Enfield Rifles - .303 to .308

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.303 to .308

Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3302
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 3:39pm
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Topic: .303 to .308

Posted By: Schmidlin
Subject: .303 to .308
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 8:14am

im loving this enfield. it will shoot where i point and do it repeatedly. Now im looking at balistics. i want a rifle in a .308.

can i put this barrel on my No4 mk2

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=852280&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

i would take my barrel off and have a smith put this new one on. would that be do able?

Replies:

Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 12:08pm

The Ishapore barrels are for a modified No1 MkIII and won't fit a No4 without a great deal of gunsmithing. There were conversion barrels made for No4s as the UK did rebarrel a number of them for rear echelon/reserve rifles the L-8 was the designation for the military rifle there were also a good number of target and sniper rifle made by converting No4s to 7.62 Nato. There were conversion kits on the market at one time though these have dried up. Krieger would probably make you a military contour barrel in 7.62 Nato but it will be in the $250-300 range.

You might try calling Numrich to see if by some wierd miracle they have an original No4 conversion barrel. They don't catalog items they have in small numbers.

On a side note the L-8 was not noted for great accuracy and they were sold off as surplus in European countries where semi autos are frowned upon in the 1970s

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Posted By: Schmidlin
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 1:40pm

okay thats what i wanted to know. love this site. my reasoning for this is .308ammo is so much cheaper than .303ammo. i have seen a couple .308enfields. actually held one the other day but i wasnt to keen on firing that short of a barrel champered in a .308.

i will keep my eye out, prolly just get me a dedicated nato rifle.

Posted By: Tony
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 3:53pm

The enfield 308 won't take the pressures generated by comercial 308 ammo!!! You'll have to reload your own or buy milsurp.

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Posted By: Smokey
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 6:14pm

Depending on the amount of shooting you do, reloading may be a better answer than re-barreling.

I use reloads almost exclusively now. You can tailor your ammo for whatever you need it to do, and save considerable money in the process. The .303 British is also a good cartridge for the beginning reloader, since there's a lot of information and load data, components are relatively available, and it's easy to work with. I wouldn't consider changing the barrel until the old one is worn out and that takes at least 10,000 rounds.

Posted By: Lithgow
Date Posted: September 11 2009 at 10:03pm

The No4 and No1 barrells are the same thread and will screw on but will index 180 degrees out, this means you will have to cut another extractor groove. Better in my opinion to buy a barrel blank and have it threaded to suit.

The conversion is really simple and a barrel change is about it but the 303 mag wont work and you will have to get a mag in 7.62.

There is nothing that the 7.72 will do that the 303 wont and I doubt that you would really notice the difference, the animals you shoot certainly won't.

I have a No4 in 7.62 and it is a good rifle but I think I still prefer my Lithgow No1 in 303.

Posted By: Schmidlin
Date Posted: September 12 2009 at 2:40am

well my main thing was cost of ammo. .308ammo is SOOO much cheaper.

lots of great information. I knew i could count on you guys.