Issue with SMLE barrel

[Colonel Enfield]

I took a WWII-dated SMLE Mk III to the range at the weekend to sight it in and was more than a little surprised to discover the target (at 100m) looking like this:

Attachment 54485

Same results with different ammo (Prvi Partizan, Federal, and Remington) but the rifle is in pretty good shape with a bore in good (not great, but still good condition) so it was causing a bit of headscratching as to why the bullets were not going through the target pointy end first. On closer inspection of the barrel, however, it seems there is an issue (circled in red) - the hole at the end isn't completely round!

Attachment 54484

According to a couple of Enfield enthusiasts at the range, apparently it's not an unheard of problem with some of the SMLEs (can't say I've ever encountered if before, though) and is related to wear from continued use of pull-throughs. Seems a bit unlikely to me (they're designed to withstand tens of thousands of nitro-propelled metal projectiles being fired through them so I'd like to think a pull-through would be like a gentle massage by comparison), but it doesn't change the fact the barrel has an issue which needs addressing.

I'm hoping one of the knowledgable people here can tell me how this problem can be fixed - I'm not sure if it's something a recrowning or counterboring will rectify, or whether it's going to require a replacement barrel. Any thoughts?

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[Peter Laidler]

Before I did anything else I would do the same test with .303" Mk7 ball. I don't see how/where the red circle indicates a non round bore!!!!!! Where? If it's not round, then by definition it's not round around the whole circumference...... Or am I missing something?

Corwear WAS a known problem at the muzzles of rifles and always asked about at trade test times where you'd be asked to identify barrel faults. But I don't think I ever saw one in real life!

But with BSO's, we ALWAYS try a different batch of stock ammo before anything else

[browningautorifle]

Agreed...try factory ball first. I loaded some .303 in one of my first batches that hit the target(or didn't)3 ft low at 100 yds. I've also loaded too long a bullet for a cartridge and had them strike broadside because of instability. Long time past mind...

[Thunderbox]

The muzzle of the rifle looks perfectly ok. I have yet to come across a rifle with crown damage bad enough to upset a bullet, and I've had some rifles with major dents across the crown.

Probably you just have a rifle with a lot of wear in the lead - maybe combined with a slightly oversize bore - that has made it particularly sensitive to boat tail bullets. Try to find a few rounds of surplus service cordite and re-test.

[Brit plumber]

Give a few of your rounds to a fellow Lee Enfield enthusiast and see what happens in their rifles.

Maybe you have a experimental rifle that tumbles the round, like the M16?

[browningautorifle]

experimental rifle

[Brian Dick]

Thunderbox has hit the nail squarely on the head. Are all of the brands listed loaded with boat-tails? Flat base projectiles should improve things for you.

[Son]

The target strike looks a little short for a 174gn pill too. If it's an even lighter projectile in boat tail, there is so much less bearing surface to stabilise, especially if there is wear at the leade.

+1 on trying milsurp ammo first.

[Ridolpho]

The 174 gr Remington (MC) I use does not appear to be a boattail design. Works well in the whole range of bore conditions I've got to deal with.

Ridolpho

[Colonel Enfield]

The issue doesn't seem to photograph well, unfortunately, but it's very clear when looking at the rifle - there's noticeable wear in the six o'clock position.

The PPU rounds had 174gr FMJ BT projectiles while the Federals were 180gr JSPs and the Remingtons were 180gr round-nosed soft-points. I also put some PMC rounds loaded with 180gr Sierra GameKing projectiles through it, with the same results - keyholing ahoy and no accuracy to speak of. The rounds all performed fine out of another rifle so it definitely isn't the cartridges.

I don't have access to any decent military surplus ammo (Might have some POF somewhere if I go looking for it), but the reality is if I can't shoot the rifle with commercially available ammo it's going to be an issue since I don't reload at present and I'm not really interested in scouring the gunshows for Cartridges From Yesteryear™ because the ammo is either priced for collectors or in pretty average shape, plus it's corrosive.