What to do with my 303 win enfield?

[desporterizer]

What should I do with this old girl & its 303 barrel rechambered to 308? Here are my options

1 Replace the 303 barrel with a nos dcra barrel cost aprox $400

2 Replace the current barrel with a used take off 303 barrel aprox $250

3 Rechamber existing barrel to 7.62x39. I don't know if there is enough metal left for this.

4 Leave it alone & shoot cast out of it because the chamber was badly cut & extraction is kind of rough.

 

[Timberlord]

Hard call , I'm not sure what the rifle's value is as it stands
But , Option #4 would be my choice.
Would a .410 conversion work out ?

 

[m39a2]

Handload the .308 cases with .311 diameter bullets.
Scott

 

[mbogo3]

Plan #5 Install a .30 cal takeoff barrel and rechamber to 30-40 Krag or 300 H+H.....Harold

 

[burnt_servo]

Plan #5 Install a .30 cal takeoff barrel and rechamber to 30-40 Krag or 300 H+H.....Harold

300 h&h ??????? will that even fit in the magazine ?

 

[buffdog]

Options

You could try polishing the chamber to see if it will improve extraction. Is the proper 7.62 mm extractor fitted? They have a longer hook on them.

If you are going to spend $400 to convert it, why not put the $400 toward buying a proper one if you think you need it?

Buy a set of Lee Collet Dies in .308 and another Stud (and maybe a collet too) for the .303 dies. Change the parts, and neck size your cartridges.

??? 300 Holland and Holland in a Lee Enfield??? You want to make a rifle....NOT A BOMB. Way too big and way too much powder for the action.

 

[woodchopper]

I think your extraction problems are as noted above, the hook part of your 303 extractor is too short, the 7.62 ones are longer.

What to do with your project..... If your going to have at it I would also suggest going to the 7.62x39 option. If there is not enough meat left on the barrel then a barrel swap is the next best thing.

 

[desporterizer]

You could try polishing the chamber to see if it will improve extraction.(Chamber is already too big) Is the proper 7.62 mm extractor fitted?( No but it extracts, I think an original was modified) They have a longer hook on them.

If you are going to spend $400 to convert it, why not put the $400 toward buying a proper one if you think you need it?(Thats the dilemma. I can buy a dcra rifle for $600, but if I re-barrel this one I won't beat the crap out of a dcra rifle either)

I have a set of 308 bushing dies so I can load it with proper bullets but it seems like a bit of a freak show.

 

[smellie]

Big question that nobody has bothered to ask... and we don't have the answer supplied by the OP.

WHAT MODEL of "Enfield" are we talking about????? There are, just for a start:
Pattern 1839
Pattern 1853
Pattern 1858
Pattern 1861
SNIDER-Enfield (iron barrel)
SNIDER-Enfield (steel barrel)
MARTINI-Enfield
LEE-Metford made at Enfield
LEE-Enfield (more than 30 distinct models)
Pattern 1913
Pattern 1914
US Model of 1917
Costa Rica Model of 1934
and people manage to call them ALL Enfields.

Confusion IS possible.
.

 

[Ar180shooter]

Big question that nobody has bothered to ask... and we don't have the answer supplied by the OP.

WHAT MODEL of "Enfield" are we talking about????? There are, just for a start:
Pattern 1839
Pattern 1853
Pattern 1858
Pattern 1861
SNIDER-Enfield (iron barrel)
SNIDER-Enfield (steel barrel)
MARTINI-Enfield
LEE-Metford made at Enfield
LEE-Enfield (more than 30 distinct models)
Pattern 1913
Pattern 1914
US Model of 1917
Costa Rica Model of 1934
and people manage to call them ALL Enfields.

Confusion IS possible.
.

I doubt it's any of the ones marked in red. It's most likely a No. 1 Mk. III or No. 4 Mk. I. It may be a P13 or P14 too, but the OP would have likely said so.

 

[desporterizer]

No4 mk1/3. I did assume people would remember the thread I posted previously, my apologies.

 

[#4mk1(T)]

Option 6: have a barrel liner made up for it and convert it to 22RF.

 

[desporterizer]

Option 6: have a barrel liner made up for it and convert it to 22RF.

I think that would be the most expensive of all the options. Right now I am leaning towards the 7.62x39 option.

 

[smellie]

We haven't heard from John Sukey in this thread. I believe he mentioned some time ago that he has a Number 4 in 7.62x39, so he will know all about it.

Likely you would want to handload with heavier bullets (150 flatbase) to get the best out of one, but that's no problem. Be a good test-bed for checking Commie ammo, too.

Sounds fun to me.

Kindly keep us informed.
.

 

[mbogo3]

Thought he had a P-14 Win/Enfield ?of course it wouldn't fit a No4...........Harold a 30-40 Krag would be fine on a .308 bore takeoff barrel

 

[Pblatzz]

Have you considered 303 Epps improved

 

[smellie]

Now THERE is an idea!

More horsepower, easy conversion and Epps still does the chamberng. Good way to clean out a messed-up chamber, too.
.

 

[Pblatzz]

That's what I was thinking, The expanded shoulder should clean up the chamber.

 

[desporterizer]

Well, the barrel was shortened a good 1/4" to get the 308 chamber so I am not sure that would be a good idea with the barrel I have now but maybe if I get another 303 barrel.

 

[bdft]

What to do with my 303 win enfield?

I'm guessing a P14. To the best of my knowledgw, Winchester never built any Lee-Enfields.