|
Mr. 16 gauge,
Since Gil bought his FIRST .303 in 1958, the lad has a keen head for figuring what is what. If the SMLE you saw was stocked to the muzzle, it was probably a Mark III, which became a No.1 Mk III when the Brits renumbered their rifles in the 1920s. If there is about 3 inches of barrel protruding beyond the forend, then you may have a No.4 Mk1 rifle developed in the 1930s by the Brits, which soldiered on beyond Korea.
Look at the numbers on the bolt and receiver: If they match, that is ok. Look at the bore: If it shines with strong rifling, ok. If it looks like the tailpipe of my truck, pass on it. Reloading the .303 British merely requires attention to detail. Back Off the resizing die so you get a slight "Crunch Fit" when chambering the round after resizing. I keep a note card in my .303 die box for various Rifle preferences. Some .303s need -one fourth backing off on the resizing die. Some rifles prefer -one half turn. One lovely old MkIII demands -1.5 turns Back OFF of the resizing die to prevent case separations on the 3rd or 4th reloading. The .303 headspaces on the RIM, so whatever the chamber prefers for backing off on the sizing die merely indicates WWII RUSH manufacturing preferences.
Adam
__________________
Adam Helmer
|