As mentioned in the BSA Enfield post which has been running, I purchased an Enfield sporter from Jaquas two months ago. I bought it to get the action, since it appeared to have been extensively reworked. I paid $250 for it, and figured with the machine work, I couldn't get hurt too badly.

I picked it up yesterday, and was really taken aback. All the metal work was nicely done. It had the ears ground off, the trough filled and shaped, drilled and tapped, floorplate straightened, magazine box modified and welded up, cock on closing and a Dayton Traister trigger. Polish and blue was shiny and dark blue. Weight is nearly perfect for a 30 Magnum.
The barrel looks polished inside and appears almost unused. The serial number is in the 1,4xx,xxx range. The stock was an old model Fajen with rosewood tips and grip and a plastic buttplate. The stock had not been sanded and filled adequately but the grain was really, really nice. The stock is a rollover, but the comb is too high even for a scope (which I think will be a plus).

Anyway, since I don't own any 30 caliber rifles, looks like it went from action donor to project.

My first impression of a plan is:

1. Cut off the tips and grip; replace tip with ebony, grip with steel and reshape to a more traditional shape.
2. Grind/sand off the rollover and reshape the cheekpiece to a more classical shape while dropping the comb height about an inch.
3. Put a black decel pad in place of the buttplate. This should make the LOP about right for me. Currently too short.
4. Have a tasteful checkering job done.
5. Add a barrel band sling swivel (currently has no swivels) along with some irons, maybe a barrel band front.
6. I have a spare set of low Burris quick release mounts. Will likely add a low power variable.

Any thoughts? Does anyone have much experience with the 300 H&H?

I will shoot before starting work. If the barrel won't shoot, I will likely screw in a 375, since I don't have one right now and have a Rigby, two Taylors and a 425 (the 40's are about covered.)

I have a pre 64 Model 70 in 300 H&H with a 3x9 leupold and it is an outstanding rifle. The long tapered case of the 300 H&H feeds so smooth and if you reload performance can be enhanced. My favorite load is a 180 gr bullet and 73 grs of H4831, it shoots into a .750 group at a 100 yds.

Art S-

Do you really want to go to all of that trouble and added expense when I would be glad to take if off of your hands and relieve you of the burden of having to put up with that old thing?

Just kidding of course. I am intensely jealous though. Sounds like you have made quite a find. I, along with many others on the forum, love the .300 H&H. In fact, I am having one made up on a M1917 Enfield as we speak. The .300 H&H is my favorite of the .300's by far.

Please post a picture of your new prize.

If you come across another like yours let me know.

Good shooting.

I'll try to post a picture in the next couple of days. I don't know if the quality of the stock wood will show up, given the finish.

Jaquas is sometimes a great place to pick up rifles. I travel to Findlay OH pretty often on business and always stop in. They are shotgun people thru and thru and unless rifles are "in the book' and collectible, they tend to try to move them out quickly. Things like this Enfield often go for a really good price.

Incidentally, they have an H&H 375 in stock right now. It is pricey, and I didn't think much about it, but when I actually looked at and handled the gun this week, I thought it might be one of the most exquisite rifles I had ever seen. The workmanship is absolutely stunning in person.

What you described is exactly what I would do. If the inletting is so-so you can glass bed the barreled action and bottom metal. If it has a bright blue finish, you might rust blue. Great project. I also bought a 300H&H project gun which will need similar treatment although mine is a commercial FN.

I have a M70 Classic that was rebarreled into .300 H&H and love it. Good luck with yours.

As others have said, it is all you'll ever need in a .30 Mag for most purposes. I have two, an as-new Pre-'64 M70 "standard weight", and an NRA VG-Exc. Pre-'64 Bull-Gun. Love em both.

One thing you might want to consider quite carefully is where you put that front sling swivel. Elmer Keith used a similar rifle in Africa a few times, and he finally started putting his front sling swivels on the FRONT of the forends. Made for handier carrying through the various more dense bits of thorn, he said, without whacking the web of one's hand when the rifle is fired as a swivel under the forend sometimes can do. Also didn't present the change of impact problems sometimes associated with getting into a moderately tight sling which is attached to a barrel band.

Got to admit, though, to me a sling swivel stuck in the end of the forend IS ugly.

I just placed this one in the classifieds.