Quote Originally Posted by ireload2 View Post
I fire form cases that are oiled. I never fire full power loads even with dry cartridges. In extreme cases the left side of the body breaks? In less extreme case the right side of the body will break. You can quote me on that.

Did the Brits call off combat due to rain?
Maybe theres a manual with instructions on carrying a parasol to protect the rifle from rain as you charge across no mans land.

Even if the No.4 could be relied upon to hold up to extended firing of 50,000 PSI loads, and I see no reason to believe that it would, the obvious variables in accuracy under the least of adverse weather conditions would greatly limit a 7.62 conversion as a battlerifle.

I've always had my doubts about the 2A rifles, though there are other modifications to the receiver besides the stronger alloy that increase its durability. Some may hold up just fine, but there are credible reports of at least one having blow out and causing severe injury. There are also reports of 2A rifles being damaged by firing only a few rounds of .308 ammunition.

If I had a 7.62 Enfield I'd use only taylored handloads that generated no more than 48,000 PSI. No sense taking chances.

The updated and Strengthened M10 manufactured by AIA is interesting, and shows just what had to be done to create an Enfield that would be safe enough for the 7.62 chambering under normal conditions.
Some of the absolute worst Milsurp ammo I've ever seen was 7.62 NATO. It had flat square powder flakes that was probably WW2 surplus powder from the look of it. When the propellant began to break down for no apparent reason it rotted holes in the cases and the gilding metal peeled off the steel jacketed bullets.
Bad lots of Germanicon 7.62 have been blamed for wrecking at least one M1A1icon rifle, and theres no doubt that rifle action is far stronger than any Enfield action.

Till Ed posted that the SMLE could break from nothing more than a wet cartridge I had a much higher opinion of the rifles strength. Shame on Ed for revealing the Enfield's dirty little secret.

Like I've said before, one should respect the age of these old warhorses and keep pressures as low as possible while duplicating MkVII balistics. IMR 4007 SSC powder looks to be perfect for the task with pressures below 40,000 CUP for a load that exactly duplicates the MkVII with next to no erosion worries.