Came into possession of an unregistered P14 303 British last Feb or so. Took a good look at the bore and the rest, and it looked pretty good, bright, sharp bore, etc. So I had it verified and registered, finally got the registration. Took it to the 'smith and had him bob off the barrel immediately behind the front sight and recrown. Also had him mill off the ears and mount a Leupold base on it. Stuck a M8-4X Leupold on it and loaded up 20 rounds of Hornady 174 grain RNSP's and took it to the range. After getting it on paper at 25 yards, moved out to 100 and shot 3 groups. 1.28", 1.15" and 1.04" Not bad for a "truck gun". I have some of Steve Redgwell's excellent 200 grain Semi Spitzer sized at .313" to try next. Wouldn't surprise me to see them go into an inch. This will be great for a knockaround gun. Regards, Eagleye.
M14 303 British
- Thread starter Eagleye
- Start date
I had a similar experience... Last year, en route to the hunt camp, I stopped at a local shop to pick up some gloves. Saw a rifle propped up in the corner, and recognized the ears. I happen to like P-14's so I asked to have a look. Turned out to be a sported Win P-14. Rifle has fallen into a state of neglect - stock was cracked at the tang, there was a fair amount of surface rust on the reciever and bottom metal, and the barrel looked so-so, having a fair amount of debris inside.
I asked how much - the staffer said " Well, the owner has been asking for 100$, and the rifle has been here for a year, so she recently told me to accept 50$.
So, 50 large ones later I'm out the door. Got home - the rust cleaned up nicely with oil and extra fine steel wool. Action was tight, with little wear on the lugs. Bore cleaned up very well - it looked new with the exception of a single rust pit about halfway down the barrel. Swapped out the stock with another sporter stock I had kicking around.
Forgot about the rifle until this spring. Ordered up an S+K Instamount, which replaces the rear sight. ( They work well, I've had good luck with them.) Slapped on a Weaver K-4 with some of Weavers finest.
Took the rifle to the range. Being frugal, I decided not to waste my good handloads, so I took some 80's vintage FN ball ammo - fairly good stuff.
Sighted in at 50 y, and moved out to 100. Checked scope parallax - OK - so I let 5 rounds go, walking the target between shots. I was amazed to find the rifle shoot into a ragged hole - even the first shot. :shock:
I was very impressed for a rifle that cost me about 200$, including optics. Now I have to try to duplicate the ballistics of the FN ball ammo - it uses a very fine ball powder that I've not seen before. :?:
I asked how much - the staffer said " Well, the owner has been asking for 100$, and the rifle has been here for a year, so she recently told me to accept 50$.
So, 50 large ones later I'm out the door. Got home - the rust cleaned up nicely with oil and extra fine steel wool. Action was tight, with little wear on the lugs. Bore cleaned up very well - it looked new with the exception of a single rust pit about halfway down the barrel. Swapped out the stock with another sporter stock I had kicking around.
Forgot about the rifle until this spring. Ordered up an S+K Instamount, which replaces the rear sight. ( They work well, I've had good luck with them.) Slapped on a Weaver K-4 with some of Weavers finest.
Took the rifle to the range. Being frugal, I decided not to waste my good handloads, so I took some 80's vintage FN ball ammo - fairly good stuff.
Sighted in at 50 y, and moved out to 100. Checked scope parallax - OK - so I let 5 rounds go, walking the target between shots. I was amazed to find the rifle shoot into a ragged hole - even the first shot. :shock:
I was very impressed for a rifle that cost me about 200$, including optics. Now I have to try to duplicate the ballistics of the FN ball ammo - it uses a very fine ball powder that I've not seen before. :?:
Heretic Dave
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, AB
No kidding 
Donny Fenn1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootenays
i read M14 303 in the title and was all excited....
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
Donny Fenn1 said:
thought the same thing when I read M14 303, and thought WHY :lol:
but there goes another P14, wonder if it was a winchester. But this just increases the collector price
Aarrrgghhhh..... the agony of indecision. I picked up a Winchester P14 ("W" in the serial # anyway) in VGC from a fellow CGN a year or so ago but haven't got around to "doing" anything with it yet. Not really a bubba- just the excess wood removed so a new stock would put it back into pretty well original condition. I was thinking of maybe rechambering it for .303 Epps... new stock, etc., but now I'm afraid of being labelled The Bubba-Butcher of BC if I do anything irreversible!
Maybe I should just leave it in the gun cabinet and sell it to Woodchopper for $250.00 when the supply dries up? :lol:
Stuart
Maybe I should just leave it in the gun cabinet and sell it to Woodchopper for $250.00 when the supply dries up? :lol:
Stuartjosquin said:Aarrrgghhhh..... the agony of indecision. I picked up a Winchester P14 ("W" in the serial # anyway) in VGC from a fellow CGN a year or so ago but haven't got around to "doing" anything with it yet. Not really a bubba- just the excess wood removed so a new stock would put it back into pretty well original condition. I was thinking of maybe rechambering it for .303 Epps... new stock, etc., but now I'm afraid of being labelled The Bubba-Butcher of BC if I do anything irreversible!
Maybe I should just leave it in the gun cabinet and sell it to Woodchopper for $250.00 when the supply dries up? :lol:
The Epps design was intended to give extended case life in the Lee Enfields, the extra velocity was a bonus. Your P14 is a strong action and can be loaded to Epps velocities so I wouldn't bother having the chamber reamed. Collet neck sizing dies like Lee sells give great brass life even in the Lee Enfield's. Probably why you don't see too many conversions being done any more.
To those who are concerned about milsurp destruction - mine was already cutdown, albeit the metal was still intact. Reading Eagleye's post, it would seem his rifle had cutdown wood as well - otherwise he would not have been able to "bob" the barrel., and retain the use of the wood.
Unfortunately, there is liitle chance of finding an original woodset - particularly with a W cartouche. I've retained the originality of mine by going to the S+K mount, on the offchance I come across an original P-14 with a clapped out bore, and I get a hydraulic press, and I run out of projects....
More concerning is the effect of the registry - lots of history was turned in for destruction, simply because people did not want to bother .. .
Unfortunately, there is liitle chance of finding an original woodset - particularly with a W cartouche. I've retained the originality of mine by going to the S+K mount, on the offchance I come across an original P-14 with a clapped out bore, and I get a hydraulic press, and I run out of projects....
More concerning is the effect of the registry - lots of history was turned in for destruction, simply because people did not want to bother .. .
cosmic said:To those who are concerned about milsurp destruction - mine was already cutdown, albeit the metal was still intact. Reading Eagleye's post, it would seem his rifle had cutdown wood as well - otherwise he would not have been able to "bob" the barrel., and retain the use of the wood.
Unfortunately, there is liitle chance of finding an original woodset - particularly with a W cartouche. I've retained the originality of mine by going to the S+K mount, on the offchance I come across an original P-14 with a clapped out bore, and I get a hydraulic press, and I run out of projects....
More concerning is the effect of the registry - lots of history was turned in for destruction, simply because people did not want to bother .. .
True you cannot go back to the 'origional' stock. But with a good action you can restock and rebuild the rifle to as origional condition!
Hitzy said:
Good points. I already use the Lee collet dies for my other .303's and they really do give excellent case life. (Problem is to keep the brass from each gun separate as the chambers are definitely not the same!) I could put a Boyd's stock on it but I'd also really like to shorten the barrel a little and change the sights.... But a "no gunsmithing" scope mount might be the way to go.
Stuart
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
josquin said:Aarrrgghhhh..... the agony of indecision. I picked up a Winchester P14 ("W" in the serial # anyway) in VGC from a fellow CGN a year or so ago but haven't got around to "doing" anything with it yet. Not really a bubba- just the excess wood removed so a new stock would put it back into pretty well original condition. I was thinking of maybe rechambering it for .303 Epps... new stock, etc., but now I'm afraid of being labelled The Bubba-Butcher of BC if I do anything irreversible!
Maybe I should just leave it in the gun cabinet and sell it to Woodchopper for $250.00 when the supply dries up? :lol:
ah your killing me
I have an ERA wearing a DP stock now and a RE sitting in the back missing all its bits. I paid $40 for the ERA and $60 for the RE a few years back, I will occasionaly take them out for shooting and cleaning, but the value of these rifles keeps going up even if I do nothing.
