Lee-Enfield

[Mr. Casull]

Has anybody ever converted one of the 303 Brittish to 30.06? I know that some Enfields were built in the 30.06 config. 30.06 is easier to come by if you buy your ammo or reload.

[TrailerparkTrash]

Why the heck would you wanna do that? The .303 British is a classic gun, don't screw it up by rechambering to the '06. If you want an 06, got buy a 1903 Springfield or any other 30-06 rifle.

[berg]

It sounds like you are thinking of the Eddystone M1917 "Enfield" in .30-06. These were not the same as the British No4 mk1 Enfield in .303.


M1917 in the middle, No4 on the bottom.

[offrdmania]

Wow, what a beautiful stock set of that 1917, wish I could find one like that for mine

[Mr. Casull]

The Americans were producing some of the Brittish 303 Enfields and used the tooling to produce guns in 30.06 as the following for a gun on auction

" Winchester 1917 Enfield. 30-06. Serial number 5070xx. Metal retains most original finish. Stock appears to be refinished and has had two professional repairs. Barrel is a non-dated high standard which is correct. Barrel does have the CAI small stamp on it. Bore; though not bright; still shows very shootable rifling. Hard to find Winchester 1917.

On second thought I probably would convert it to a 308 which is what India did with some. The gun isn't expensive and there are alot of them to be had. Right now it is taking up space in my safe and is not being shot.

[Argonaut]

All 1917's were 30/06, The 303 British version was a P14. Same gun in most ways. I have converted many P14's to large magnum calibers. they are well suited as the large extractor and bolt face is a good fit to the belted magnums. They are all very fine rifles built on several patents stolen from Mauser and the basis for the M700 Remington. I am not sure how the shorter 308 round would feed but it would probably be fine with a little tinkering. They are as strong a bolt action as was ever built and have great sights, similar to the Grand.

[Mr. Casull]

Just went to the Lee Enfield forum and found out that the 303 can't take the pressures of either the 308 or 30.06 so a conversion is not possible if one wants to keep all of your body parts!!

[Argonaut]

Lee Enfields were converted to 308 by the British in the 50's. They were later model actions, you see them for sale from time to time, but they work fine by all accounts.

[eighteenninetytwo]

The Lee Enfield L42A1 was the Army sniper rifle which was in service up to and including the first gulf war. These were converted from 1940's .303 No.4 'T' sniper rifles in teh 1960's and 1970's. They seemed to work OK.

[bigstick61]

There are conversions of the No. 4 and No. 5 as well as conversion kits (including barrel, clip guide adapter, ejector, extractor, magazine, and bolt head) for them out there, not to mention the later Ishapore 2As in .308. There are also sniper conversions to .308 like the L39 and L42. The Aussies converted some No.1 MkIII and No. 6 rifles but when a percentage of them failed they stopped trying. I think the .30-06 may actually be too long for the L-E action. You certainly wouldn't be able to use it to its potential if you could make it work.

[todd2968]

It's not like ammo is hard to find

http://www.ammoman.com/index.htm

[Interloper]

They were never converted to .30-'06. You are thinking of the 7.62 NATO conversions performed at Ishapore. I have never read an account of one of these blowing up but it really is asking a lot from the Enfield action. Just look at how the bolt locks up.

[bigstick61]

The Ishapores aren't conversions. The Lee-Enfield is quite capable of handling the .308 cartridge.

[hybridatsun350]

Lee Enfields were converted to 308 by the British in the 50's. They were later model actions, you see them for sale from time to time, but they work fine by all accounts.

Not .308, 7.62x51. A different cartridge.

The Lee-Enfield is quite capable of handling the .308 cartridge.

You're probably right. However, the Enfields built in 7.62x51 were not designed for the pressures of .308. It's a shoot at your own risk situation. It's like shooting GP11 in a Schmidt-Rubin 1889. It will probably work, but it wont be my face with a bolt handle sticking out of it!

[Argonaut]

Not .308, 7.62x51. A different cartridge.



You're probably right. However, the Enfields built in 7.62x51 were not designed for the pressures of .308. It's a shoot at your own risk situation. It's like shooting GP11 in a Schmidt-Rubin 1889. It will probably work, but it wont be my face with a bolt handle sticking out of it!

Do you really want to revisit that stupid conversation?