A standard .410 is a great varnint\pest caliber, if you have an Enfield .410, be aware that most are NOT chambered for the standard .410, but rather for the obsolete .410 Enfield, which is a whole 'nuther animal. FWIW, it's not recommended to shoot modern
.410's in an Enfield.
I don't know if a modern .410 will chamber well. Or if it does, and/or fires, I have heard it is a PITA to remove. The Enfield .410 are can be resized from .303 cartridges. It is an interesting caliber, and have heard varying stories about it's origin.
__________________
Mosin Nagant evangelist on a mission to convert YOU!
It depends :
The original 410 Enfield was the No1 converted to use a brass 410 cartridge (fireformed or converted from a 303 cartridge) They were single shot and allegedly converted for riot control (particularly in India) , whilst you would only want 1 shot in a riot situation - who knows.
Many of these are still around and cannot use modern 410 catridges.
Thousands of these No1s were subsequently 'converted' to fire a standard, modern, 410 plastic cartridge. The only thing that is needed to be done is ream out the chamber.
If you have one of the old ones you'll know - put in a modern cartridge, fire it, you will not be able to get it out, the only way to get it out is a 'ramrod' down from the muzzle. Safe to shoot modern cartridges but a PITA to extract the cartridge.
After WW2 many tens of thousands of No4s were converted to 410. soldiers coming back wanted a souvenier and in the UK you could have a shotgun without a licence. These No4s (generally) were reamed for the modern cartridge
The .410 is pretty tiny for bird hunting but is good for expert clay shooters. I would like to see more handguns like the taurus judge in this cartridge as it would be excellent for varmints. The .410 has too small of a pattern for begginer shooters and even the lighest kid should be able to handle at least a 20 gauge with a well designed stock and perhaps a recoil pad.
__________________ Is it because light travels faster than sound...that some people appear bright until they speak?
Thanks for clearing that up Alan. As they say "good show old boy". No seriously I appreciate what you post because while some people know Enfields, you KNOW Enfields. It's good to have someone as knowledgeable as you around here, helps me learn about Enfields. Even though I've now had four of them I still have alot to learn.
Thanks for clearing that up Alan. As they say "good show old boy". No seriously I appreciate what you post because while some people know Enfields, you KNOW Enfields. It's good to have someone as knowledgeable as you around here, helps me learn about Enfields. Even though I've now had four of them I still have alot to learn.
This is +1. I think no matter how many rifles of one kind you might have, there is still always something else to learn about them . Thanks for the great info Alan. And if I'm not mistaken, all of the Enfields that have been re-chambered to shoot the .410 cartridge, are all smooth bore rifles?
__________________
Mosin Nagant evangelist on a mission to convert YOU!
Ahhh ,, there a good squirrel gun and rabbit little heavy but hey your hunting with history. If your collecting Enfield I myself say its part of there last leg of life.
The mag was removed they installed wood on the bottom.
Overall pic.
In Action the youngest boy bringing home the meal
The ammo Barnaul they made many size I have used the 410/70 #2 shot
lenght 70mm ==2.75583637 inches
Personally I would only want .303 in an Enfield but I am not sure what the collectability of a .410 one is.
If you look on Gunbroker.com or Auction arms you'll see that in fact a 410 can fetch a premium over a 303.
In comparison there were far fewer 410s made than 303s, and as a 410 is part of the LE History I guess they are collectable.
Just as a side issue - if you want to make your 410 multishot, it can be done.
Many of the 410s just had a wooden plug inserted into the magazine well, some had a metal plate fitted under the trigger guard and some had a plate welded / pinned into the well itself.
Firtsly remove whatever is covering the mag well.
Next get a suitable mag for your model (No1, No4 etc), remove spring & follower.
Next buy a Saiga 410 shotgun magazine.
Wedge the saiga mag into your Enfield magazine with bits of wood, plastic or whatever, Insert 'complete' mag into rifle and try and cycle 410 cartridge.
Keep fiddling about moving the Saiga mag up / down / left / right / forward / backwards wedging it each time and trying to see if the bolt picks up the cartridge and everything cycles OK.
Once it cycles properly, fill the magazine with resin.
Collectability would depend on where the conversion took place.
India's Ishapore factory converted many shot-out Mklll's for riot control /prison guards and used fireformed .303brit brass for fodder. Since these are Enfield conversion's , they would have some meaning to a collector.
I have one that is a civilian conversion ( 3" sporting ammo ), so it isn't really that collectable but it's a blast to hunt with . I'm not letting mine go anytime soon .
Collectability would depend on where the conversion took place.
India's Ishapore factory converted many shot-out Mklll's for riot control /prison guards and used fireformed .303brit brass for fodder. Since these are Enfield conversion's , they would have some meaning to a collector.
I have one that is a civilian conversion ( 3" sporting ammo ), so it isn't really that collectable but it's a blast to hunt with . I'm not letting mine go anytime soon .
You are absolutely correct BUT, even a civilian conversion has some merit, Its part of the long, long, long (100year +) development history of the LE.
BSA (for example) made civilian versions of the Long Lee and the SMLE (easy to tell - they have no Royal Cipher on the butt socket). These are still sought after collectables
I believe that .410 single shot rifles were also made in the Lithgow armoury; the majority, if not all, were chambered for commercial .410 cartridges, because the weapons were intended for the civilian market, marketed under the Slazenger brand name.
A .410 was my first shotgun, 35 years ago, and I had a LE in .410 at about the same time.
Good discipline for a 17 year old; one shot and no quick reload.
. Thanks for the great info Alan. And if I'm not mistaken, all of the Enfields that have been re-chambered to shoot the .410 cartridge, are all smooth bore rifles?
