Hi Guys,

I'm new here so bear with me please.

I'm a big fan of the Lee-Enfield .303. I actually have 3 of them. I have 2 Mark-IV's that were“sporterized” in the 1950’s or 1960’s here in the US where they cut off about 4.00 inches of the barrel, replaced the front portion of the stock, kept the rear portion, took the top rail off and replaced the military front sight with a generic ramp style. One of 2 "sporterized" versions is the first large bore rifle I owned as a kid back in the min 1960's. The 3rd is a full military version Mark-IV that I purchased through GunBroker.com. I have no issue with this piece as it shoots rather well. However, the 2 "sporterized" versions I have some real issues. I can’t get either of them to stop “keyholing.” I've done a lot of research on the "keyholing" problems over the years. I’ve used surplus ammo and reloaded with .310 up to .312 diameter bullets and had no luck. They "Keyhole" at both 50 and 100 yards. So I've pretty much ruled out the bullet diameter possible issue - I think. I know there are also potential head-space issues with these rifles. I've had them checked out by gunsmiths and they both are Ok. The only other thing that I can think of based on comments I've read is that the barrels are too short for the bullets to stabilize in the grooves. Does anybody know where I can purchase NEW barrels for the Mark-IV's that are in the original military lengths? I don't want to by used barrels as I've heard horror stories about them. Also, I don't want to spend a fortune on the barrels either. I think we all are aware that you'll never get a lot out of the sale of one of these firearms. Bottom line is that I want a decent barrel at a reasonable price.

Also, If I get new barrels I'm seriously thinking that I want to put the original military stocks back on them. Do any of you know where I can get either new or used stocks in good condition?

Hope to hear back from someone soon!

Regards,

hermiem
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