Ya, ten rounds rapid then scrub with a bronze brush wrapped with wire wool and lots of oil. Even some worn and pitted barrels will shoot quite well with the right bullet
. There is only one way to find out. :)
Printable View
Ya, ten rounds rapid then scrub with a bronze brush wrapped with wire wool and lots of oil. Even some worn and pitted barrels will shoot quite well with the right bullet
. There is only one way to find out. :)
First off, get the alibis out of the way. I’m old enough I can’t see iron sights any more. Long distance glasses let me see the target, middle distance vision (computer distance) let me see the front sight. I had my optometrist make up a set of single vision lenses in my middle distance prescription. That means the front sight is in focus, but at 100 yards the orange dot on the paper is just an orangish smear. Range conditions were 88 degrees F and 90% humidity at 0700. By the second string sweat was running into my weak eye and conditions were getting overall all unpleasant. The first string, marked by circles, was made using some commercial reloads of unknown velocity with 150 grain boat tailed spitzer bullets. That group measures a little over 4”. The second string, marked with squares was with Remington Core-lokt 180 grain flat based bullets. Group is around 6” but I attribute the two high flyers to operator error, not the rifle. Overall I was pleased with the performance and it has made me take a closer look at this rifle. I checked the bolt lugs with Prussian blue before going to the range. Patterning on the lugs was nice and even on both sides, just as it should be. I also noticed marks of filing on the receivers ring, possibly to remove previous markings.
After looking at the similarities of the rifle in this thread
New to me, need help with identifying
Both rifles are Century imports so may very well have come from the same source.
I’m beginning to think that this is not a home-done rebuild but an FTR like process carried out by a trained but non-British, non-Commonwealth facility. It certainly has potential and I’m going to put it in front of a younger shooter who can see and repeat the test.
The orange sticker is 3” diameter.
Attachment 101261
That's OK, it goes bang and they go downrange...it's fine.
Always remember that these rifles were built around, and regulated to, specific, issued ammo, in this case Mk V11 Ball.
ANYTHING else is a crap-shoot, often literally; they often shoot like crap with "non-standard" ammo..
If it has been "tinkered with" post service, who knows what evil done to the original bedding is lurking under the fore-end and hand-guards.
However, unless it is a real beauty and / or you are considering serious service rifle competitions, it is what it is. Appreciate it for just being a working, representative piece from a bygone age and don't fret. These old girls were mass-produced BATTLE implements. Even the "all-matching, originals", were often originally seen as just fancy extension poles for a bayonet, certainly not as bench-rest rigs.
Bruce,
This was more a function test for the rifle. Not my only Enfield so I wasn't expecting 1/2MOA at 1000 yards. Actually I was quite pleased with this outing given it was conducted with sub-optimal ammo, my aging and also sub-optimal eyes and poor range conditions. The fact that it shot both boat-tails and flat-based bullets about the same tells me it has potential. Next outing will be with a younger shooter who can actually see and maybe some HXP MkVII. The real question was whether the rework that had obviously been done was a home garage job or something more professional. Based on a closer look at the rifle, the condition of the bolt set up (very good) and the rifle posted in the thread I listed above I'm leaning strongly toward this rifle having been refurbished by a trained organization but non-British. On another forum it was suggested it might be a Greek rework. I don't know enough about the Greek army to comment on that , but I'm pretty sure now it wasn't bubba who did the work.