Ammo options...

[enfield303t]

Because you have good barrels. He was pointing out barrels that had a weaker commencement.

I agree Jim, my point was for some reason no matter how old every one I have shot must have a very good barrel which IMO is luck.

[browningautorifle]

I had a #1 Mk3 for many years that was the opposite. It was an Ishapore that had a commencement about 3" long...shot OK and looked very nice. Eventually it sold.

[Brian Dick]

It's not so much the overall bore condition but the wear pattern in the throat caused by cordite which burns very hot.

[browningautorifle]

the wear pattern in the throat caused by cordite which burns very hot.

That's what I suspected had caused it, there was almost nothing for about 3" except it was still shiny.

[Brian Dick]

You can buy the soft point, flat base projectiles like the Sierra Pro Hunters and they'll perform better than the SMK in many rifles. The 180 grain projectiles shoot very close to original 174 grain Mk.7/7z POI with the right load. You can buy 150 grainers too which obviously shoot lower so you just run the rear sight up. It's no big deal. There's less recoil too for those of us who have shoulders and necks full of arthritis. Some even like the 125 grainers which makes for very pleasant shooting on a 100 yard range.

[Colonel Enfield]

I'm actually surprised most of the commercial ammo is BT - you'd think someone would make flat-base stuff since that's what the rifles are designed for?

[CINDERS]

The Bullet Factory 174gn HPFB is on the left compared to the 174gn SMK on the right to be honest I have not done much work up loads except to put the ogive at the same distance from the case base as a Mk VII and ensuring the assembled round fits in the mag which it does just.
So we have a service shoot next week end when I have fired a couple of hundred off I will get back to the group with what I discovered.
I brought 840 of them about 4 months ago but our range was closed but it has since reopened also they are reasonably priced @ .42cents each they mike out at .311" ~ .310.5"

[Peter Laidler]

Forgive me if it sounds like I'm talking a load of bolloxxx*, but I am not nor ever have been a reloader. But I know how nerdy this tribe of humanity can be. In respect to Colonels thread 46, surely if what you're getting is boat tails and what you want is flat base, it'd be simplicity itself to make a shaped cup thing to hold/support the bullet and a press thing to simply press the boat tail shape into a flat bottom shape. It's only very malleable copper and lead we're talking here. Bullet might end up a bit shorter but........

* Bolloxxs; REME technical term. Generally used as a term of frustrated expression to another hapless individual who appears to be talking an load of crap. As in '........that's a load of bolloxxs'. As used on a regular basis by Infantry too. BAR and Muffer will have used this term

[Bindi2]

You are right Peter. I found an old gentleman who was making the tool to do that. Was gently told to wander down to the end of the far que and wait several years till he caught up with orders. All other machinists bolted when asked.
Good sideline for you when you have little to nothing to do now you are retired.

[CINDERS]

I did get the plans of the upsetting dies sent to me but I suffered a computer crash which totaled it I got some stuff back but not all I cannot remember the chap who made the dies he was bumping 7.62's HPBT's out to .312 FBHP
If I was ever in your position Peter to being able reckie zillions of rounds for functioning tests on the weaponry and have a tad of fun on the side giving others a bit of experience in weapons then I would gladly put the reloading stuff behind me, sadly to pursue our sport requires to a degree deep pockets thats just for Service shooting do not worry about F class or Target Rifle.
174gn SMK's are running @90 cents each in one of our Service shoots we can loose off 106 rounds thats $95.40 just for projectiles, add cases, powder, primers well you get the drift so its not that we are quirky, touched or been out in the midday sun to long nor a few roo's short in the top paddock, its economic, an interesting study of how different things affect the accuracy of a load and so on.