Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing SMLE 303 Brit

kk alaska

Look at the Williams catalog, for a peep sight that mounts where your open sight is now. The aperture is larger than one close to your eye. It works well, more accurate than you might think, because the aperture is really sharp.

Winchester made a .22 LR in this format during the 1930s, the Model 67.

Williams sells this setup for a replacement sight for the AK-47 and SKS.

I have one on order that will fit in the Marbles rear sight.
Wish I had my 30 YO vision back and irons would be fine.
Still shoot recv. Tang sights well. Will let you know how it works for me. Thanks KK

I fitted a 'ring' sight to my air gun once - worked real well. Lacking '30 YO' vision might make that option less effective - I don't know. (I can still see iron sights just fine - it's up close I need glasses for! ) I would have thought the 'U' rear sight of the SMLE to be 'not too bad' for our type of eyes - but then, I am just lucky!

Put an apature in my Marbles rear sight , sighted it in and seemed to be accurate. much easier to get acrisp sight picture.
The forearm is not bedded is it agood idea to bed the forearm full length?

Since you guys are talking SMLEs, thought I would post a pic of my $100.00 yard sale find. I was surprised of the accuracy of this thing, despite the heavy trigger pull. Its my truck gun, and I kinda like it.

I am told that the SMLE should have the fore-end 'properly packed with cork' for really good accuracy. This by a WWII armourer.

kenster99, that's a beauty! (It looks like a No.4)?

The number 1 seems to work significantly better if the forarm is bedded of has a pressure point. The No 4 works OK free floated though it is somewhat more sensitive to velocity/barrel time than if the barrel is bedded. GD

Today, you can use a strip of Ensolite closed-cell foam.

Ted

My own feeling about the Lee Enfield is that every serious rifle shooter should own and shoot one of them - the WWI SMLE or the WWII No. 4 - for a year or two just for the experience and knowledge. Ditto a Mauser 98 or Swede, Krag, and 1903 Springfield. Full military or sporter. Maybe even a 7.62 Russian, but if so get one of the Finnish rebuilds.

The No1 MkIII forend wood has the barrel relieved the full way, except of a rib which provides stability and serves as a pressure point. The No.4 is similar. A good shooting rifle can be tuned to even smaller groups by adjusting this bedding.

I have an old article on this from The American Rifleman, from the 1960s. I may try to type up a synopsis of the steps.

I have aquired a No.4 Savage. I am leaning toward the 257 Roberts but want to use the x57R. I had forgotten you mentioned the 444 Marlin case. May I ask whether you have tried firing the rimless case in your rifle? My idea is to chamber my rifle to handle either. (I don't expect the ejection 'system' to work too well but since I don't want to throw my cases away that would be fine). The 257 Roberts appeals because it is a 'long range' cartridge and works fine as a normal range deer and pig cartridge AND factory loads are of acceptable pressure for the No.4 (45,000 CUP). Would I have to neck turn if I use 444 brass? (I do prefer a neck wall thickness that only just fits the chamber).

I also thought of hydraulically expanding 303Brit cases to 257. It would look like a case fired in an oversized chamber (i.e. a bit funny).

I just had another look at kenster99's No.4 - what a beauty! That stock is going to get copied.

There are lots of cartridges in 6mm, .257, .270, and 7mm based off the .303 British round.

Just rebarrel and get the chamber reamers for one of those, so you don't re-invent the wheel.

Lee24, I would do that ordinarily but what I want is longer range capability and to do that on a No.4 requires a larger case. Chambering a barrel for the 257 Roberts is likely to be simpler than one of the 303 based calibers, simply due to availablity of reamers. Otherwise I would consider the 257 Epps. But I would still have to fireform the cases. 25-303 reamers and/barrels are probably available but as lice as that cartridge may be, it doesn't quite have the range. Hence my interest in the Roberts. Having said that, I have not ruled out the 6mm Musgrave (243-303). It's just that the 6mm doesn't appeal too much on the red deer or wild boar front.

Speeking of 're-inventing the wheel', I am going to look into simply necking down the 444 Marlin to 257 or even 6.5mm.

Look to Ackley. For example, the 25 Ackley Krag is approximately the 257 Roberts, and the 25 Ackley Krag Improved is approximately the 257 AI. Dies are available from RCBS at a reasonable price and the reamer can be had from PTG. I am building a 25 AKI now. Ackley also made a 25 Krag Short that was a hot little cartridge.

Also, the Dutch Steyr 1900 took 6.5X53R ammo. While it can still be found, it is made from either 303 or 30/40 brass necked down. The shoulder is also slightly bumped back if Krag brass is used. Dies can be had for this cartridge, but simply necking in 30, 28 and 26 dies consecutively and then fire forming will produce the brass. I have not ordered my 25 AKI dies yet and have formed brass for it in the same manner.

check out steve redgewell's site on all the .303 permutations.

personally, i love the round and have owned a sackfull of no. 4's and a super p-14 ...