AN AMERICAN R¡FLEMAN REPRINT

REMODELI}{G .. .

II¡I The .303 Lee-Enfield Rifle

Complete information, with exploded parts views on

the various models, on disassembly, inspection, and

adjustment, on remodeling into deluxe sporter, and

on handloading the .303 arttidge. Also, plans for

a gun rack.

THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN is the offi'cial iournal of The National Rifle Associationof America (NRA). Its readership is well de'fined and essentially has a strong commonbond of interest in firearms, ammunition,the and their I e -on e, in the hu andas acquired, andenjoyed.

tor lurther inÍo¡molion, wrìle lhe NRA otló00 Rhode lslond Ave., N. W., Woshingtonó, D. C.

50 CENTS

This reprinr is from rhe Ap¡il 1957, Morch 1958, July l9!i9 ond Augurt 1959 issuc¡ of IHE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN. o fullv opvrishrsd publicorion (R2)

I $one .303 cartridgcs (1. to r.): Mk. VI,I Mk. VlI, Mk. VII of U. S. manufac-p crimp instead of stab crimp,ith Westley Richards cappedof several types made in Eng-sporting with soft-nose bullet

(general type macle in U. S.)

r long Lee-Enñeld. Weight about 9.4This model, an improvement of the

895, has safety lock which appearedbroad-land riffing required to resistadded to existing rifles in 1907

Tfffi.303 tEErlEN]Fn]E,tD

,-f-. t" standard military rifle of theI British Empire and the present

Commonwealth was, from 1888 on-ward, the .303 Lee in various models.Not until 1954 was it replaced, and thenonly with a self-loading rifle. No otherbreechJoading rifle and cartridge havebeen the standard of a major power forso long.

The gradual rearming of British Com-monwealth forces with self-loading riflesresulted in large numbers of Lee-Enfieldrifles coming on the American market.The construction and characteristics ofthe rifle and cartridge thus became ofconsiderable practical interest.

While the basic rifle design precededthe cartridge, it is convenient to con-sider the cartridge first (see Fig. 1).

Among originol militory smoll boresThe .303 rifle cartridge was among

the original military 'small bores', anddates from 1888. It is contemporarywith the 7.9x57 or 8 mm. Mausercartridge which also appeared that year.The 8 mm. Mauser proved much thebetter design in the long run, especiallyfor automatic arms. Even for hand-op-erated magazine rifles its rimless form isbetter. The choice of a flanged case forthe .303 was thus a mistake, in spite ofcertain advantages of that form which

By Col. E. H. Horrison, USA (Rer'd)

NRA Technicol Sroff

then seemed more in-rportant. There is,however, very little in it for the user ofa .303 rifle to become concerned about.The riffe handles this cartridge excel-lently, and to the user it will nlake nodifference in practice.

Lil<e most cartridges, the .303 hasbeen produced in various loadings. Theusual British smokeless rifle powder iscordite, adopted for this cartridge in1892. The first bullet was of specialround-nosed form and was long andheavy, weighing 215 grs. Mark VI am-munition. in which a bullet of thisweight is given a standard muzzle veloc-ity of 2060 feet per second (f.p.s.), isstill often encountered. The presentstandard military cartridge, the MarkVII, was adopted for the trajectory flat-tening obtainable by pointing and light-ening the bullct, and firing it at highervelocity. The Mark VII bullet is flat-based and pointed, weighs 174 grs., andis given a standard muzzle velocity ofapproximately 2440 f.p.s. An unusualfeature is the bullet construction, inwhich the space under the jacket pointis filled with a plug of aluminum, fiber,or paper for lightness. This is necessaryto obtain the desired pointed form andlength within the desired weight. Ifthat space had been left solid the bulletwould have weighed about 196 grs.,

reducing its velocity undesirably.The .303 military ammunition has

been regularly loadecl witb a largeBerdan primer which contains bothmercury fulminate and potassium chlo-rate. The mercury affects the strength ofthe brass cartridge case on firing, mak-ing it unsuitable for most reloading. Thechlorate on firing lcavcs a deposit ofsalt on the rifle bore which will rust itbadly if not promptly cleaned out. Wateris the best solvent of this salt; hot soapywater cleans well and is easily wipedout before oiling, It is not always possi-ble to clean soon enough to preventsome damage. The continued manufac-ture of such primers, in the face of mod-ern chemical knowledge and the avail-ability of reliable noncorrosive primers,can fairly be called backwardness.

U. S. sporting ommunilionSporting ammunition for the .303

has been manufactured in this country(regularly in reloadable cartridge cases)since about 1897. It is made to supplynot only imported Lee-Enfield rifles, butalso U, S. and Canadian rifles of thiscaliber. These latter rifles are no longermade, but numbers are still in use.These and the large number of militaryLee-Enfields can be expected to warrant

(Text continued on page A )

2(4th Printing)

found to raise muzzle velocity to aboutthat of lonc Lee-Enfield rifle' Marks I' II'III. and IV are almost equivalent, Mk, Vis êouivalent except rear sight is peep withgradiated folding leaf on receiver bridge

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commercial production of the ammuni-tion for a long time.

Commercial .303 loadings are:

Bullet VelocityMake (srs) (Í.p.s)Norma 130 2790cIL* 150 2720Norma 180 24lOcrl- 180 2540Winchester, Remington, CIL, Norma

215 2180'Canadian Industries, Ltd,

These constitute an excellent range ofbullet weights and velocities for NorthAmerican game, Except for the lighterNorma 130-gr. and 180-gr. loads, theabove are almost exactly the same asthe original commercial loadings of the.30-'06 cartridge with which its reputa-tion on game was established. Withsuitable bullet types, the .303 has beensuccessfully used on big game all overthe world.

.303 odopted to hondloodingThe .303 cartridge is well adapted to

handloading. Tnn Ar"renrcAN RTFLEMANhas published 2 articles on the subjectwith laboratory-tested loading data.Cartridge cases (for American primers)and bullets are regularly available.

The .303 Lee-Enfield is well adaptedfor making into a sporting rifle. A .303sporter is unusually short, Iight, and eas-ily handled, for one made on a militarybase. Simple sporterizing has been de-scribed in THe Rlr¡-¡vr¡N. Somethingis worth mentioning here which is notoften spoken of. It has very often hap-pened that the new owner of a militaryrifle has hastened to 'improve' or 're-model' it, only to find himself a littlelater disillusioned and then ashamed ofthe quality of his work. It is better totake some time first for understandingthe rifle, and then to develop a well-considered plan for what is wanted.

Lee-Enfields produced in peacetimewere made with great care and verywell finished. Those of wartime produc-tion were rougher finished. This is es-pecially true of the No. 4 rifle, theprincipal model of World War II. How-ever, the materials quality, functioning,safety, and durability were always main-tained, Since World War II, manufac-ture of the latest model of the No. 4military rifle has tended to return topeacetime standards. In the meantime,buyers should remember that in all sur-plus military rifles, condition variesgreatly between specimens. This hasnothing to do with rifle type, but de-pends simply on service and care theindividual piece has had,

In peacetime the Lee-Enfield has alsobeen produced and refinished commer-cially in military models for long-range

target shooting, and in sporting modelsfor game shooting. Such rifles are ex.cellently and often beautifully made.

Rifle chorocleristicsThe action of the Lee-Enfield is based

on a design by an American named Lee.It differs materially from the Mausertypes which, beginning with the Spring-field, have been the basis of most Amer-ican bolt-action sporting rifles. The bolthandle is behind the trigger, not for-ward of it as in the Mauser. The bolthead is separate from the bolt body,and does not turn. The bolting surfacesare near the middle of the receiver be-hind the magazine, not forward of itas in the Mauser. The firing pin iscocked almost entirely by the final push-forward of the bolt, not principally bythe bolt-handle lift as in rnost Mausers.

The magazine holds l0 rounds insteadof 5 as in the usual Mauser. It is de-tachable, but is usually left on the rifleand loaded from the top of the actionin the same way as the Mauser. Thebuttstock and forestock are separate,not one piece as in the Mauser. The lightbarrel and the forestock constructionof the læe-Enfield bring on problemsof barrel and action bedding which arepeculiar to it, especially in the MarkIII model.

These bedding problems are real, buthave been overemphasized. Competitionshooting with the .303 has been carriedon regularly and very successfully fordecades. For fairness to all, British andCommonwealth competition rules gen-erally limit .303 rifle modifications andadjustments to parts fitting, mostly thewoodwork, reguiring only methods andmaterials available to any careful shot;and to ammunition of a single lot as is-sued to the firing line. While these ruleshave 'accomplished their purpose, ex-treme though unappreciated variationsin quality of the issued ammunitionsince World War II have confusedshooters and armorers and led theminto complicated atternpts to improvetheir rifles, where the basic trouble didnot lie. With the realization of thesefacts in recent years, steps have beentaken for selection of ammunition lotssuitable for target shooting, and riflestocking practices have tended to be-come simplified.

Bosis of stocking

Now the basis of stocking is recog-nized to be the fit of the receiver in thewood, which is necessary to accurateshooting from almost any bolt-actionrifle. The barrel may be bedded in vari-ous ways, or may be free-floate'd withgood results. A brief summary of theparticulars required in good stocking ofLee-Enfield rifles is given in Fig. 20.

I Rear sight of Mk. III rifle. Gradu-ated from 200 to 2000 yds. with divi-

sion each 25 yds, Elevation set by press-ing in spring catch a and moving slide torange desired, Ramp is so made that rangegraduations are uniformly spaced. b isfine-adjustment worm wheel with notchesof 5 yds. each. c is wind-gauge screw with1-minute clicks; Mk. III* and later Mk. IIIsights have no wind gauge. d are guardsfixed to barrel. Rifles previous to Mk. III*and Isightson lefleft si

for range setting

O Rear sights of No. 4 rifle. a is Mk. It sight, for Mk. I and Mk. II rifles;elevation screw has l-minute clicks, andfixed aperture appears when sight is foldeddov'n; there is no wind gauge, b is Mk. IIsight for Mk. I* rifles, a 2Jeg peep for300 and 600 yds.; it is simple and effective.hunting sight also, and is zeroed by mov-ing front sight laterally and changing itsheight. c is Mk, III alternate rear sightfor Mk. I* rifles, like Mk I but wartimeconstruction and slide settable only atnotches. d is English micrometer receiversight used in matches which permit targetsights. Similar sights are available for Mk.III and long Lee-Enfield rifles. The Englishand Australian target sights are handsome-ly and strongly made, with clean and posi-

tive click action

Iô Bolts of all Lee-Enfield rifles areI w stopped at end of travel by bolthead striking right locking abutment. Toremove bolt of MLE, CLLE, and SMLErifles, pull all the way back, then withthumb push bolt head over its spring catchto vertical (see arrow) and bolt is then free

to be pulled out of receiver

I

4

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tical and bolt Pulled out

To remove bolt of No. 4 Mk. l{'rifle, pull bolt back about 1" until

head isãt dismount notch (see arrow),

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t2boltturn bolt head to vertical and pull bolt ottt I â Bolt disassembly requires removal

I I of striker from cocking piece (ex-cept in very early rifles), which must bedoìe from'front. Turn cocking piece tobottom of câm at rear of bolt, which takesmost of compression off mainspring' Tur!bolt head off, look into open front end ofbolt and note 2 notches on opposite sidesof striker shoulder, 1 " back from point.These provide grip on striker by neces-sarv toòl which must be used and if notat hand must be rnade (see cut). Removestriker locking screw from rear of cock-ing piece. Turn out striker from frontwith -the tool shown, and drop out main-

solvent

17 Y#"åi"ïi;i',iî:',,ì8liå' #o,nåï:oughly cleaned of preservative grease, toavõid- attracting duÀt and to prevent s-ti$action when cõld. Press rear end of fol-lower down until front end clears (see

VII ammunition with pointed bullet, itmav be necessarv to de'burr forward lipsof

-masazine (arìow b) carefully to getsmooth- feeding of Mk. VI and sportingammunition with round-nose bullet. Maga-zines are not interchangeable between long

Lee-Enfreld, No. l, and No. 4 rifles

The prospective user of a Lee-Enfieldmay wish to give consideration to op-posing views of it

"¡/hich have been held.

A view, often given expression bywriters in the United States, contraststhe Lee-Enfield unfavorably with theMauser with which they are familiar.This is based principally on location ofthe bolt locking lugs, which in the Lee-Enfield are behind the midpoint of thebolt rather than at the bolt head as inthe Mauser. This makes the action lesssuited than the Mauser for high-intensitycartridges and the most accurate shoot-ing. Other, objections are cocking onclosing the bolt, which is disliked bysuch American shooters as have beentrained on the Mauser type, and unfa-miliar appearance.

The point made as to location of lock-ing lugs is correct. The effect is duenot to their location on the bolt, but tothe locking surfaces in the receiver beingbehind the large asymmetrical magazineand loading openings. The resulting un-even-sided bolting affects the barrel vi-bration during discharge, making it(when other things are equal) less uni-form than that of the Mauser.

The British readily admit the above,while noting it has not p¡evented long-continued successful use of the Lee-Enfield in long-range target shooting.

I t^ The Lee-Enfield has a 'half-bent' orl|E' half-cock notch (see arrow), a veryunusual feature on bolt-action rifles. Itis safetv device required by short cockingcum oi this actidn. Should trigger be

5

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b

Ig |;Ë.'lo:lî".i:''å:i lÌ ::::"$.llChanges in condition of stock wood, tight-ness of forward guard screw, etc., there-lore can affect trigger pull. Cut showsrelationihip of trigger and sear whichshould be maintained for correct triggeraction. Trigger here shown with second-pull hump (see arrow) not yet in contactwith sear, since first-pull hump is withinguard frame. Exception is No. 4 Mk. II,in which trigger is mounted in receiver.There is no trigger spring in any Lee-

Enñeld and none is needed

t 9 BJ'1i".'å"'l:o t1i:å:Ër *¿'I, 'iïl

with a long, strong screwdriver. First thewad must be removed, which is fiber diskat bottom of butt recess to prevent me-tallic noise from brass oil bottle regularlycarried there. Stock bolt must be keptsolidly tightened. Butt tenon should frttightly in socket; fit should be restoredwith layer of hard paper around tenon ifreqnired. In. this photograph- a is sear, b

is magazine catch

They generally consider, however, thatit is more than overcome by certainpractical advantages of the Lee-Enfield.Among these are its short bolt throw,about l" shorter than that of a Mauserfor the same length of cartridge. Ttrebolt handle is easier to reach than thatof the Mauser, and does not have tobe lifted so high. The action is shorterthan that of the Mauser, and the riflecorrespondingly shorter and handier.The lO-round magazine is a materialmilitary advantage. Those who have wit-nessed rapid aimed fire with the Lee-Enfield in the hands of men trained withit, find it a revelation for speed and rateof hits. The rifle is strong and reliable.

While the above points on both sidesare interesting and instructive, I believethey would be considered quite inade-quate by the British and Common-wealth authorities whose view has beengiven effect. The rifle has been viewedby them from the standpoint of its pur-pose, which is fighting. The following2 paragraphs give something of how itis considered in that light.

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ôl Mk. III rifles, other than old riflesZa with wind-gauge rear sights, mustbe zeroed laterally by moving front sight,as in most military and sporting rifles.Move fronl sight opposile lo way impact

ing it on barrel

rlI

Before World War I, the authoritiesactually did come to the opinion thatsomething diÍÌerent was wanted. Thiswas in the first place a matter of thecartridge, something much flatter-shoot-ing than the .303 being desired. Accord-ingly a powerful, high-velocity cartridgeof cal. .276 was adopted, with a

Mauser-type rifle for it designated thePattern 13. Due to the outbreak ofWorld War I at that timc, this riflewas used by tbe British in ca|..303only, as the Pattern 14 or Rifle No. 3,and by the United States in cal. .30-'06as the U. S. Model 1917.

World War I provided by far thegreatest test of hand-operated riflesthat has ever taken place or apparentlyever will. In that experience the Britishlost their desire for a Mauser-type rifle.finding the Lee-Enfield more reliable inthe mud and other adverse conditionsof that war. The Lee-Enfield also de-livered the more effective fire. Thevconsider these results amply conûrmedby experience elsewhere, includingWorld War II. The Lee-Enfield has hadIarge-scale use over a greater part ofthe world than any other single rifle.

To summarize, the Lee-Enfield hasbeen a remarkable military successunder the widest variety of conditions.It has long given good results in sport-ing rifle form, and when skillfully bed-ded, as a long-range target rifle. Pro-vided its cartridge is appropriate forthe intended use, the American usershould choose it if he Iikes it, withoutregard for expressions of some indi-vidual opinions which have been print-ed as to whether it is 'suitable forAmerican conditions' or the like.

Detailed consideration of the Lee-En-field requires identification as to types,For most purposes it is sufficient tonote tbe 3 main groups into whichthese rifles have been divided:

1. The long magazine Lee-Enfield(MLE) and charger-loading Lee-Enfield

23 No. 4 rifle front sight protectorscrew (see arrow a) must be kept

tight, since looseness of protector onmuzzle will cause poor shooting. Do notinterchange front sight protector screwand rear guard screw; this can be doneby inadvertence but result is unsatisfac-tory. Clearance must be left between frontsight protector and ends of fore-end andhandguard (see arrow b), since contact

there will affect shooting

(CLLE), also including as a matterof convenience the first .303 magazinerifles which had rounded-corner riflingand were designated Lee-Metfords.There are carbine models of these rifles.The Lee-Metford undcrwent replace-ment of the original 8-round magazinewith one for l0 rounds, and introduc-tion of a safety lock. Most importantimprovement of the long Lee-Enfieldwas clip loading. The long Lee-Enñeldwas very popular for both military tar-get shooting and for manufacture ofsporting rifles, and some are still in use.

2. The short nragazine Lee-Enfield(SMLE), or Rifle No. 1, adopted in1902. Its main distinguishing character-istics are the single 25" barrel lengthused by all scrvices, and the distinctivestocking. Most manufacture was be-tween 1907 and the end of World WarI. There are several marks of SMLE.but the Mk. III is the principal andthe others are substantially equivalcntto it, hence the designation Mk. III iscommonly used for the whole group.The only significantly different No. t

rifle is the Mk. V, which introduced thepeep sight. A .22 training model of theMk. III is called the Rifle No. 2.

3. The Rifle No. 4, which is in effectan SMLE with peep sight, heavier bar-rel, simplified fore-end. and nnmerotrssmall changes to simplify manufacture.This is the model of World War IImanufacture and later.

Consideroble chonges in detoil

There is a considerable number ofmarks in each of the above rifles, re-flecting the fact that in their long his-tory there have been many modificationsand improvements, most of them minor.The Lee-Enfield was standard duringmuch of the time the United States had4 military rifles-the .45 Springfield,the Krag, the .30-'06 Springfield, andthe M 1. Rather than such radicalchanges, the British made only changesin detail. A considerable number of de-tail changes was made in the U. S. mili-tary rifles during that period, most ofwhich were not recorded in model desig-nations, while such changes were regu-Iarly signaled by new marks in the.303. In any event, the various markshave little practical interest for theaverage user, with the exception thattbey may have an important effect oninterchangeability of parts.-r

..RBMODELING THE O3A3 SPRING.FIELD" is an AuRnIcnx Rl¡'lrunr

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7

RANGE PLANS¡a\N¡ of the finest contributions any(-rl indiuioual or cltrb can make is toprovide a community with a safe, ade-quate 'Place to Shoot'.

The NRA has a number of brochuresand manuals on range construction andshooting arrangements. Listed beloware some of the most popular.

Construction of IndoorRifle and Pistol Ranges

rmotffilTfitcTr0H

PßibT.onAilGrs

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A 16-page manual of recommenda-tions for basic indoor range construc-tion. Aspects of construction discussedinclude site selection, safety, spacerequirements, bullet-stops, bullet-pro-tecting plates, target carrier systems,lighting and ventilation, noise control,and range equipment. A list of sourcesof range equipment-bullet traps, rangeIighting, sound-absorbing materials, andtarget carriers-is included.Price: $1,00

Outdoor Smallbore Rifle Range Plans

A suggested layout of club house andoutdoor smallbore rifle range for shoot-ing at 50-yd., 5O-meter, and 100-Yd.targets, incltrding firing line covers,target scoring racks, bulletin boards,and a range house. The range buildercan use all ol part of the suggestedlayout. A plan is given for the Uni-versal ontdoor smallbol'c rifle targetframe, now used at rhe NationalMatches at Canrp Pelry, Ohio. A light-ing system for outdoor night shootingis also illustrated. Price: 50Q

Outdoor Pistol Range Plans

Drawings of 3 plot plans for a 20-target pistol range complete with turn-ing targets. Drawings of target frameconstruction for the Colt silhouettetarget and the Standard Americantarget and target operating details areincltrded. Price: 50(

High Power Rifle Range Plans

Twelve pages of over-all rangedimensions and details of range con-struction, including vertical and hori-zontal type target holders, Dimensionsof 5 types of firing line covers, somenew and efficient scoring systems, anddetailed plans for an underground 100-yd. test range complete the booklet.Price: 7 51t

I nin. No. 4 Mark I

.t Completed rifle, lessz sling, weighs 7 lbs.13 ozs. Fajen semi-inlet-ted stock used for ¡ifleshown has high MonteCarlo cheekpiece whichcould be omitted to savesome weight. Accessoriesinclude Jaeger quick-de-tachable sling swivels,and Boyt 1" sling. Sightsare Redfield 40S rampfront assembly with de-tachable hood and Red-field 8O-OMT âperturerear attached to Redfieldadaptel plate. Front sightheight is .630" 1o¡ 22"

barrel

TìoLLowrNc adoption of the FN self-lJ loading rifle by Great Britain andother Commonwealth nations, largequantities of cal. .303 British ServiceLee-type magazine rifles have appearedon the American market, and at attrac-tively low prices considering their qual-ity and durability. The rather bewildei-ing array of models ofiered date from1888 up to the latter years of WorldWar II, all chanlbered for the sanle car-tridge case.

The nrost common models are thoseprocluced from about 1902 on and gen-erally classified as SMLE (Short, Maga-zine, Lee-Enfield) rifles. While thereare many minor construction difter-ences in the various SMLE ntodels, theyhave certain comnlon characteristics, in-cluding 10-shot detachable box maga-zines, cock-on-closing bolts, 2-piecestocks, and similar receiver construc-tion. Rifles in this group are particularlysuitable for conversion to sporting typeand, assuming good workrrranship, thefinished product will compare favorablywith commercial sporting rifles.

The home craftsman can accomplishthe entire conversion using hand toolsonly and none of the operations in-volved is particularly difficult. Rebluingof the barreled action is best handledby the professional gunsmith or re-bluing establishment as it will not paythe individual to purchase rebluingtanks. chemicals, etc., unless he intendsto reblue many guns. The various swab-

Deluxe SpThe No.

ofteftztn4 Rifle

OT)

By M. D. WoiteNRA Technicol Stofr

8

on or touch-up blues offered are notadequate for complete finishing.

The skillful amateur gunsmith maysave a portion of the rebluing charge bydoing his own polishing. In any event,the barreled action should be inlettedinto the stock after polishing and prior

2 M. D. Waite fits the forearm duringr, the making of the deluxe sporter ver-sion of the No. 4 rifle. All work in mak-ing the sporter (other than bluing) wasdone in Editorial Division Shops by Staff-man Waite. The gunsmithing articles bythe NRA Technical Stafi which appear inTne Rtrr¡u¡w are all based upon plojectsthat have been done in these shops, as areevaluations of itenrs which appear in the

Dope tsag

to bluing if close fit between wood andmetal is desired. Inletting of the bluedassenrbly is difficult to accomplish with-out nrarring the finish.

Acfion ond borrel modificotionsPartial removal and rounding of the

clip bridge will greatly enhance ap-pearance of the action and is readilyaccomplished by grinding or filing. Also,the rather bulky trigger guard bow ismade more attractive by removal ofexcess metal. Shortening the magazinebox to 5-round capacity and fitting afloorplate to the trigger guard is a rec-onrmended modification which may bemandatory in those states limiting mag-azine capacity of sporting rifles. Reduc-tion of barrel length to about 22" willenhance the handling qualities of therifle and simplify fitting of ramp-typesporting sights.

Sighting equipmentA variety of fully-adjustable metallic

rear sights, in a relatively wide pricerange, is available for SMLE rifles.Some require drilling and tapping of

r-L

the receiver for installation whereasothers can be mounted using a screw-driver only. It should be noted that thereceiver-nrounted Service sights onSMLE rifles and carbines are welldesigned for sporting purposes eventhough they do not incorporate windageadjustments. If retained, a front sightassenrbly should be chosen permittinglateral adjustment of the blade or beadso that the rifle can be convenientlyzeroed for windage.

Ramp-mounted front sights are of-fered in band, screw-on, and sweat-ontypes, with the last the most difficult toinstall since there is some risk of boredamage unless proper precautions aretaken. The band ramp is the easiest toinstall and align and is thus recom-mended.

Bolt handles of SMLE rifles do notrequire alteration for use with scopesights. Scope mounts are available forpositioning scope offset to left or abovemetallic sight line.

Coliber chonges

The mean working pressure of the.303 British cartridge is about 45,000p.s.i. or slightly greater than that ofthe .30-40 Krag. Gunsmiths have re-ported that rebarreling of the SMLEaction to cal. .30-40 Krag is feasible,but this conversion appears illogical inthat the .303 British cartridge is ballis-tically superior and is also currentlymanufactured in the U. S.

Nothing is known at this time con-cerning use of SMLE actions with morepowerful rimless cartridges such as the7.62 mm. NATO (.308 Winchester).

a Ordinary round-head brass or steell, bolts, chucked in hand drill, are ade-quate for crowning or breaking sharpedges of rifling. Abrasive used is fine valve-grinding compound available from auto-motive stores. Drill should be held ver-tically with only slight handle oscillationand abrasive compound should be re-plenished frequently. Break sharp outeredge of mvzzle with stone or fine-cut file

after crowning bore

E SMLE ht¡ttstock is retained by longJ through-bolt threacled into socket atrear of receiver. Stock tenon should fitsocket tightly. To fit br.rttstock, fi¡'st checktenon length against socket depth to noteif trimming is necessary. Then coat in-terior surfaces of socket with markingcolor ( lampblack and oil, or Prussianblue). Rubber or rawhide hammer is thenused to drive buttstock into socket, afterwhich burnished high spots on tenon. asindicated by transfer of marking color,are scrape<l off with keen penknife blacle.It may be necessary to make several im-pressions before hairline wood-to-metal fit

at socket rim is obtained

'R._

A Typical semi-inletted (upper) and finished (lower) SMLE stocks as furnished bya E. C. tsishop & Sons, Inc,, and other U. S. stock firms. Only minor inletting isrequired to fit flnished stock to rifle. Most stock suppliels will fit semi-inletted stock to

customer's barreled action at nominal cost

a

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l"

il e

7 After cutting barrel to length withI hacksaw (high-speed steel blade rec-ommended ), true muzzle with fine cutmill file, Use small carpenter's or machin-ists square to check work, making due al-lowance for bar¡el taper. Polish filed sur-face with stone or fine abrasive paper

backed by flat frle

fA Forealm should contact barreled ac-l, tion at points indicated. Initial fit atpoint (a) should be quite tight to compen-sate for any subsequent loosening. Plasticforearm tip shotrld not contact barrel. Bar-rel should beal against bottom of channelat (b). Receiver should bear against fore-arm at (c) and (e). Receiver sear lugsshould bear evenly at (d) and (d'). Rearsurface (f) should be tight fit against frontface of receiver socket. It may be neces-sary to glue wood veneer shims at (d) ancl(d') and on rear face of forearm (f) toobtain snug fits. Orig¡nal steel, or fiber,guard screw bushing should be used with

new forearm

() Correct depth of magazine is obtained, by inserting it in rifle and then mark-¡ ing cut-off line flr¡sh with edge of maga-\ zine opening. After removing follower and

spring assenrbly, trse hacksaw to cut awayIower portion of magazine

9

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tt Jaeger quick-detachable sling swivelsaÁ are typical of those available fromeeveral mailufacturers, Butt swivel is onricht with 2 different forearm swivels onleit. Swivel assembly at far left is avail-

able with solid or split barrel band

to }Í,1'åiÌ9 Ttoo stiff duringtrial of rifle, lashter section with ffne wire but do not severlower arm as this may inhibit followeraction, Magazine functioning is improvedby polishing follower and deburring undersulfaces of magazine lips with file or stone

t 2 Installation of scope sights onI r, SMLE rifles requires drilling andtapping of several holes in receiver wall.Jaeger quick-detachable mount (upper)and Williams mount (lower) are fur-nished for SMLE rifles and can be used inconjunotion with metallic sights, Williamsmount cân bc obtained with rings to posi-

tion scope over bore or offset to lèft

tl Appearance of trigger guard is en-I t hanced if guard loop is modified byfiling as shown. Floorplate made fromsheet metal is retained by single screw andnotch filed in guard loop. Top of floor-plate can be filed to arched contour of fac-tory-made plate. Forepart of guard tangshown was rebated to eliminate unsightlÍ

punch marks around guard screw hòle

t I R Several excellent aperture rear sights.¿ are available for SMLE rifles, someof which are shown here. Williams (b) and

ready present, British-made A. J, Parkersight (d) is primarily a target sight andcalibrated for British Mark VII Servicec be installedS utilizing hp ty of Britisha r SMLE rifl

be imported

a, Assortment of tools used for conver-l( sion shown. Files and rasps are forshaping stock and metal work, Small Swissfiles, oftered singly and in sets, are par-ticularly useful fõr final shaping of triggerguard, 'etc., and for finishing sharplyðurved-surfaces around pistol grip' cheek-piece and comb. ScraÞer with round cut-ier head is handy tool for precise inlettingof barrel into forearm I

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lA Spanner wrench made from short¡1, section of 3/a" steel rod is requiredfor bolt disassembly and assembly, Drill3/16" hole in center to depth of l3/+"and file twin lugs on end to engage notcheson side of firing pin, Wrench is usedthrough front of bolt after unscrewingbolt head and removing locking screw

from rear of cocking piece

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.303 British maximum cartridgedimensions

U.r problems in-

vo this cartridge.A of foreign anddomestic bullets is available to en'

for the brand of cartridge case used.Load I I was asse¡nbled with cases ofRemington make, whereas Norma re-loadablã cases of Swedish make wereused for Load 12. Study of the firingdata revealed identical velocities for the

terest to Canadian marksmen as theammunition was from the same lotissued at Connaught Ranges for use inthe 1957 Canadiín Natioinal Matches.This lot was loaded in 1950 bY Do'minion Industries using cartridge ceses

made in 1945. The extreme variation invelocity was 148 feet per second for theten rounds

Loads for the

.003 BritishBy M. D. Woite,NRA fcchnlcol Stofi

Bolll¡tlc doto ruppllcd by H. P. Whlrrtoborolory

srnokeless powder known as cordite.The name

-'cordite' was derived from

.303 British militarv ammunition hasbeen loaded both heire and abroad with

rather than cordite.

TOADS FOR THE .303 BRITISH

roAD POWDER TESUTTS

OvcrqllBull¡t Bulhl Cortrld¡

W¡loht Olom.t.r t?lelh¡ro.'iodi' Bullrt Typr (lnJ llnJ

Pralturallb¡. por ¡q. ln.l

Avg. ol I 0rounda

300¡1 44,0002976 13,22027A7 11,99027lO 12¡6502g0O ¡t3,8302s03 43.9902533 11,2202569 43,ô802192 4¡1,ó302101 43,40023ô0 ¡t4,3002t6O a7,ölo2295 ¡¡1,010ZZgl ¡43,0ó021tg 43,0ô02185 45,080

0rognd¡

t 130 lol2 too lol3 r5o lbl¡ 150 (cl5 t50 ld!ó 180 (¡l7 180 lrìI 180 lsl9 215 thlt0 2tó Írlil 2rô lrlr2 2rô lr)t3 2rô (rl

r4 2ró lrlt5 t7ftó 2t5

.3r l5

.3tt5

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.31r5

.31I

.31I,31.1.3r I

70'þborrc l,

iäiffprlmÚr

,3105.3t I.31I.31 I.31I.3¡ I

2,8512.0512.5102.9572,9153.000t.07 52.980t.o75t,o75LOT53.0753.O753.075

Chcrgr(cr¡J Ttp¡

303119203031

HlVol #21t20

HlVcl #2303110ö1,t35043501920132019201t20

Co.dlt.

16.550.544.0¡10.04e.539.012,011,519.5¡19.0¡t3.5¿13.5/13.543.5

sbcdefgh¡-point Pointed; (b) 150-gr.(¿) t3O-gr. Sierra spitzer;

spitzer; (g) 180'gr. Norma| 216-gt. Norma soft'Point

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Is

I Lay ar base of 26" pieceI so t of hook, where stockwill rest, " from bottom. Draw

rst hook, thenove and drawmay be drawncurve, Curve

must reach end of board so that both sidesretain original length, Note that by turn-ing right side end-for-end, the botiom ofbarrel hook will be some'ÌV2,, from the

bottom

.l The 2 sides are marked 'S'Z for stock and 'B' for barrel.lVith 3 cuts both come out re-

sanding only. Thebe extended on a

to increase number ofhooks: 26",3 hooka; 32", 4 hooks;38", 5 book¡. Add 6/ for each addi-tionalthe 'S'for vertial cutto have both sidcs come out evenly

Cut the 53" board into 2 pieces, withone measuring 26" for

-the sides; the

other 27" to furnish material for the3 braces.

used over and over again. Note that asingle cut provides both sides of therack. The hook curve is the same forboth sides. However, certain nreasure-ments do differ, becausc to lie horizon-t_al, the barrels must rest about 2" higherthan the stocks. Thus the top desìgnsare not the same size.

wc¡c set into the back of the sicles.I rccommend counter-sunk l)/+'

scrcws on brace ends to fasten them intheir notches. A fipletes the rvoochvork;nray follow. Be sureor stock side to thebling-if reversed the rifle bolts will beto the wall.

Felt strips glucd into barrel slotsare a refinement. Thorated with nroldingin the braces, or by

Build in one hour . . .

AN AffRACf/,VE

GUN RACK

By George Crossette

3 The 2 sides aftersawing. 1'hree-cornered pieces attop and bottom

are waste

4 ..,',*¡ Í,i",S'#.'i;guns lie le rtíng braces

E This is the rack after ir is assembled, stained, andJ waxed-l hour working time after first cut

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