Enfield .303?

[TN Outlaw]

i have never had or shot one how good of a gun are they? and how much would ammo for one run you?

[Garufa]

Enfields are excellent rifles. Accurate, recoil is very pleasant and the the bolt can be operated very quickly. Google "enfield mad minute"

There is essentially no more surplus ammo left so you're looking at close to at $.80-$1 per round if not more for commercial. Aim has Privi at $13.95/20 and I doubt you'll find a cheaper price. If you do find surplus is usually Pakistani made and not very well thought of....it's kinda like shooting a flintlock....click....bang.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Garufa

[Jonnin]

they still make 303 slugs, very popular and used in multiple guns.

[gunrunner32]

Buying ammo for it is between .75-.90 cents a round. I've got a Enfield No 2 Mark 4 made somewhere around 1943, it's a blast to shoot, a little rough on the shoulder though and by far the heaviest rifle that I own.

[Handsome Rob]

It's actually pretty hard to describe how good they are, without swearing.

One of THE finest battle rifles ever made by anyone, anywhere, ever. OK, so they're not the strongest of actions, compared to a Mauser action, b ut for the pressures they were designed for, they're more than up to the task. They're possibly the smoothest bolt-action made, although if you're not used to it, the cock-on-closing can feel a little wierd. If you want to see exactly why they were so loved by the Commonwealth countries, rattle off 10 rounds as fast as you can.......10 shots in 5 seconds isn't hard to do

Accuracy is pretty much legendary the world over. They're a cinch to work on & clean, headspacing isn't an issue, because you can replace the bolt-head in about 8 seconds with no tools & ammo is as cheap as you can get. I buy & shoot Prvi Partisan 150gn softnose from ammunition to go dotcom at $14.00 for a box of 20

Recoil is no worse than a .308 or heavyweight .30-30, as you'd expect with it being a cross between the two.

They make for an exceptional hunting rifle & to this day are still one of the most popular rifles in Africa, Australia & Canada. They say that the .303 round has taken every animal on the planet.....well, I'm not sure about that, but I'd confidently pit one against anything smaller than a Cape or Water Buffalo.

The original English iron sights are sighted at 300yds for the battle sight & the flip up ladder sight is good for 100-1200yds. The US armory versions of the No 4 Mk 1 (Springfield armory, CIA, Savage & some Long Branch) have a dual aperture flip-over battle sight, ranged at 300 & 600yds

The No4 Mk1 model & Mk1 No 3 are the most popular & the easiest to find. The No 5 Mk 1 Jungle carbine is a great rifle & a pleasure to carry & shoot, but accuracy is simply awful past 100yds It was designed as a short range rifle, so this is no great surprise.

Oh, & SMLE stands for Short Magazine Lee Enfield, which is odd, 'cos they never made a LMLE!

The Ishapore Enfields chambered in .308 (7.62 NATO) are NOT a modified SMLE. They're designed specifically to shoot the higher pressure round, so don't worry. They're also a spectacularly good gun.

If you're ever around Tullahoma, hit me up & I'll let you take one of mine for a run!

[TN Outlaw]

thank you all for the info i may have to purchase one of these sometime in the future

[Caster]

Handload for it and you will have more fun than you've had in a long time. The .303 responds EXTREMELY well to cast bullets as well as paper patched lead. Neck sizing and casting will give you a very accurate rifle that (after a bit of an investment) you can load for around 7 or 8 cents each.

[dkd83]

+1 to all the excellent comments. If I reloaded I'd have one.

[NRA]

I really LOVE my no4 mk2. one of the most accurate and super fun

[gjohnsoniv]

Don't get the Pakistani ammo. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, like Garufa said. It's great though to train yourself from flinching though.

[1gewehr]

The original English iron sights are sighted at 300yds for the battle sight & the flip up ladder sight is good for 100-1200yds. The US armory versions of the No 4 Mk 1 (Springfield armory, CIA, Savage & some Long Branch) have a dual aperture flip-over battle sight, ranged at 300 & 600yds

Oh, & SMLE stands for Short Magazine Lee Enfield, which is odd, 'cos they never made a LMLE!

A few updates:

1) The No.4 was also made with machined precision sights in addition to a stamped ladder sight and the flip-over two-position. The machined sight is an excellent sight.

2) A comma would help understand SMLE. It is actually "Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield". There was also a "Long, Lee-Enfield" rifle. The word 'short' or 'long' refers to rifle length, not the magazine size.

The original military load for the .303 cartridge is a 174gr FMJ bullet at about 2500fps. This is just a hair less powerful than the US .30-06 cartridge, and roughly equal to 8mm Mauser and 7.62x54 Russian. Surplus bullets are tail-heavy and known for violent tumbling when they hit something while still retaining excellent penetration.

BTW, in 1916, British Sgt. Snoxall recorded 38 hits on a 12-in. bull at 300 yards in the space of sixty seconds. Tests where the rifle was rapidly loaded in order to fire as many rounds as possible in one minute, dubbed by participants, 'the mad minute'. No other hand-operated bolt action service rifle can claim such a record.

[rockman6]

i found some ammo on ammoman.com for a decent price. Mine has been sporterized.

[Ramjo]

I have a 1942 Long Branch model with the flip 300 and 600 yard sights. Privi 174 grain is the ammo of choice for me, and Wideners sells it for 13 per box of 20.