Enfield accurizing

[Norton1]

I was looking at the ads on the threads and read over the one for accurizing the LE. It's a tad expensive, $24 for a CD, but states it will really make the rifle shoot well.

Any one have any experience with this CD? Worth the money?

I took my new to me LE out yesterday and put about 80 rounds through it and it shoots best with 34 grns of 4895 behind a 174 grn bullet. Not a bad group with iron sights, a tad over an inch at 50 yards, but I know it will shoot better.

Thanks

Steve

Information

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[muffett.2008]

I have it, it is an interesting CD, it is also available in book form, makes it easier to flick back a page or cart out to the shed.
All information and ideas are a valuable rescource when it comes to accurising, if not applicable to one rifle, it may well be suited to another.
If you want my advice I'd say buy it, poor old Roger is down to his last set of underwear and the patches on his rubber boots are rotting off from the lanolin in the wool. Help the poor old bugger out, and while you are at it, take a look at his website, great info there.

[Norton1]

I hate to see a man in his shorts losing his essentials - and I'm always good for a charity donation - but other than interesting is it of use? I've read a few of the articles on the forum and not speaking the Queen's English, dratted colonials anyway, I've spent more time scratching my head than really understanding!

I've not taken my rifle apart as I did not want to mess anything up in the process. It's my first LE and I would prefer to leave it as original as possible. BUT - I spent several years shooting long range tactical and got hooked on accuracy. I believe this rifle will shoot to 1000 yards accurately but prefer to make it right without ruining it.

Thanks

Steve

[newcastle]

Historically No.1 Mk 3 rifles were shot out to 1000 yards at Bisley and other places in service rifle matches, so yes it will do it with any tweaks being those that would be done by the armorers within regulations.

[tbonesmith]

I've not taken my rifle apart as I did not want to mess anything up in the process. It's my first LE and I would prefer to leave it as original as possible. BUT - I spent several years shooting long range tactical and got hooked on accuracy. I believe this rifle will shoot to 1000 yards accurately but prefer to make it right without ruining it.

Sounds to me like your rifle is shooting great. If your getting 1" or so at 50m, that equates to about 2 MOA, which is the size of a full bore bull today. When these rifles were used in full bore competition the bulls were bigger, 3 MOA (I think?). If 2 MOA is what your rifles doing now, do yourself a favour and leave it alone. If you mess with it, guaranteed, you'll kick youself later.
If you want to leave your rifle as original as possible, then best do so. It aint broke, so you don't need to fix it.
Just my 2c.

[Brian Dick]

Good advice there tbonesmith! If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!

[Frederick303]

The 5-bull at 200, 300 and 600 yards was ~5 inches, 7.5 inches and 15 inches respectively on the British NRA target between 1927 and 1971. That is around 2.4 MOA

At 500 yards it was 15 inches, which correlates to ~2.85 MOA

It was 30 inches @ 800, 900 and 1000 yards which correlates to ~3.6, ~3.2 and ~2.85 MOA

The current US NRA decimal targets have the following dimensions

200 yard 10 ring 7 inches ~ 3.35 MOA

300 yard 10 ring 7.5 inches ~ 2.4 MOA

600 yard 10 ring 12 inches ~ 1.9 MOA

800, 900 100 yard 10 ring 20 inches ~ 2.4, 2.1 and 1.9 MOA

Any No 4 that puts in 10 shot groups full power loads in the 1.65 to 1.75 inches @ 100 yards range is shooting quite well, in my humble opinion, and will allow the shooter to put in scores, in theory at perfection. That said the shooter will not score any cleans, I have never seen the No4 rifles do that well on the American decimal target. The rifle is rather unforgiving of subtle mistakes that on a 12 pound M14 or 14 pound AR 15 match gun would not be moved out of the ten ring. With the No 4 they will move you out to the 9 or even 8 ring. It is also not all that well behaved when wet. It is great fun.

That said if using nitrocellulose loads rather then cordite past experience has shown that most No 4 and No 1 rifles show a sweet spot with 150 grain to 180 grain bullets around 2200 (150 grain) to 2000 fps (180 grain) with any stick powder in the IMR 3031, IMR 4895, IMR 4320, Varget, IMR 4064 speed range. These loads assume conventional military bedding and that the bore is not eroded to the point where it will not shoot well with any of the .3105~.312 US bullets on the market.

Like new bores shoot the sierra 174 grain match king very well and if the bore slugs on the high side (.314 eqiv or bigger) try the Hornaday 174 grain .312 diameter bullet. Both are boat tail designs. Try the Hornaday 174 grain flat base round nose .312 bullet in a worn bore, if it does not shoot be prepared to remanufacture cordite loads (very painful)

[Norton1]

All great advice! My first 3 shots went 1 MOA, that was 34 grns of 4895 behind a 174 grn Hornady FMJBT. Misc brass and #250 CCI primers. I went up at 1/2 grn increments after that and never did come close to the original shots. MV was around 2150 fps. So I just reloaded 10 more rounds at the 34 grn load and will try that out when the sun shines again!

I also read a bunch of the threads here about care, cleaning, and upkeep on this rifle and then went out and took it apart. It was pretty clean but the furniture was dryer than a popcorn fart in mid-July. I do have some pure linseed oil and used that to give it a drink. It's settling in as I type. I'll give it 2-3 hours and then reassemble. Most of the screws were a bit loose so I'm thinking it was from a lack of linseed oil.

The bore looks pretty good. It has some really minor pitting midway but I've been running patch after patch through it with military bore cleaner followed with a very good grade of gun oil and it is shining like a new dime now. The chamber was a bit dull so I put some jewelers rouge on a 20 Gauge shotgun bore pad and shined it up a bit. All of the brass I shot came out looking really well formed. So neck sizing from here on out.

This rifle is a 1944 TR rifle. All of the parts and pieces have the same serial number on it so I'm thinking it is pretty original. From the numbers it was made at Shirley in England. It was a bring back by a US service man right after the war and set in a safe all these years. Kind of sad in a way - but good for me! Bolt has a #1 face unit. I did find a small MK II stamped in it but am unsure what that means. Oh yeah - and the serial number is in pencil on the top wood. Stamped "T" most everywhere. It's a beautiful rifle. I kind of gave up shooting a few years back as the expense of all the fancy equipment left me tired and unimpressed. So this rifle is the first one that has really got me excited to go shooting again.

Here's a pic or two of it - Thanks for all the feedback - -

Be well
Steve
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[fastback]

Is a good book (i buy it last week), I think the price is ok (a box of 303 cost 45 in my country so....I think is a good idea to put 25usd for accurizing tips)

[armenjs]

norton1, have you had any issues with shooting low at 100yards. any thing you can tell me about your hold and sight picture and if you don't mind what is the number on your top of the front sight show, mine is .031. Also do you use the battle sight or the micrometer. on 50 yards. read my posting for more info. Help shooting low at 100y