Todays aquisition....

[Mikej]

I've had a couple of wants in the way of old military wood and steel. Another Swedish Mauser, either a full length or one that had been brought back in and arsenal drilled for diopter sights. An 03A3 BIG $$ I've discovered. Or an Endfield

Well, this was fresh at the OAC show today.

I don't know a lot about them, but the gentleman I've known for sometime is an honest good guy so when he said it was all matching and in real good shape for something like this that may have spent time in hell, I believed him. The bore looks really good!

I'll be taking in down and massaging the wood some to clean it up, (NO sand paper I promise). there's a scosh of rust on the front site ears. and some dings and dents. I'm not even sure what year it is at this point. Any info and/suggestions are appreciated.

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[Joe13]

Your pics didn't load for me Mike.

 

[Mikej]

Your pics didn't load for me Mike.

Well! Camera batteries were dead. I said "I'll use the cell phone!" So pics were emailed to the PC, copied and pasted in the post. They show for me but I can't expand them. I'll get some up when the camera batteries are charged. Sun was nice when I took the pics. Now we've had a 1/4" rain, lightening/ thunder and still dripping.

 

[Mikej]

 

[Goosebrown]

View attachment 513014 View attachment 513015 View attachment 513016 View attachment 513017

Yay. Nice to have you in the club

 

[Mikej]

Thank you! It looks like someone put some clear coat on the stock? It's a little too shiny in places, mainly the butt stock. Any ideas on clean-up of the stock? On the Swede Mauser the over oiled stock responded quite well with some rubbing with denatured alcohol. Today a guy suggested cleaning it with BLO. He said it would soften the existing oil and dirt. That makes sense, but BLO is pretty messy. I'd prefer a little drier stock. Not going to be in the jungles any time soon.

Oh ya, it's a 1918 BSA MK III*.

 

[Lilhigbee]

Very nice piece, Mike!! Congratulations!!
Interesting info on markings here;
http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/history/markings/

 

[Goosebrown]

Mine is a 1917 BSA III*

 

[Mikej]

Very nice piece, Mike!! Congratulations!!
Interesting info on markings here;
Markings on Lee Enfield Rifles

We'll see how nice it is.....A little looking at GB says, at this point, that I did fine.

I'd stumbled on that site looking for you tube vids for disassembly. I'm looking forward to getting under the stock and see what other markings are under there.

Ammo? PPU is reloadable, though a bit expensive British surplus seems appropriate, and very affordable. Wolf steel case may be an insult to the grand heritage of The Lee Enfield? I saw some on a table at the show for $25.00/20 that looked real old. Glad I didn't pick it up.

 

[Medic!]

It's a bit outside my wheelhouse. But definitely a thing of beauty.

 

[Capn Jack]

Mike!

Nice Stick, but not another set of dies..

 

[Mikej]

Mike!

Nice Stick, but not another set of dies..

Normally I'd be preping for that already, but surplus 303 is $10.00 a box. So no dies for a while I think.

 

[DunRanull]

Nice snag... OK the LE isnt a Mauser. but.. they hold their own. Of all the bolt combat weapons I'd choose the LE before (albeit perhaps reluctantly) any of the others, including the Springfields...

 

[tac]

Mike, that's a nice old piece, and I look forward to seeing all the stamps there on the socket and the Nocks Form. A coupla things that might interest you - before you tell me off, that is. The VERY best .303 milsurp is either GREEK, marked HXP, or Sarth Efrican, marked 7.7 British. Anything else that is milsurp is probably going to be corrosive, with all that entails with post-shooting clean-up.

This is my best advice to you so far, shoot it with the PPU stuff - a perfect replication of the real thing, BTW - BEFORE you take it to pieces. Then you'll have some goode times to remember it by. My Aunt Rosie was a stocker during WW2, and the things she used have to do to make those guns shoot inside 3" at 100 yards was nothing less than magic, but remember that she was doing 40 - 50 rifles every day. The Lee-Enfield is a fearsomely complex piece to get to shoot well, with upwards pressure here and downwards pressure there and a slip of wood in a indentation here and there and so on. Respectfully, if you don't know what you are doing, please leave it well alone. I have NEVER seen one go back together, after having been taken apart to 'improve it' by an amateur, that didn't shoot like a garden sprinkler. Fulton's of Bisley charge around $300 or more to put it right, capisce? Taking the butt stock off, for a start, is rife with the danger of doing serious and permanent damage to the series of wedges and spacers inside where you can't see. and requires a VERY long screwdriver with a hex or square shank, especially on a gun as old as yours might be.

When you do get around to reloading, remember that the smallest diameter bullet you'll need is .311, on up to .315 in an older bore. Up to 600 yards, the flat-base bullet is supreme, after that, well, good luck. Shooting anything other than 174gr bullets is also a waste of powder and primers.

Do NOT expect to get MOA - the requirement was for a five shot group of around three inches.

 

[tac]

PS. far from to me to say so, but this thread would be better in the C&R forum.

 

[11Charlie]

Moved your thread to the Curio and Relic section Mike. Oh and congrats beautiful rifle!

 

[tac]

Mine is a 1917 BSA III*

 

[Mikej]

Mike, that's a nice old piece, and I look forward to seeing all the stamps there on the socket and the Nocks Form. A coupla things that might interest you - before you tell me off, that is. The VERY best .303 milsurp is either GREEK, marked HXO, or Sarth Efrican, marked 7.7 British. Anything else that is milsurp is probably going to be corrosive, with all that entails with post-shooting clean-up.

This is my best advice to you so far, shoot it with the PPU stuff - a perfect replication of the real thing, BTW - BEFORE you take it to pieces. Then you'll have some goode times to remember it by. My Aunt Rosie was a stocker during WW2, and the things she used have to do to make those guns shoot inside 3" at 100 yards was nothing less than magic, but remember that she was doing 40 - 50 rifles every day. The Lee-Enfield is a fearsomely complex piece to get to shoot well, with upwards pressure here and downwards pressure there and a slip of wood in a indentation here and there and so on. Respectfully, if you don't know what you are doing, please leave it well alone. I have NEVER seen one go back together, after having been taken apart to 'improve it' by an amateur, that didn't shoot like a garden sprinkler. Fulton's of Bisley charge around $300 or more to put it right, capisce? Taking the butt stock off, for a start, is rife with the danger of doing serious and permanent damage to the series of wedges and spacers inside where you can't see. and requires a VERY long screwdriver with a hex or square shank, especially on a gun as old as yours might be.

When you do get around to reloading, remember that the smallest diameter bullet you'll need is .311, on up to .315 in an older bore. Up to 600 yards, the flat-base bullet is supreme, after that, well, good luck. Shooting anything other than 174gr bullets is also a waste of powder and primers.

Do NOT expect to get MOA - the requirement was for a five shot group of around three inches.

Thanks tac. I knew you'd have top knowledge on this rifle. I bought 100 rounds of this.
20 Round Box - 303 British Surplus Ammo - 174 Grain Bi-metal FMJ 1980s Vintage made by MEN in Germany | SGAmmo.com
Says non corrosive. I didn't even look seeing as it's '83 manufacture. And inexpensive. It meets the 174 grain flat bottom bullet requirement, and is non corrosive.

I looked at a couple of videos and removing the butt stock did look like something that would be a real nightmare if the large screw holding it was frozen in the receiver frame. Granted I'm no gunsmith but I've worked with tools all my life, or 55ish years anyway. I presume part of the problem is with three screws into the barrel and one in the receiver, and different torque values would pull the barrel in odd ways, messing with accuracy?

 

[BSG 75]

Thank you! It looks like someone put some clear coat on the stock? It's a little too shiny in places, mainly the butt stock. Any ideas on clean-up of the stock?

That's probably the original finish. Very old linseed oil and a lot of handling produces a somewhat glossy finish. I would leave it alone.

My 1905 Mk I*** is very accurate. I shot it at a TCGC Military Rifle match several years ago.

 

[Hal OPeridol]

You will want to shoot flat base ammo whith this rifle. Enfields that have been shot with cordite ammo (most Brit issue ammo) will tend to keyhole boattail (PPU) ammo. REALLY nice looking Enfield.