GUEST ARTICLE
.303 Enfield Upgrade
by DW
It would be hard to argue that the 303 British Enfield is not the best bolt action battle rifle ever made. The Enfield served the British Empire for 104 years. It served the Afghan freedom fighters against the Soviet invaders. It has served sixteen countries, according to Wiki. More than 17,000,000 have been produced. The .303 possesses approximately 10% less power than our .308, and has an effective range of 550 yards.
With a track record like that, why would anyone want to upgrade it? (If it aint broke, don't fix it.)
Three reasons:
Increased accuracy. Shot groups will improve by 25-50%
Increased power. From 10% less than a .308, to almost a 30-06.
Cheaper ammo. How does twenty cents a round sound? The only place that I know of, selling military surplus .303 is classicarms.us. The price is almost fifty cents a round. Doing the math, upgrading from .303 a thousand rounds saves you almost $300.00. Maintaining shooting skills requires shooting and plentiful cheap ammo.
Interested?
The upgrade will consist of rechambering the barrel to 7.62x54R and slightly modifying the magazine.
Want to know more details? You can find them here. http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-n-z/smle.htm
Please note that only the contact info for the gunsmith that did the work is out of date. I talked to the local gunsmith at the Gander Mountain closest to me. I told him I wanted to convert a .303 to 7.62x54R. He did not think it would be a problem. Also note that the 58 minute video is still available. (no mention was made of that info being out of date)
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4 comments:
This is not spam, it is a geneuine attempt to give those who mistakenly bought a 303, another bite at the apple. Great post.
So I take it that the Russian ammo is cheap.
You make a good point, and I am not fanatic about it, but I think if I was converting, I would prefer to go with the 308 Winchester (if possible) for ammo availability issues.
In possible future bad situations, hopefully you will not need 1000s of rounds of pistol ammo except as practice. But a rifle is very much another story, being useful for both defense and hunting, it is very possible you will use many rounds without ever firing a shot in anger.
I don't take that because a weapon was used a long time that it is a good weapon. But I have heard enough people say enough nice things about the Enfield to have no problems with it.
Sounds like a good idea! Thanks!
Of course, the obvious question becomes: why not just buy a Mosin-Nagant? They are cheap and would probably cost less than converting an Enfield. Also, they are a proven battle rifle and are often used in hunting.
I have another question. How useful are these type of rifles, whether Enfield or Mosin-Nagant in a survivalist situation? Maybe those who survive are the ones who make friends with and cooperate with their neighbors and the LEOs. I, for one, am damned grateful for the law and order LEOs can and do produce. Home defense, although it can be important if nothing else is available, cannot beat police training and a well ordered and professional law enforcement team.
I store food. I have guns, but I perceive severe limitations about the use of having them around. I try to see the larger picture. I don't see my neighbors as threats. I just see them as scared people, like myself. I see my neighbors as potential friends and people who I can potentially cooperate with to ensure the survival of my family. I don't see LEOs as a threat. I see them as people that are doing their best to do their very important jobs. Not all neighbors and LEOs are good, but most of them try to do the best they can.
One thing I really wish for is that my neighbors would really take seriously the idea of storing food and having alternative water sources and be, in general, prepared for long term emergencies. I would like to see more of an attitude such that they are willing to take care of themselves, as much as possible, rather than thinking that the purpose of others is to take care of them. I have some Mormon neigbors. Although I am not of their faith, I do like them as neighbors. Come an emergency, they can take care of themselves.
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