Just bought an Ishapore 7.62, after a little research I read that you should not shoot .308 ammo in this rifle due to pressures and cartridge length etc... Went to the local pawn shop and purchased some FAMAE 7.62 Nato and read that this stuff will blow a rifle up. The ammo I bought has a 81 headstamp and from what I have read the 75s are the trouble makers. Anybody had any experiance with shooting .308 in a 7.62 or heard anything about this ammo?

I shot some my brother had several he said we had no trouble shooting standard nato 7.62x51.

Some Indian ammo was way over pressured not a rifle problem but a ammo one.

The FALFILES blog is an excellent source for checking out various country's 7.62X51 ammo problems. And yes there is some mtruely crappy Indian made 7.62X51 ammo, likewise some is fine. The rifle should be good with any good standard military load. But have the headspace checked first - as should be standard for any surp mil firearm.

Here in Britain we NEVER used the SMLE as a conversion to 7.62mm NATO but used the No 4.

However those 7.62mm NATO chambered Ishapore rifles that have been imported here all passed proof without problem.

This is, I am told, because they were purpose made in a stronger steel to be chambered for 7.62mm NATO from the start.

I guess the same "game changer" as when Colt used a stronger steel to design the 1860 Army.

So from my experience here in UK with standard specification properly loaded 7.62mm NATO ammunition (and assuming it is a genuine MADE IN 7.62mm Ishapore and not a converted 303 Ishapore) you won't have a problem.

If you use cheap rubbish then in an Ishapore or I'd warrant even a Winchester 70 or a Remington 700 you do so at your own risk.

A. G. Harrison the former Proof Master at the Rifle Factory Proof House, Ishapore, India and was published in "The Gun Digest, 33rd Edition, 1979."


From 1908 to 1950 all military bolt action rifles made at Ishapore were proof tested with a dry proof round followed by an oiled proof round. The proof cartridge was loaded to 24 tons (2240lbs = 1 ton) psi breech presure, or 25% higher than the service pressure.

In 1950 the material for rifle bodies (they made No.1 Mark 3* rifles; my addition) was altered from an EN steel to SWES 48 steel (not heat treated) except for the recoil shoulder and cam recess in the receiver. With this change the rifle receivers distorted when oiled proof cartridges were fired. This was discovered when hard and sometimes impossible bolt retraction was experienced. Large quantities of rifles were rejected. To avoid rejections the authorities ordered discontinuance of the oiled proof. Therefore from 1950 to the end of SMLE rifle production (June 1965) rifles made at Ishapore were proof tested with one dry proof only, although the specification called for both dry and oiled proof.

A bolt action rifle similar to the SMLE Mk. III*, modified to fire the 7.62 NATO cartridge was produced at Ishapore, first in February 1965. Their receivers were made of SWES 48 steel, un-heat-treated, and with the NATO proof cartridge receivers were found to distort with the oiled or the dry proof round! The material was changed to an EN steel so now the rifles stand up better to dry and oiled proof.

This suggests that the type of steel used in the 2A series of rifles was changed for a short period to SWES 48 but then changed back to an EN grade similar to the older No.1 MarkIII steel

I had 3 of the Ishapore 2A1 rifles at different times some years back. They all were dated in the late 60's,,the first one I owned was a '67 dated and cost $77.
It was like new w/a beautiful rust blued metal finish.

I shot them all with 7.62Nato surplus ammo. Mostly Argentine and Portugese surplus which was the cheap available stuff at the time.
I checked the headspace on all three (NATO Spec Gauges) before shooting and as an idle interest somewhere along the way also. Never did any of the three show any headspace problems.
I can't tell you what specific dates or headstamps were on the ammo. I just shot the rifles for fun and they all shot very well.

I never used 308 commercial ammo in any of them. I never wanted to as the surplus was cheap and available and I didn't hunt with them so what was the point.

They are what they are just like any other rifle. Check them over carefully,,you never know their history so don't assume anything. Load them carefully and with what they were intended to be used with.

I'd probably buy another if one at the right price walked by me again.