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  1. #11
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    Thanks for the hint Woodman. No markings on my follower.
    My 3-set Forster gauges came in the mail today from Fulton - I figured it was a good investment as I'll likely rebarrel some lonely neglected sporter at some point.
    Well - the jury is in. I took the ejector off my bolt, slipped in the go gauge and wouldn't ya know, bolt only goes halfway down. My chamber's shouldn't isn't THAT rough! The little bit of friction I was noticing on a "good" case was just the chamber pushing the shoulder back a few thousandths, or the base of the case grinding on the bolt face.
    A bit frustrating, but I am kind of excited to rent a pull-through finish reamer and complete my first chamber! I checked all my other '03s while I was at it, and they all close on the go, and fall 1/2-1/3 short of closing on the no-go.

    UPDATE: I was looking at https://www.reamerrentals.com - they rent a pull through reamer. From what I've seen, as long as I don't require an interchangeable pilot the pull through would be the easiest to maintain uniform pressure, as opposed to using a t-handle and rod. So, I slugged the bore to make sure - I got exactly 0.308 on the grooves, and what I think was 0.300 on the lands (a bit hard to measure from the slug with a 5 groove barrel). I know of 4drentals.com as well, but their descriptions don't say whether they include the handle or not. I'm not sold on finish reaming it - since it does close on a case most of the time. I may try polishing it as suggested first. Then again, the bolt is nowhere near closed on the go gauge, so maybe those SA replacement barrels were short chambered, and whoever put the barrel on never finish reamed it at all.
    Last edited by ssgross; 09-11-2020 at 03:25 PM.

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

  3. #12
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    I finally got back to working on this rifle - no reamer, but did do a more careful parts inspection, and it certainly is a queen! The finish on the receiver looked too brown/straw to be parkerizing - unless its that grungy. I degreased, and re oiled, and got worse results. So I tested the bottom with rust/bluing remover and wouldn't ya know...the receiver has a very thick layer of bluing on it that came right off! No worries. I'll parkerize it when I get that far.

    The stock fit was terrible (CMPicon cartouche, ink stamped Boyds in the channel) - no contact on the flat under the receiver. I worked on relieving under the tang to get even contact fore and aft, but I don't think it will help as the gap between magazine and receiver up front is nill to begin with.. Moreover, the barrel runs diagonal down the channel. I decided instead to spring for a nice Minelli, and NOS 1903 handgaurd in the wrap - came in the mail over the weekend. Inletting was pretty good...only issue there is contact behind the tang that needed to be relieved. Otherwise even contact in the right places, just need to barely touch it down fore and aft to get the right barrel bed pressure.
    The outside was veeeery FAAAAT - can't even get the barrel band down with the screw out. I spent many hours last few nights with rasp and file shaping it. I'm very proud of myself for how it came out. Wrist is perfectly fit to my meathooks, and a subtle palm swell in just the right place where I like to caress it - same on both sides as I shoot ambidextrous. Handgaurd lines up perfectly now.

    The butt plate is off with daylight showing between the upper 2/3 and the wood - meaning the top screw will take all the recoil. The screw on top is already drilled, so if I relieve there to close the "daylight", I'll need to drill out the hole, dowel, and re drill after fitting the butt. Not too worried about it, I have an original scant stock with a stripped out screw hole, same place, that needs this done anyway...will do a 2fer when I get a chance - but first I have a couple other buttplates on hand I can try just to be sure.
    Found some organic, cold pressed flax seed oil in the health food section of the grocery store. It's gonna be beautiful!
    I'll get pictures of my progress soon.

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  5. #13
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssgross View Post
    I may try polishing it as suggested first. Then again, the bolt is nowhere near closed on the go gauge, so maybe those SA replacement barrels were short chambered, and whoever put the barrel on never finish reamed it at all.
    You can polish and then ream if needed but you can't go backwards. If you can chamber a cartridge it isn't short chambered. Short is far to short to even approach with a cartridge. Once you see one you know what it's like. It's not just a little. This ones starting to sound like a put together by amatures. I have had a few come by that were simply too tight to chamber everything fed to them, that was factory ammo...so a gentle touch with a reamer took out just powder but solved the issues completely. Then a polishing...
    Regards, Jim

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  7. #14
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    emery cloth is in the mail...along with one of those fancy "chamber-hone" things...found the 400 grit 30-06 one for sale. I suppose I could just drive the 10min. to lowes or Home Depot to get emery cloth, but then I'd have to put pants on. This work from home lockdown is developing bad habbits.
    I did drill out the upper Buttplate screw last night, insert a 1/2 dowel piece, and re-drilled. Butt plate is nice-n-tight now, with slight clearance around it's tang. Silly me, I cut the down a bit long and then spent way to long with a chisel on its end grain leveling it out. I should have cut it a bit short, put plenty of glue in the hole, and tapped it level. All is well that ends well.
    For reference...the screw's minor diameter is ~0.166 ish. I used a 5/32 bit = 0.15625. It was perfect.
    I have a choice of buttplates...it came with a stippled one (I would trade the trapdoor for a smooth one and re-park it). I also have a NOS smooth, an early milled fine checker (not the NM meat tenderizer one), or a stamped Remington in my parts bin somewhere. I'm leaning toward the stippled one. I don't care about my parts queen being totally "correct" to the letter, I'd like it to have some character still after it's all purdied up. There is park over the stipples, so they were done before whatever refurb happened, and the plate saw some use after that to wear the park. It's a bit ill fitting since it has seen much abuse. I'll have to do some love tapping to get it to bear evenly on the stock. The trigger guard is milled, and I don't think I'll change it to a stamped one, and so won't use the stamped butt either.
    Attachment 112930Attachment 112931
    The new hole is in the middle of the dowel repair - can't even see it. I mixed a little saw dust into the glue that oozed out to hide hide it a bit. Need to smooth it out now that it dried, and clean up some that inletting black that remains.

  8. #15
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    Stock fit is perfect. Final cleanup outside with 100 grit and it now has its first coat of raw linseed oilicon on.
    I polished the chamber today - very lightly and just enough to remove a long scratch running its length and a few spots where there used to be some surface rust. I used the 400 grit bore hone, followed by 800 grit emery paper in a dowel. There was no real change after this - other than nice and smooth with no marks inside.

    Here is a pic of the bolt on a brand Hornady case, sized in my FLS die and trimmed to the exact proper trim length. Bolt falls in the exact same spot as with the go-gauge. I also used a bore cam to make shore the throat isn't short. There is indeed a small gap between mouth of the case and end of chamber where the bore starts. Is the bolt position normal for a short chambered barreled?
    Attachment 112997
    EDIT: I think I answered my question?...Larry Potterfield has a video with a short chambered Mauser barrel here

    Initial headspace before reaming shows his bolt stop in similar position to mine.
    Last edited by ssgross; 12-06-2020 at 02:25 PM.

  9. #16
    Legacy Member ArtPahl's Avatar
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    My first thought in looking at the last picture of your rifle was, "That's an A3 not a 03", with that flat tang, hole drilled through and the uncountoured cut-off boss. Then I remembered I have a 03 with a serial number dated to 11/42 (per Poyer's book) that has the flat tang, etc. but mine has the rear of the cut-off boss countoured but not the front. So it's evident that Remington was making A3 shortcuts on the 03's in the run-up to A3 production.

  10. #17
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    you're right Art. Take a look at the top of the receiver (found on the internet...mine looks the same)
    [url="https://www.milsurps.com/asset.php?
    Attachment 113023
    It appears to have started life as an a3 at forging time, but was then finish milled to an m1903. Best hypothesis on these is that they kept making m1903 either to use up their stock of parts, or whilst waiting on the a3 specific parts to become fully available. I read somewhere that there was delays, for example, in tooling up for the a3 rear sight. I can only wonder if the SA replacement barrel 5-42 was original. Likely not with the short chamber issues I'm describing.

  11. #18
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssgross View Post
    Bolt falls in the exact same spot as with the go-gauge.
    So if you've polished and your bolt doesn't close on the go or cartridge then it's short. The position of the handle looks like it needs a ream. Such a small touch...
    Regards, Jim

  12. #19
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    Question for the experts with a bigger library than me...my barrel is an SA replacement barrel, dated 5-42. My serial is 12-42. Is it conceivable that the barrel is original? Could it be that Remington needed to supplement m1903 barrels to finish up some of the m1903's before fully transitioning?

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  14. #20
    Legacy Member ArtPahl's Avatar
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    While with WWII Remington production, most anything is possible, an originally installed SA barrel is very unlikely. By late '42 Remington was in full production on barrels and it took only a few minutes to produce one. Remington replacement barrels were probably the most plentiful (My Smith Corona came to me with a 2-groove Remington). If anything, it's surprising that your rifle has a SA barrel).

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