I have one of these (sportorised) and the barrel is trashed; calling it a sewer pipe would be a compliment.

I have been kicking around the idea of a new caliber along with the new barrel.
Something that will work with the existing extractor, in a current factory cartridge, (can't afford wild cating right now). I'm leaning heavily toward .38-55 Win. with a .375 groove dia. I already cast for this and have dies and brass and thought it would make a "fun" rifle. Kind of a big kids plinker.

Does anybody here know how much of a fight I'm going to have to make this grand dame of a battle rifle feed a straight case? Obviously there will need to be some adjustment to the feed lips, but is this one of the hair-pulling, should-a-left-it-alone, type things?

I don't honestly think a negative answer would dissuade me, I'd just like to know what I'm in for.

de Hass mentions Lee-Enfields being converted to 45-70 and also 444 Marlin cartridges in his book “Bolt Action Rifles.†The predecessor to the Lee-Enfield was chambered for 45-70.

Any magazine fed rifle is going to take some amount of modifications to the magazine to use a different sized/shaped cartridge. Since you’re dealing with an action that isn’t among the stronger ones around you might want to consider if all they effort is really worth it, and if the finished product will be that much of an improvement over the tried and true .303 round.

I read that de Hass book too. I have no doubt whatsoever that a .38-55 will be forever outclassed by the .303. I allready have a .45-70, and while fun, it's not really a "plinker", its more of a "bonger"

rusty,

I only mentioned the 45-70 and the 444 Marlin because you asked about converting to a “straight†case.

Rusty
Converting an Enfield is not really difficult, you have to open up the feed rails, and inlarge the receiver ring to allow the larger case head (45-70) to clear. The extractor also has to be modified some to allow for the larger head.
The biggest problem is the magazine, altho an interprising person might be able to make a floor plate and bottom metal and do away with the magazine.
I have built one, a photo is on the hog hunt site here, and was lucky enough to find a Gibbs magazine left over from when they were building them.
I am in the process of building another one now but have not addressed the magazine yet.
Mine shoots one inch groups with Federal 300 grain factory ammo.

That's what I figured. I've been kicking this particular idea around for a few days. I have an hour and 15 minute commute both ways to my "real" job and my brain gets to rambling. The origanal thought was to with .45-70, and then I got to thingking how hungry the one I have now is. So I down sized to .444, thought about for a minute or two and then down sized to .375 Win. and went, "Wait a minute you have a .38-55, and that's FUN and CHEAP to shoot."
I also figure it'll require the least amount of dicking around with the action to make it feed.

As is the gun is useless. So rather than let it sit collecting dust I figured I'd make something out of it.

I had been toying around awhile back with the idea of making a 405 Winchester. The rim is about the same diameter and you can drill the rivets out a remover the charger hump if extraction is a problem.

I figured I would use a .416 barrel as .411 is hard to find and limited in bullet choices. I guess it would be a 416-405 Win in that case.

Feeding is not a problem, I dropped one in the magazine and cycled the bolt... it fed perfectly (until it ran out of room in the 303 chamber). Furthermore, 5 rounds will still fit in the stripper clips.

-Spencer

There has been some talk of coverting a Lee-Enfield to 405 Winchester and I believe they share the same case head size. What has been a matter of debate is whether or not the 405 is too long and whether or not it would feed from the magazine. Frankly, I think somebody could make it work.

I am redoing a poorly sporterized No 4 Mk 1 right now that if I had wanted to spend the money on tooling, I would have tried a 405 Winnie. Instead, I'm staying with the original barrel and sticking to the 303, which is actually a pretty neat cartridge in and of itself.

I think you could make a 38-55 work if you wanted to.

I am watching this topic with interest.

I might mention one other thing, if going for the 45-70 I found it best to use the .458 barrel in 1-14 twist.

Guys . . While we are talking Smle's I have a question - hope I'm not hijacking the thread here . . .

Mine is a No4Mk1* and is a Sportco conversion to 303/25. It has a lightweight barrel and is in real nice condition inside, although the stock isn't nice.

I'm wondering if cutting away the charger clip bridge is considered to weaken the action ??

I'm thinking that if I mill off the bridge, rear sight ears and reshape the top of the reciever rails a bit it'll lighten it some and make it look a lot trimmer.

With a scope mount fashioned (in a stylish manner) from angle iron fitting the flat sided No4 action it'll be a real lightweight backpack rifle.

A further question - Rolland I just had a look at your photos on the hog hunt thread and that is a real nice shaped smle butt stock, did you do it yourself ??

Rusty For what it is worth, I was playing around with a # 4 Mk 1 and wanted to convert it to 35 Winchester which shares the same case head as the 303,3040,405. The 35 Win and the 405 are just a little too long. What would work is a slightly shortened 35 Win made from 3040 cases.

Tentman
I did away with the clipguide on the mark 3 and it does not seem to effect it as far as strenght goes besides it makes it much easier to mount a scope.
The butt stock was a monte carlo design from Boyds that I reshaped and added a limb saver recoil pad, altho it seems to be a hit and miss with the people at Boyds so I am looking for other suppliers as I have another in the works. Should never had retired too much time to think of new projects.
Great American Stocks is sending me a set of wood for the SMLE based on a Rigby design when they were sportizing the 303 it is based on the British Stalker style butt stock. Hope to have it first of next week

That Rigby stock sounds interesting. I like the look of the Stalker.
I don't think my rifle is worth that kind of indulgence though.
The rifle has an after market stock with a cheek piece that is quite comfortable. It also has a short forend.

The more I think about this the more I like the idea.

quote:

Great American Stocks is sending me a set of wood for the SMLE based on a Rigby design when they were sportizing the 303 it is based on the British Stalker style butt stock. Hope to have it first of next week

Please post some pics when you have a chance. I've long thought a English-style pre-WWI sporter would be a fine thing.