Just bought my first 1917. After I disassembled, cleaned, and ressembled it, I noticed that there is some barrel play at the forward barrel band. The barrel wiggles up and down just alittle. All screws are tight. Is this normal and if not, how do I fix it? Thanks
Oh God how I hate people referring to Enfields as Enfields, We who trained on, and used them, simply called them .303's .... the only one.
Now, if your barrel had no give in it something would be terribly wrong. The .303 has a floating barrel. yours sounds just fine.
Oh God how I hate people referring to Enfields as Enfields, We who trained on, and used them, simply called them .303's .... the only one.
The Old Man
Right off the top of my head I can think of three other rifles that were chambered for the .303 Brit. ie: the some of the Martini-Henry's were rechambered for the .303 and I believe Remington produced the Lee rifle in .303 and the Win. 1895 was chambered for it as well. I almost forgot about the P-14 rifles also. That makes the "Enfield" designation pretty helpful.
The P14s were called Enfields, as were the US M1917 (not to be called P17). If a Brit called a 1917 a P17 I might understand, as they use P for "pattern" the way we use M for "Model", but it would be like saying you were going to the petrol station.
One term for the 303 Enfields we usually talk about is SMLE, Short Magazine Lee Enfield, affectionately pronounced "Smelly".
__________________
Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
The Canadian Ross was .303brit as well .
The No4barrels are free floating ..No1 barrels are not .
How'd the discussion get into .303 anyhoo. The Capt is talking 30-06!
I cant say whether the M17 has a free floating barrel . If it shoots good then don't worry..be happy ! A thin piece of cork would help if some security is needed .
Hey! I didn't mean to start something here, but in the army we didn't care what had gone before, or the mark. When we talked of them it was simply the .303. in the British Commonwealth, army talk, at any given time, what was used was the .303 regardless of type. 99% of what was ever around was simply called that. No sergeant would ever have said, "Pick up your Enfield". To tell you the truth I wouldn't have known a Garand from my butt stock back then. Today is different, back then large citizen armies were composed of men who did not give a !!!! about headspace, marks, or factories, or countries of origin; This is pure collector $$$ talk, and verging on ordnance/armourer's talk. Most of the time for most of them, the only rifle they had ever been exposed to was the .303, and the only one that mattered a !!!! to them was the one with a number on receiver and bolt that was issued to them, and memorized.
Now I've got everybody's backs up. I am looking for my Father's service .303, rifle number 67468. Is it out there?
Whoops! I Nearly forgot. To a soldier in the forties a Martini Henry wouldn't be around, a Ross would definitely not be around, remingtons and Winchesters were american, and Ishapores weren't even born yet. so yep. It's is and always will remain....the .303
Last edited by enfieldvet; 12-16-2006 at 10:30 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Yup , the Commonweatlth used the .303brit so long , thats what the Enfield rifle came to be called
.I hope your call for your Dad's service 303 gets answered ...that would be really cool.
Ishapore had rifles out since 1907 until 1987 + ,
...your speaking of the 1960's
2A / 2A1 series ? ...lol
Well old boy, we don't like foreigners calling our Garands 30-06's, but we let 'em shoot with us and ocassionally have a snort afterwards.
