you 1900fps and you can use large pistol primers!
Edit, highwood casting sells .314 and .316!
I use their .314 and use regular 303 dies. Just use a set of needle nose pliers to flare the case mouth outward. Shoot well in all my enfields.
Edit, highwood casting sells .314 and .316!
I use their .314 and use regular 303 dies. Just use a set of needle nose pliers to flare the case mouth outward. Shoot well in all my enfields.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
I just bought its near identical twin at Ward’s Auction. One of these has been on the bucket list a long, long time. Hopefully the bore cleans up. I have a couple Weavers to fit it if I don’t like the one on it. I like that the scope mount is the right height to shoot under and it has a 20” barrel. Plus, 303 MkVII. It’ll sit nicely in the rack with the couple dozen Ross sporters and a Parker Hale #4 Standard. Plus one other sportered LE No1 that’s been in the family 75 years or so.
This rifle would be a 4C?
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
I looked at that one, it seemed fairly clean. I was not bidding on it.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
Clean but D&T’d and missing its bridge. The bore needs a really good scrub too from photos. But, it ticks a bunch of the boxes I require for an enjoyable vintage hunter, and overall it looks good so I put my bid in and got it. Another hole filled.
Re: This rifle would be a 4C?
Not necessarily. A post-war #4C rifle is much cruder than yours; yours also comes with the early Enfield type safety on the bolt, as well as a capped grip & fore-end tip whereas the 4, in any of its variations, does not. Just because yours has a short barrel, does not necessarily make it a 4C. Further, #4's were never fitted with silver initial ovals.
I think it is a #2 Pattern, ordered as a carbine. Remember, B.S.A.Co. would build you a rifle with a barrel of whatever length between 18 & 30" without extra cost. Note that yours has the high comb carbine butt. I've owned 3 of them over the years.
Too bad someone removed the charger guide [they are a BEAR to replace] and D&T'ed it for a side mount, when the no-drill mounts work as well, without destroying a rifle's originality.
The bore, at least based on the auction photos, does not look bad at all, it just requires a good scrub.
Here's some photos of various years of #4 Pattern rifles. As you can see, your newly-purchased rifle does not look at all like that. It is, essentially, a Pattern #2, albeit without engraving, with a carbine length barrel.
Not necessarily. A post-war #4C rifle is much cruder than yours; yours also comes with the early Enfield type safety on the bolt, as well as a capped grip & fore-end tip whereas the 4, in any of its variations, does not. Just because yours has a short barrel, does not necessarily make it a 4C. Further, #4's were never fitted with silver initial ovals.
I think it is a #2 Pattern, ordered as a carbine. Remember, B.S.A.Co. would build you a rifle with a barrel of whatever length between 18 & 30" without extra cost. Note that yours has the high comb carbine butt. I've owned 3 of them over the years.
Too bad someone removed the charger guide [they are a BEAR to replace] and D&T'ed it for a side mount, when the no-drill mounts work as well, without destroying a rifle's originality.
The bore, at least based on the auction photos, does not look bad at all, it just requires a good scrub.
Here's some photos of various years of #4 Pattern rifles. As you can see, your newly-purchased rifle does not look at all like that. It is, essentially, a Pattern #2, albeit without engraving, with a carbine length barrel.
Attachments
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
Thanks a ton for the detailed response, I really appreciate it!
It is really too bad they did that for the mount, but whoever it was they had exactly the same taste in a field rifle for thick timber as me, so that works out nicely. A 2.75/5x scope over irons with a mount that allows their use, a short barrel length, nice checkering, sling studs and a box mag that can be detached (I know you’re supposed to leave them fixed on an LE but who does that on a sporter ha ha). Plus, it’s set up for MkVII, so Sierra pro hunters should shoot well. What’s not to like?
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
My thoughts exactly Claven. I’m not quite as good as you at camouflaging that stuff though. Ha ha. You’ve got a knack for it.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
Turns out it’s even better in person. Looks to have barely been used. This may now be my favourite sporter. (Blasphemy, I know! It doesn’t even say Ross anywhere!).
The bore was rusty, but luckily it was only superficial and cleaned up to a mirror shine with no discernible wear. It should really shoot. I’ve never had a Lee trigger that crisp. It’s like glass, with no first stage.
Now you just need to find a correct "fish-belly" magazine for it.
The early Lees never had a 2 stage trigger; it was only after the SHT. L.E. / #1 Mk. III came out that they went to a 2 stage trigger, at least for the military. Even some of the later commercial B.S.A.Co. Sporting Rifles built on a #1 Mk. III came with a single stage trigger. If the trigger & sear have the socket connection, they're single stage. If the came with the early Lee Metford action with only a half-c0ck for a safety, they're single stage. If they have the Lee patent tang safety, they're single stage. Same if they have the later Lee safety on cocking piece as yours does, it has a single stage trigger.
The early Lees never had a 2 stage trigger; it was only after the SHT. L.E. / #1 Mk. III came out that they went to a 2 stage trigger, at least for the military. Even some of the later commercial B.S.A.Co. Sporting Rifles built on a #1 Mk. III came with a single stage trigger. If the trigger & sear have the socket connection, they're single stage. If the came with the early Lee Metford action with only a half-c0ck for a safety, they're single stage. If they have the Lee patent tang safety, they're single stage. Same if they have the later Lee safety on cocking piece as yours does, it has a single stage trigger.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
James, you don’t feel the ten rd No1 mag would have come with it? It matches in wear and finish perfectly. You are right though, a fish belly would carry much nicer, and be more aesthetically appealing.
Possibly; but on my monitor it appears to have a duller finish than the rest of the rifle. Are there any military markings on the magazine?
Would you mind sharing the 1st 3 digits of the 5 digit serial # on the top right rear of the receiver? The figure in the butt looks very familiar; I may have owned it ~20 years ago & NO, I did not remove the mag. charger guide or D&T it for a side-mount.
btw, open the trap in the butt-plate; you may be in for a surprise. The odds are against it, but they originally came with a brass oil bottle & pull-through.
Would you mind sharing the 1st 3 digits of the 5 digit serial # on the top right rear of the receiver? The figure in the butt looks very familiar; I may have owned it ~20 years ago & NO, I did not remove the mag. charger guide or D&T it for a side-mount.
btw, open the trap in the butt-plate; you may be in for a surprise. The odds are against it, but they originally came with a brass oil bottle & pull-through.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
The mag has a 4 at the bottom of the rear rib, the follower has a 3 on it. No broad arrows anywhere.
Serial is 188xx
Honestly, the rifle may have had a stroke of luck landing with me. I couldn’t have ordered a better rifle custom for my style of hunting, cartridge, barrel length, DBM, sights, etc. very very happy to have it here.
Sounds like a military magazine. None of my magazines, albeit almost all were the 5 round fish-belly types, except for a W. W. Greener and a Lawn & Alder that both had engraved 10 round magazines, which had links to connect them to the rifle had any numbers on them.
If the remaining numbers were 56 then I owned it in the past, before some 'tard bastardised it.
They're very nice historically-significant rifles. I have been fortunate to have owned almost 2 dozen over the years. They are the most inexpensive way of owning an English made sporting rifle. The actions did not start off as military ones. They were meant for commercial use right from the start.
If the remaining numbers were 56 then I owned it in the past, before some 'tard bastardised it.
They're very nice historically-significant rifles. I have been fortunate to have owned almost 2 dozen over the years. They are the most inexpensive way of owning an English made sporting rifle. The actions did not start off as military ones. They were meant for commercial use right from the start.
That rifle was built to shoot long, heavy, round nose, cupro nickle, jacketed, exposed lead bullets, over heavily compressed black powder or cordite strands.
Many of them do not shoot acceptably with modern ammunition, which is mostly undersized.
- Location
- Tumbler Ridge, BC
We’re lucky then, the one you had may still be out there, unmolested. This one is 8 numbers off.
Good to know the mag isn’t original to it, I’ll definitely look for a proper fish belly for it. Even a PH 5 round for field use would be nice, they fit flush and carry excellently.
Where are you located
