Ive been sitting on a couple of #4 beaters for a while. Both have been butchered, so there is no collectors value, but both are in decent shape with good bores and proper headspacing (though over long chambers as per normal)
Anyone ever dabble with the 303 Eppes conversion? Thinking about having one done. Simple run in the reamer and clean out the chips jobby. Id form my cases from virgin 30-40 Krag brass and fireform, then neck size only from then on, which is what I normally do for the other Smellies I own.
The second rifle has a slightly dark bore, but still well defined rifling. I need a short carbine style pickup rifle and this one has already been shortened about 3" and a Parker Hale ramp installed by some nameless previous owner. Standard 2 peep military rear sight and string wrapped around the barrel/forestock fore end pressure setter. Wierd..but it seems to work. It came that way.
How short can I cut off the barrel before velocities go into the toilet and the muzzle flash gets horrendous? This is going to be an everyday, bury it in the truck, knock around utility rifle.
Ive considered wacking it off to 16" and making a muzzle brake 2" long as an exersise in machining. Any comments or critiques?
While Ive been a multiple Smellie owner for many years and ardent shooter of them, Ive never done much testing with short barrels in this caliber.
Anyone have a 303 reamer and feel up to setting the barrel back a thread and doing a minimum chamber? I of course handload and brass life is of a concern in the Smellies. Mostly cast bullets but occasionally would like something I can pump up a smidge with a jacketed bullet and swat coyotes with.
Gunner
No 220-pound thug can threaten the well-being or dignity of a 110-pound woman who has two pounds of iron to even things out. Is that evil? Is that wrong? People who object to weapons aren't abolishing violence, they're begging for the rule of brute force, when the biggest, strongest animals among men were always automatically "right". Guns end that, and social democracy is a hollow farce without an armed populace to make it work. - L. Neil Smith