.22 Cal SMLE, surprise me!

[Peter Laidler]

Has anyone considered a sub calibre insert along the lines of the barrel insert and bolt? I was thinking of something along the lines of the old sub cal adaptor used in the FN FAL/L1A1 rifle

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[Son]

Has anyone considered a sub calibre insert along the lines of the barrel insert and bolt? I was thinking of something along the lines of the old sub cal adaptor used in the FN FAL/L1A1 rifle

Hey, now that would be an interesting addition to my SAF target rifle! I wonder who I'd have to kill to get one of those!

Something that hasn't been said here about the trainers... When WW1 broke out, there was a perceived shortage of trainers so the W^D contracted out the conversion of older models and previously converted rifles to .22 calibre. Contracting the work achieved several things, firstly so as not to tie up RSAF and major military contractors production lines at a time when they were trying to meet increased demands for front line weapons. It also helped keep a few firms afloat as some were already in financial trouble in 1915- Westley Richards for one was on the brink of closure (documented on their website). It also ended up with some companies, AJ Parker and later Parker Hale (not the same group- there were a couple of "divisions" in the Parker family in the trade which had gone their seperate ways by this time- details available through google) thriving on converting and modifying rifles for various target shooting groups.
There were no purpose built .22 trainers untill much later on as demostrated earlier in the thread. Although the amount and type of markings varied a lot, a rifle with a 1916 build date and marked No2 MkIV would have been a much later conversion, possibly as late as the 1950's (working from memory here, please correct me if I stuff it up!)

[nzl1a1collector]

Hey, now that would be an interesting addition to my SAF target rifle! I wonder who I'd have to kill to get one of those!

You would have to be mad to buy it, but Guncity has a L12A1 barrel, breech assembly and one magazine for NZ$1500.

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Bob, you could wind up being a Lee Enfield guy too if you're not careful!

Peter, newly made sub-caliber inserts along the lines of the Morris aiming tube were available here some years ago. The quality was not top notch and they got mixed reviews. Mine was not accurate at all.

[jona]

Bob, you could wind up being a Lee Enfield guy too if you're not careful!

Peter, newly made sub-caliber inserts along the lines of the Morris aiming tube were available here some years ago. The quality was not top notch and they got mixed reviews. Mine was not accurate at all.

Have one of those inserts also. Like yours, not very accurate. Came with its own complete bolt.

[Bob Womack]

Bob, you could wind up being a Lee Enfield guy too if you're not careful!

Peter, newly made sub-caliber inserts along the lines of the Morris aiming tube were available here some years ago. The quality was not top notch and they got mixed reviews. Mine was not accurate at all.

I know. Scary. Oh, and

"None shall pass!"



Bob

[Mk VII]

Many unserviceable .303 barrels were recycled by boring out and lining them to .22. I've got one P-H did in 1948

[Minnesota Joe]

Anyone know where you can get replacement .22 magazines for the No. 7 (British)? You know, the little mag that was inserted/welded into the regular mag.

[Alan de Enfield]

Anyone know where you can get replacement .22 magazines for the No. 7 (British)? You know, the little mag that was inserted/welded into the regular mag.

Well I know a guy whose got some and selling at £80 each.
I was looking at buying a complete sportsman 5 rifle (with magazine) scrapping the rifle and keeping the magazine. The complete rifles are fetching about £16 - £25 each at an auction I frequent.

US$1.5 = GB pound £1

[HARC-MCRRS]

If it is only the insert that you are looking for, and you already have the .303 magazine shell with the plate rivetted in to take the insert, then the little 5 round magazine was taken from the standard BSA Sportsman .22RF rifle and modified, by dint of re-profiling the side-plates with a small cut-out each side, and inverting the release latch so that it was at the top of the magazine instead of the bottom. This simple alteration provided BSA, who manufactured the British No.7 rifle, with an economical answer to the supply of just 2,500 mag-inserts for the R.A.F. contract. The reversal of the latch permitted insertion and removal from above, rather than below as in the sporter.
The only problem is that you may have to purchase a complete BSA Sportsman to get the magazine; but a well-used example is comparatively cheap when you consider the intrinsic value of a complete and operative No.7 rifle. If you are lucky, you may find one of these magazines in a trader's box of bits at an arms fair.

Sadly, yes, the original special outer .303 magazine shells are hen's teeth, and, if you can find one, may command as much money as an entire Lee-Enfield No.4 rifle.

To see more of the rifle and magazine just type "Lee-Enfield Rifle No.7" into Google. When you eventually get to the bottom of the page you will find detail of the insert.

Hope that helps.