L42/Enforcer Ammunication

[Surpmil]

Finally the serious issue has been grasped by several shooter/owners. The chronograph and starting loads from the reload data sheets are your friends with several other tricks learnt from hand loading over the last 50 years. You may find very interesting chronny data on 303 cordite loads(because I could) that are difficult to replicate on a drop sheet with modern powders. DONT mix your brass large pressure/velocity spikes can and do appear. Treat the L42 gently and it will stack shots for a very long time to come

Could you expand on that please?

[browningautorifle]

DONT mix your brass large pressure/velocity spikes can and do appear.

This is a basic for accuracy shooting. Even the same headstamp may not be the same as one lot number of brass. Sometimes hard to get same lot number though.

[Bindi2]

Surpmil. I bought a Chroony in the 70s for several reasons. One being serious pressure problems I was having with a .243/303 I had built. The velocities were way higher than they should have been with way smaller chargers. Thankfully the problem was found and corrected. The next step was reloading suitable ammo for the 303 in other words matching the military load with civie components. Cordite loads roughly averaged 2440 FPS ES was wide. Easy I thought just load to that FPS and all would be good. Bad luck the loads did not match the sight marks for Mk7. Ok try some pulled Mk7 in front of my loads no joy even getting into scary territory. I could replicate the FPS with low ES but not the range setting. One thing I did find was that some recommended powders should not be. There is something with cordite and the Mk7 that is not with other components in military barrels ,heat is one. As others have found using hand loads for range use make your own drop chart. Use a chronny your rifle will be different the start load in a book may well be your maximum. I have turned OBBT Mk8 into OB Mk7 with some success.
The journey as a hunting rifle boils down to the 303 is not a varmint rifle using light projectiles ( though I do have loads) it loves 174 to 215. Tuning the mag lips for different projectiles becomes a PITA.
Mk8 was not recommended for No1Mk3 only emergency use.( The ROs did jump from a great height, ex RSMs & CSMs) That gives you absolute max which is about where the L42 using 144gn NATO is in a better action.
The L42 use is like a hunting rifle firing a few shots a day not a lot of shots every day. It was a cheap Government solution that pushed the boundaries of limitations.

[Surpmil]

Interesting Bindi2, as am not a reloader, at least not yet. So some of the combustion and pressure characteristics of cordite are not duplicable with propellants available to civilians; or not any at all?

I suppose the Textbook of S.A. 1929 has info on this; will have to look.

[browningautorifle]

I couldn't imagine not reloading.

[Bindi2]

When I started reloading there was only one book here in Ozz. Cordite does not appear to have a comparable match. A lot of other military powders are not available to the hand loader but have near matches. Todays art of reloading makes me wonder why I didn't hear about blow ups back then doing some of the things we did through lack of knowledge. Most things have improved, some things will be around for another 100yrs some wont make 50yrs

[browningautorifle]

I don't think there have been as many blowups as there are stories about them. I think the internet amplifies the stories.

[Bindi2]

I certainly have seen more modern rifle blowups than military rifles like no milsurps at all worn out yes.

[browningautorifle]

modern rifle blowups

I did hear about one incident lately at our range where an individual blew up his rifle, was his third time they said. Don't have any idea what he'd done.

[Gil Boyd]

Amount of times you here of re-loaders being distracted on the job and forgetting where they were at!! Probable cause or head space issues