SMLE Mk III* info

[gyvel]

You meant the opposite right? Garbage POF .303

No, as of late, there is some POF .308 (7.62) being offered (as well as Indian), neither of which I would touch with a ten foot pole. The Aussie .308, the British Radway Green, and the Portuguese stuff have all dried up, and American stuff is pretty expensive.

It goes without saying that the POF .303 is even worse garbage, and some outlets have stopped selling it because it's so bad.

[SwampYankee]

No kidding? I had no idea. I reload all my .308 and .303 now so I haven't kept up with the surplus situation. I've got about 700 rounds of the POF .303 and you're right, it's awful. I bought it a while ago so I got it quite cheap, but almost every round is a hangfire. Eventually they all go off, but it's an interesting experience to say the least...

[MR.MILSURP]

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn44-e.htm

Enfield L39A1, L42A1 and Enforcer (Great Britain)
Enfield L42A1 military sniper rifle
Enfield "Enforcer" police sniper rifle

Caliber(s): 7.62mm NATO (.308Win)
Operation: manual, rotating bolt
Barrel: 700 mm
Weight: 4.42 kg
Length: 1180 mm
Feed Mechanism: 10 rounds detachable box magazine

After the adoption of the 7.62x51mm round as the NATO standard rifle round in 1950s, British Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) at Enfield Lock developed a conversion for many surpulus .303 British caliber Lee-Enfield SMLE No.4 rifles. The conversion included new, heavy barrel, chambered for 7.62mm NATO ammunition, shortened forend and handguard. This conversion was intended for competitive shooting. The civilian version had been known as Enfield "Envoy" match rifle, military target rifle was designated as L39A1. Both versions fetaured ajustable open sights.

Later, with the addition of the scope mounting bracket to the left side of the receiver, the L39A1 became the L42A1 military sniper rifle.

Early in the 1970, RSAF developed a police version of the L42A1, called "Enforcer". It differed from L42 by having more sporterised buttstock with semi-pistol grip and integral cheeckpiece. It also used match type open sights and commercial telescopic sights.

Production of the "Enforcer" and L42 rifles ceased circa 1985, and it was replaced in military service by Accuraly Intl. L96A1 rifle.

[Tikirocker]

With all due respect ...

1. the stock is 2 piece, not conducive to accuracy- .

Nonsense ... the trouble is that most people, outside the Commonwealth Nations who carried the SMLE in battle, know nothing of the rifle or how to properly set it up and accurize it. The Enfield rifle has been used in Military target rifle competition such as Fullbore, since the early 1920's!

All of the 1000 yard records are still held by Enfields at Bisley to this very day. Perhaps a word from the late great Gale McMillan needs to be read yet again.

A few years ago I was invited to build a rifle for the 1000 yard matches in England. The only requirement was that it would be able to beat a Lee Enfield. What a joke! Since my rifles held all the 1000 yard records at the time I felt confident when I told them if I didn't beat every Enfield on the line they wouldn't have to pay for the rifle.

I should have checked the record book before shooting off my mouth . It would have saved me a rifle. There is something very unique to the Enfield that has been explained to me and I still don't understand exactly what it is. It has to do with the two piece stock and the harmonics plus the flex of the joint makes every thing come together at 1000 yards.

You Lee Enfield lovers check the records of the 1000yard matches at Bisley. It will lift your spirits so high you will be able to laugh at us Magnum shooters. Don't ask me how a rifle with a 300 foot mid range trajectory can consistently beat out our high scoring Mags.

Gale McMillan

2. the fore end is a loose fit on the barreled action, you can grab the barrel and move it all around in the stock- a complete 'glas bedding is required, otherwise the guns suffer from a "wandering zero"- will shoot high to the left progressively more, as the barrel gets hots and moves

Again, nonsense ...

The ONLY Enfield rifle that ever had a reputation for wandering zero ( And overblown ) was the No5 Mk1 - the reasons for this have been addressed by me elsewhere in this forum but essentially the issue was due to environmental effects upon the stocking up.

I have quite a broad selection of Enfield rifles and they show no signs of wandering zero or walking the target when hot. The Enfield barrel was supposed to float free in the bedding, forward of the barrel reinforce, and originally there was to only be 7-8 lbs of upward pressure at the muzzle. The action body was held tight in the fore-end by the tight fitting of the sear lugs to the draws - over time if the furniture was not oiled the wood would shrink and THIS could lead to the action not fitting tight in the fore-end. Knowing and understanding the problems and what causes them is 90% of the battle - picking up a 50-80 year old Battle rifle and assuming it was recently serviced as per British REME standards is assuming a lot! If you don't know how to service and accurize the rifle, don't blame the rifle.

A correctly set up and accurized Enfield is accurate to 1MOA and better out to 1000 yards. Anybody claiming an Enfield lacks accuracy clearly lacks the know how to set one up. Blame the workman, not the tools.

Tiki.

[kilimanjaro]

Two piece stock or not, the Enfield will consistently give minute of torso accuracy, ten rounds rapid fire.