Lee Metford and blackpowder

[Patrick Chadwick]

To all collectors who don't shoot their rifles because they are antiques: please take a tranquilizer before reading further!

I would like to fire a Lee Metford No 1* with blackpowder, as originally intended. The typical reference inthe literature is that that the Metford rifling was discarded in favor of Enfield rifling because of the heavy wear experienced when the smokeless (cordite) powder was introduced. So that was the end of the story as far as Lee Enfield fans are concerned.

But the Metford rifling, like the Whitworth hexagonal profile, can work very well with black powder and semi-hard lead bullets (the exact hardness seems to be a trial-and-error parameter). I know that it is not possible (?) to get the original load of 71.5/75.5 gn into the case (L.o.C. 5883 is inconsistent, having 75.5 in the table, but 71.5 in the text). But about 45-50 gn of Swiss ought to fit, and that would be enough to propel a 180 gn bullet over 100 to 300 yards with acceptable ballistics. After all, 70 gn will boot a 520 gn bullet out of my 45-70 over 1000 yards. I'm not trying for a black powder varmint rifle!

So, has anyone tried it out?

Patrick

[Viclav]

This topic was discussed recently over on British Militaria Forums, though not necessarily with just the Lee Metford in mind. I think there was some consideration of Triple 7 as a way to get the full power of the original charge.

Victor

"Always carry a firearm east of Aldgate, Watson."

[Patrick Chadwick]

Thanks again Viclav. I followed up your tip and found that a number of people have already invested some effort and ingenuity in black powder loading for the Lee Metford. It works, but it is a lot of bother.

Patrick

[John Sukey]

And no Lee Metford ever used a lead bullet in service., they were all jacketed.

[dogtag]

A lot of bother ?
Picking fleas off your cat is a lot of bother.
Shooting a Lee Metford with black powder loads sounds like FUN.
I wish I had one to shoot
The Colonel in "The Ghost and the darkness" had a beauty.

[Fred Pillot]

I shot my Steyr M95 straight pull carbine with black powder. I took surplus
ammo, pulled the bullet, dumped the powder and replaced with either ffg
or fffg BP. I filled to the brim, tapped then topped off. Seating the same bullet compressed the powder. I don't remember the weight of the charge. What was interesting was how little smoke there was compared to bigger bore BP percusion rifles.

[JB White]

I discovered the same thing with the 310 Cadet. I was shooting my 450-577 MH and thought it might be cool to have "Junior" belch out a bunch of smoke alongside.

Hardly anymore smoke than with cheap smokeless loads and accuracy wasn't what I am accustomed to with the little BSA. Loading with BP wasn't worth the effort IMO.

[John Sukey]

Consider the fact that BP loads in .303 were from a COMPRESSED PELLET of black powder that was inserted BEFORE the case was necked. This lasted only a couple of years before the BP loads were declared obsolete and they went to cordite. Modern smokeless powder doesn't have the erosive property of cordite since it burns at a lower temperature.

Ain't no way you will ever duplicate the black powder load.