Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Ishapore barelled action

So I have this ishapore barelled action in my shop for the longest time. I made a barrel wrench and took the barrel off just to make sure it works. And no, I did not twist the action, I did my homework beforehand.

Now what could I do with it - except scrap metal?

I was thinking about different barrel, the ishapore is so/so viewed via riflescope; would it make sense to go with - say 22-250 bull barrel on it? I know the action is not strong enough for 308, but I want to play and learn. I have a lathe, patience, some machinist's education and masters in mech.eng.

The barelled action was like 30 bucks years ago, btw, but what I am looking to gain here is skill and experience.

If your going to rebarrel it, I would suggest a rimmed cartridge with the rim dimension close to the 303.

If the action, as you say, is not strong enough for the 308, it wouldn't be strong enough for the 22-250, would it ?

What caliber was the original barrel? 303 or 7.62 NATO?

From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishapore_2A1_rifle

There were other differences to the Ishapore 2A/2A1 rifles that include the use of improved steel (to handle the increased pressures of the 7.62mm NATO round), and a redesigned extractor to cope with the rimless round.
...
The Ishapore 2A and 2A1 rifles are often incorrectly described as ".308 conversions". In fact, the 2A/2A1 rifles are not conversions of .303 calibre SMLE Mk III* rifles: they were designed and built right from the outset to fire 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

Thank you.

I did not look at cup pressures yet, but I would like to have a varmint rifle like 22-250.


Here is an interesting idea:

http://jpfo.org/filegen-n-z/smle.htm

Do a search for Ellwood Epps wildcats. Epps was a Canuck version of Ackley, wildcatted the 303 up, down, and probably sideways.

Krag wildcats would probably work, too.

Bruce

How about 30-30 cases necked down 22cal. 219 Zipper, that would be like shooting a 223.

.25/.303, a wildcat popular to some degree in what was once the British Empire?

Was the action built in Ishapore, or built in an English arsenal and arsenal re-worked at Ishapore?

Thank you guys, for ideas.

As far as Ishapore - that was the story when I got it on gunbroker years ago. I can post what is stamped on it.

Anyway, my reloading books list 303 as 49000 cup, I would think staying around 40 000 will keep me safe.

I need to get a gear wheel (56) to be able to cut 14tpi, will practice with chunk of steel and than look for barrel blank; it will be one of those forever projects but I will get there

On the stock ring it says (stamped):

G.R.I.
Ishapore
1919
SMLE
III


On the right side of the action it says (etched):

C.P. Georgia Vt.
CAL.303 INDIA NO.1MK3

You know, that actually makes perfect sense. Yesterday I tried another smely and 30-30 rounds cycle it in quite well. I would have to make an insert for the magazine well, but that's ok.

But looking at online brass and bullet sources, I should convert it to BB gun, the reloading component situation sucks!

Local walmart doesn't even have BBs or pellets.

Another thought, to go cheap on this experience, it would be best to just chamber 308 barrel to 30-30 Win and call it; cheap brass, available barrels, cool factor way lower than Zipper, but much more doable.

Unless of course, 30-30 is gonna die out soon as recently discussed on "Fire"

If you decide to use the 30-30 as "baseline" why not go 25-35? Lot
easier to find and/or make brass. And, the 25-35 was touted as a varmint round when it first came out. You would definitely have some "cool factor".

I got an Ishapore 21A for $90 in 1999 imported by Gibbs.
I put a $40 Catco scope mount on it and took it to the range.
It shot accurately with Bulgarian Copper washed steel case surplus 308 ammo.
That ammo was the cheap stuff, 10 cents/ shot delivered.

Years later, it still wears the Weaver K-4 I put on it.

Or I could go Gibbs and 45-70:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/gibbs_summit.htm

I am glad there are options out there.