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Lack of spare parts triggers the end for old reliable Lee-Enfield rifle
Toronto Star ^ | 10/18/2014 | Joseph Hall

Posted on 10/19/2014 7:55:46 AM PDT by fso301

The foe now has four legs.

But a century on, the rugged reliability and brute firepower that made the Lee-Enfield rifle the standard-issue weapon for entrenched Canadian troops during the latter half of the First World War makes it an ideal choice still for a modern group of this country’s soldiers.

The Canadian Rangers — a component of the armed forces reserves — conduct sovereignty patrols and assist search and rescue missions in the Far North and in remote coastal regions across the country.

(Excerpt) Read more at thestar.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 303; banglist; gun; leeenfield; rifle
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To: yarddog; Lurker
I have this interesting rifle that started life as a 1917 Enfield. It was sporterized in the ‘50s most likely. Original barrel was turned to creat a long taught sporter taper and re-chambered to .300 H&H. A walnut stock with black and white diamond inlays and high cheek piece was made to fit the barrel shape (nice work). I paid $50 for it.

I had it finished in matt blue and the bolt redone to cock on open, and the scope mounts redone.

The stock was rough and sanding out the diamonds would remove too much material, so I cleaned it up and coated it in truck bed liner. I installed a Timney trigger and a Burris ballistic drop scope.

My hot 200 gr Partition loads will put 3 right around a quarter at 100 yards. Pretty good for that old .06 barrel!

41 posted on 10/19/2014 1:07:44 PM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

I got a 1917 in a trade around 1970. It appeared in nice shape but when I fired it, the bullets key holed and obviously accuracy was awful.

I took a better look at the barrel and it was not in too bad shape but out of curiosity I put a .308 bullet in the end of the barrel and to my surprise, it fell all the way through.

I paid a gunsmith to install a new inexpensive barrel. When I picked it up, he apologized that it was not very accurate.

I don’t know if it was the loads he was using or the scope or maybe he was just a bad shot but when I tried it, the groups were under 2 inches and sometimes better. Plenty good enough.


42 posted on 10/19/2014 1:38:14 PM PDT by yarddog (G)
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To: yarddog
Plenty good enough.

Yep. I was suprised at how well the .300 H&H shoots. Not sure if the barrel was twisted for 180 gr or 200 gr .06 loads in the day, but it works. The trajectory with those 200 gr Partitions is similar to 165 gr .06 loads so it is an elk thumper for a ways out there.

43 posted on 10/19/2014 1:44:52 PM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

Lots of old Enfields were re-barreled in larger calibers for African plains game. Sounds like you got a real interesting piece for a very good price. It must be a hoot to shoot.


44 posted on 10/19/2014 2:47:39 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lazamataz
No. These parts are METAL, and metal is notoriously hard to work with.

Huh! I thought they were made out of whale bone; and you can't hunt those without having a bunch of hippies chasing you down in rubber boats.

45 posted on 10/19/2014 2:48:43 PM PDT by seowulf (Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum. Cogito.---Ambrose Bierce)
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To: seowulf; Lazamataz
These parts are METAL, and metal is notoriously hard to work with

If only humans knew how to make things with metal...

46 posted on 10/19/2014 2:54:06 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Lurker

Agree ..... very nice rifles. Albeit i have converted mine to 7.62x54R . Same cups yet boatloads of the russian surplus still in the safes.

i like em , action is almost as smooth as my old 30-40 Krag Carbine.

I would issue these rangers K98’s for moose and bear patrol. Pallets of those laying around.

Stay Safe !


47 posted on 10/19/2014 3:00:59 PM PDT by Squantos ( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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To: Squantos

That thing must kick like a mule in that caliber. I’ve got a couple Mosin Nagants that sure lt you know you’ve pulled the trigger.

K-98s are a great idea. They’re on the C&R list now I believe and are only a couple hundred or so a copy. For that kind of money you could buy 1 for issue and 2 or 3 more for spare parts.

Hope you’re well my friend. Check six.


48 posted on 10/19/2014 3:56:49 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lazamataz

“In another 10 years we will be about 100,000 people in number, grunting at one another and scavenging burnt-out buildings looking for a rusty can of beans. “

I wish I could come up with a compelling argument complete with statistics and examples to prove you wrong, but with the events of the last 6 years, and esp the last 6 months, your prediction is likely more accurate than mine.


49 posted on 10/19/2014 4:25:42 PM PDT by wrench
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To: GeronL
If only humans knew how to make things with metal...

WOW! That gives me an idea... suppose we HEAT IT until it is malleable or even LIQUID!

I better go patent this amazing idea!

50 posted on 10/19/2014 4:31:07 PM PDT by Lazamataz (First we beat the Soviet Union. Then we became them. We have no 'news media', only a Soviet Pravda.)
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To: Lazamataz

Okay, but I think there be an extremely limited market for that. :p


51 posted on 10/19/2014 4:37:26 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: fso301

I served as a Canada Ranger in 1978-1981 ( Newfoundland). After turning in my Canadian Lee Enfield No.4 Mk 1 service rifle at the end of my service, I privately purchased a surplus “made in australia” No.4 Mk 1 and it still is going strong.

Canada still has thousands of these rifles stored in barrels of cosmoline.I don’t know why they say they are out of Lee Enfield rifles.


52 posted on 10/19/2014 6:53:08 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html))
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To: Lurker

I know this guy Hohfield personally.... he ran the ranger outreach school in Pecos NM back in the 80’s.

...give it a read ... recoil is no more than a mossy nugget in my experience.

http://jpfo.org/filegen-n-z/smle.htm

Stay Safe !


53 posted on 10/20/2014 1:28:30 AM PDT by Squantos ( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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To: Candor7

What is a “sovereignty patrol”?

Thanks!

Ed


54 posted on 10/20/2014 11:21:09 AM PDT by Sir_Ed
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To: Lazamataz
That gives me an idea... suppose we HEAT IT until it is malleable

After you do that, you place it on an some resistant surface and hit it ...

55 posted on 10/20/2014 11:27:09 AM PDT by NorthMountain
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To: NorthMountain

I hit hot stuff all the time.


56 posted on 10/20/2014 11:36:47 AM PDT by Lazamataz (First we beat the Soviet Union. Then we became them. We have no 'news media', only a Soviet Pravda.)
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To: Sir_Ed

“What is a “sovereignty patrol”?”

Sounds like border patrol, we used to have one of those.


57 posted on 10/20/2014 1:46:33 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Cold Heart

Ahhh...I see, thanks!

Ed


58 posted on 10/20/2014 4:36:18 PM PDT by Sir_Ed
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