Question: Project Rifle SMLE 303

[usabaker]

Before anyone tells me it's more expensive, yup I know.
But that's not the point I like returning things back to what they were originally.

But here is my question. What's a SMLE 303 "Sporter" worth that has a great bore and hasn't been drilled on or has the barrel modified? I think I want to get (another) project rifle to bring back to life.

I figured I might go with a rifle someone sportrized like MAC2017 did with a 4mk1

Information

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[smle addict]

Hello, usabaker,

It depends on what you are looking for. Seems the gunbroker and gunauction sites list sporters between $250 and $450 dollars, usually with some hyped-up description which includes words like "rare" and "hard to find."

Realistically, I've seen them in gun-shops for around $100 to $250, with just the wood cut.

I hit the gun shows pretty regularly and have seem them as low as $75.00. This past January at the OC Crossroads show, I saw an SMLE Mk 5 barreled action for $200 dollars, and a Jungle Carbine barreled action for $100.

They're are out there, and they can be had for cheap, you just gotta hit the shows and gunshops. The internet auctions always seem way overpriced.

Good luck with the hunt!

[usabaker]

They're are out there, and they can be had for cheap, you just gotta hit the shows and gunshops. The internet auctions always seem way overpriced.

Good luck with the hunt!

You this may sound dumb but for some reason I forgot about the gun show. Thanks for the tips!

[fjruple]

I have from the past found the best bet is the local gun shop. The general public normally will not buy a sporterized military rifle and will go with a used commercial rifle. The last "bubba" SMLE, was a 1918 Enfield built No.1 MKIII* which was rebuilt in 1928 back to No1 MKIII. The rifle was given to me for free just to get it out of the house and only the front wooden handguards were cut off. Not to be a thief I did offer to paid for it. The SMLE before that one was a "sporterized" Lithgow SMLE No.1 MKIII, again just the front wood cut off which I bargained down to $75.00 US. Normally I look for the ones covered in dust as I blow off the dust when I negotiating with the owner and he gets the message its has been sitting around too long and will come down on the price. If when I get home and the barrel is real bad, I will reline the barrel with a .22LR barrel liner and use it as a plinker. Gunshows and Gunbroker are a waste of time and over priced.

--fjruple

[tiriaq]

...If when I get home and the barrel is real bad, I will reline the barrel with a .22LR barrel liner and use it as a plinker....--fjruple

Bought a large load of odds and ends. Some SMLE parts, including stovepipe grade barrels, barrelled receivers, etc.
Have a .22 conversion project going right now. Sleeved the chamber, bringing the barrel face back to the bolt face, liner in and chambered, bolt head converted to .22, firing pin converted to a striker, firing pin made. Test fires just fine. Next step is to set up the extractor and cut the barrel to fit.

[usabaker]

Bought a large load of odds and ends. Some SMLE parts, including stovepipe grade barrels, barrelled receivers, etc.
Have a .22 conversion project going right now. .

Love to see how you guys do that.

[fjruple]

Love to see how you guys do that.

For the SMLE conversion I just run an 8mm drill extension from the breech end and push through to the muzzle and then thoroughly clean and degrease. I then purchase a Redman 32" .22LR barrel liner (Brownells) and a .303 British cartridge adapter for 32ACP/.32L & short S&W (Gun Parts) and then fit the cartridge adapter to the barrel liner with Locktite 680 leaving about an inch of the extended beyond the back of the cartridge adapter and let dry. Please sure the barrel liner and adapter are thorough clean before using the Locktite 680. The Locktite 680 is very strong and high temperature. You have to know what you are using because once it's on, it's on. While the barrel liner and adapter is drying I will remove the firing pin from the bolt and modify the firing pin by cutting off the tip down to where the firing pin makes full contact with interior of the bolt there should be two indentions for your firing pin removal tool at this location and sanding it flat. This part of your striker will come into contact with your new secondary .22LR firing pin (Gun Parts) which is located in the new SMLE .22LR bolt head and .22LR extractor and spring (Gun Parts). Reassemble your new .22LR SMLE bolt leaving off your extractor. Put new .22LR SMLE bolt aside for the moment. Next we will turn our attention back to the .22LR barrel liner and its new cartridge adapter. At point I will clean the exterior of any excess locktite that may have leaked on to the exterior of barrel liner. I first take the barrel liner and adapter and place it into the chamber of the .303 barrel for it's fit. The rear cartridge adapter should stop where the cartridge head of a .303 British case should be. You should NOT force this unit into the .303 barrel it should just slide in!! If it does not then additional work may be required inside of the .303 barrel and chamber. If you have a perfect fit then remove the unit by pressing on the excess .22LR barrel liner which is protruding from the .303 barrel muzzle. I piece of soft wood work perfectly. Next you will cut off the 1" inch of excess .22LR barrel liner from the breech end and file flush with the end of the cartridge adapter. Next you will chamber the barrel liner with a .22LR finish chamber reamer (Brownells). Since the .22LR SMLE bolt head is flat, you will have to chamber the liner down to where the back of the .22LR case is flush will your barrel liner and cartridge adapter. You will have to go slowly and do this by hand often removing the reamer and cleaning bits of metal off of the reamer. When you get close to where you want to be you will check your progress with a .22LR headspace GO gauge until it feels flush against the adapter and barrel liner. This unit is ready for assembly into the .303 barrel for placement of the extractor groove. Carefully slide the unit into breech end of the rifle until you get to the point where you can place the .22LR bolt in the rifle and gently push the bolt forward into locks up. Remember you should not have the extractor in the bolt head, if you do the bolt will not lock up! Now carefully scribe onto the cartridge adapter where your extractor cut is be located. Remove everything from the rifle! Now carefully cut into the cartridge adapter your extractor cut. The extractor cut should down to the point where the front of the .22LR cartridge rim is barely exposed. This will permit your extractor to grip on to the spent case for removal Great care should be exercised at this point. Once you get the extractor down to where you think it should be assemble the extractor into your bolt head. Place your completed .22LR barrel assembly back into the breech with the extractor groove aligned where you think it should be. Then place you complete .22LR bolt assembly into the rifle and guiding the extractor into the extractor groove push everything into place. Do not force the bolt into a locking position as addition material make be required to be remove. When everything locks up nicely. Place a spent .22LR case into the chamber DO NOT USE LIVE ROUNDS!! Close the bolt. If there is too much resistance then additional material may have to be removed. To remove additional material make sure you remove the .22LR barrel assembly from the .303 barrel each time. If everything is OK with the spent case in the chamber pull the trigger! Pull the bolt back. if you did everything correctly then the spent case should be pull back out the chamber and drops into the magazine. It will NOT eject the spent case out of the rifle only drop it into the magazine which you will remove the magazine follower and spring. The magazine shell will collect all of your spent cases as you are firing and extracting the .22LR cases. If everything is OK you will do a final cleaning and degreasing of the .22LR barrel assembly. I will also cover any part of that I do not want permanently fixed to the .303 barrel with a releasing agent. With the muzzle pointing in a downward angle I will drop Locktite 680 into the .303 chamber and let it run into the reamed out 8mm bore of the barrel. You will have to work very quickly as this stuff sets up pretty fast. With a light coat on the .22LR barrel assembly, you will push the .22LR barrel assembly down to the point you can put in your .22LR bolt assembly making sure the extractor is set into the extractor cut on your .22LR barrel assembly and push everything forward until bolt locks into battery. The front of the .22LR barrel assembly should be filled with a molding clay to prevent the Locktite 680 from getting your new .22LR bore. With a piece of wood gently push back on the front of the excess .22LR barrel that is protruding from the .303 barrel. If there is any excessive headspace this action will take care of that problem. Quickly inspect everything to ensure there is no Locktite 680 where you do not want to be. Let the Locktite 680 dry if you are happy with everything. I would definitely practice this assembly a few times without the Locktite before doing the final assembly. Once everything is dry you are going to cut off the excess .22LR barrel liner from muzzle and re-crown your .22LR barrel liner flush with the original barrel. Disassemble and Clean everything again! Reassemble and go to the range and test fire and zero. Then have some fun!!

Sorry for being long winded.

--fjruple

[MasterChief]

I have posted on this subject before. IMHO if the stars and moon and sun align and you find a candidate rifle at an attractive price by all means proceed. I myself had such a moment about 15 years ago when stuff was less expensive and more available. For comparison I purchased this rifle with cut-down forend, missing bands and bits for $95USD and added another $115 in parts including NOS 4-piece stock set and sling for a grand total of around $210USD. This was a 1943 Long Branch FTR (F) 1948 with FTR-matched receiver-bolt-magazine and Suncorite finish in pretty good condition. And not import-marked. YMMV and of course prices are higher and parts availability are lower today but I still think it is worth pursuing. Best wishes. Dave

[usabaker]

I have posted on this subject before
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-1.jpg

That a beautiful rifle from what I can see, hope i will be as lucky. Who were you with Master Chief I was a Seabee in the 20th NCR Gulfport then NMCB 2 went blue to green and did a tour on the 820th Army Coprs of Enginners.

[tiriaq]

What I do is take a piece of rifle barrel and turn it so that it looks like a cartridge case, and fits the chamber. It must project back from the barrel to reach the bolt face, taking up the space occupied by the .303 rim. Or, the chamber in the barrel could be drilled and bored out, and a cylindrical insert made. Six of one... Once the chamber insert is bonded in place, the liner drill is run through, and the liner is bonded in place. To convert the bolt head, I annealed it, and drilled through for a 1/4" diameter plug, which I soldered in place. Carefully lay out the position of the rimfire firing pin, drill a two diameter hole, and make a firing pin to fit. Shorten the original firing pin, so that it strikes the new firing pin.
Converted a No. 4 a while back, simulating a No. 9 rifle.