British 303

MarkWood · 09-09-2010, 11:19 AM

Anyboady know what this is worth?

pinecone70 · 09-09-2010, 11:34 AM

These are going for $200-$300 around here, just the run of the mill surplus rifles, not sure about the rarer types. Did you cut the stock down or was it like that?

oscarmayer · 09-09-2010, 11:41 AM

250 tops is what it would bring in my neck of the woods. i do not believe it was cut down/homemade there was a company selling cut down enfields like this a few years back , perhaps century arms ? it was listed as a sporterized enfield

MarkWood · 09-09-2010, 11:53 AM

I did not cut it. It was like that when I got it. Thanks for the replys fellers.

pinecone70 · 09-09-2010, 12:00 PM

Heh. I'm one of the fellers.

MarkWood · 09-09-2010, 12:08 PM

OOOPS !!?? sorry and fellerets too !!

pinecone70 · 09-09-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkWood

OOOPS !!?? sorry and fellerets too !!

Hahaha! That was the first laugh I had all day! Thanks

I was just teasing.

Helix_FR · 09-09-2010, 01:09 PM

To bad its just a No4 cut down to look like a No5 Jungle Carbine. It was popular to do for a while. 200-250. If it were a true No5 then 500-600 easy.

Jim K · 09-09-2010, 02:49 PM

Sure it's .303? That magazine looks like those put on No. 4 rifles that had been converted to .308.

Jim

jim brady · 09-09-2010, 03:17 PM

Pinecone70 is really our favorite "Fellerette". I'd bet that you have one of the Indian Ishapore .308 rifles - looking at the squared off mag. Don't know of anyone who cuts them down like that commercially.

Have heard a lot of good comments on those rifles, but I've never shot or otherwise handled one. I'd figure about $150 in value. Cut-down surplus rifles usually loose a bit of value.

(I'll never read another post by Pinecone without remembering "Fellerette" :=))

pinecone70 · 09-09-2010, 03:34 PM

Heh.

Helix_FR · 09-09-2010, 04:10 PM

Good eye Jim, that mag isn't rounded over like the standard No4.

JLA · 09-09-2010, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim K

Sure it's .303? That magazine looks like those put on No. 4 rifles that had been converted to .308.

Jim

its a sportsmans guide special aftermarket mag that fits both the #4 mk 1 and the #1 mk3...

jim brady · 09-10-2010, 06:11 PM

JLA - I WAS going to dis-agree with you, but I did check their sales list, and danged if you are right! That after-market mag looks just like the Ishapore conversion mag in 7.62. So it COULD be a .303.

Why the heck anybody would prefer that one over a standard mag is beyond me. Everybody's taste is different. You can get a decent used one for about the same price.

gandog56 · 09-11-2010, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helix_FR

To bad its just a No4 cut down to look like a No5 Jungle Carbine. It was popular to do for a while. 200-250. If it were a true No5 then 500-600 easy.

Really? Since I just bought a true No.5 for $250 about 6 months ago. Did I do better than I thought?

Jim K · 09-11-2010, 07:55 PM

The mag is not like that used in the Ishapore rifle (which was not a conversion), but very similar mags were sold with the 7.62mm conversion kits made in England for the No. 4 and also were sold here for both .308 and .303 as replacement magazines by GPC, Sportsman's Guide and others. I don't know who made them, they probably came from Mexico.

Hi, Gandog, yes, a real No.5 in decent condition is a steal at $250.

Jim

Helix_FR · 09-13-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandog56

Really? Since I just bought a true No.5 for $250 about 6 months ago. Did I do better than I thought?

Yep thats a steal. I would have ran fast. True matching No5's always bring in premiums. Especially when they have full paperwork of were and when it served. My dad picked one up from a collector that did a lot of homework on it. I can't verify that any of this was true but the Brits and Aussies kept good records of who and what. He had a full history of where it was carried, who carried it and number of confirmed kills with it. I can't imagine how they came up with that however. ANyway he grabbed it for 450.00. Most of the ones i see now are 5-6.

bbqznbeer · 09-13-2010, 10:58 AM

It isn't really cut down , just the forestocks have.
Barrel looks uncut.
X2 on the aftermarket mag.
It's a good candidate for a easy restoration.
$175 tops .
If you can give us the first 3 numbers off the serial , we can determine the factory of origin...if you like.

I've bought cut down stocks for my original Canadian No4 , saving the original stocks so not to do any more damage to it's collectiblity. Stocks and parts for these are made to be readly changed out.

jim brady · 09-13-2010, 03:32 PM

10,000 pardons for the 'conversion' that I slipped into my last post, sahib. Those Ishapore 7.62s were not "converted' from .303, but rather were manufactured in 7.62. Thinking of 'conversions' when I wrote was in reference to the front sight being in appearance that of a No4 than the typical flash hider on a No5.

Bbqznbeer - that is a very nice Enfield. Surprising how nice some of those come out when sporterized. My brother had one with a Bishop MonteCarlo stock, a lyman peep receiver sight and a really nice hooded front ramp sight. That was a sweet looking (and shooting!) hunting rifle. In looks, some of those would give some sporterized Mausers and Springfields a run for their money.

Most of the garage "sporter" jobs on these are just plain ugly. Sort of make you want to wear a paper sack on your head if you took them out in public.....

pinecone70 · 09-13-2010, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim brady

Most of the garage "sporter" jobs on these are just plain ugly. Sort of make you want to wear a paper sack on your head if you took them out in public.....

Amen to that. My buddy's drunken ex-boss "fixed" his .303, then gave it back, it was a mess and the stock was stripped and sporterized. It is shamefully ugly now.

Beautiful rifle, bbqz.

midnight_cougar · 09-14-2010, 01:57 PM

Do you use the surplus ammo through the .303? im curious on the grouping with the surplus ammo in the .303. im still thinking about getting a mosin nagant, and changing the stock to fiberglass to make iy lighter, to go out for yotes. but still keep it and change it back if i want to. i like the looks of your gun alot. and surplus ammo is cheap for both so i can shoot alot

jim brady · 09-15-2010, 02:45 PM

Cougar - most of the surplus ammo I've shot thru my various .303s have been disappointing for the last 20 or so years. I've had lots of hang-fires in both old WW2 British and later Pakistani ammo. I'm guessing it is a storage issue.

Although I personally prefer the .303 to the Russian 7.62R, if it comes down to buying the cheapest and most reliable mil-surp ammo, I'd have to say the 7.62R.

I'm not wild about the Mosin-Nagant's design, and I really like the much slicker action of the Enfield. I ended up pulling down .303 surplus ammo and reloading it into commerical cases. Most times the 'powder' is that straw like cordite, so that's not even useable - just the bullets.

Grouping - that is a hard call when you expect a hang-fire or mis-fire half of the time. When I reload mine with commercial cases and powder, they shoot 2 or 3 inch groups at 100 yards with the open sights. As far as the 7.62R, I only owned an M44 carbine, and that particular rifle was a 4-5 inch grouper at 100 yards with mil-surp ammo.

ghrit · 09-15-2010, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by midnight_cougar

im still thinking about getting a mosin nagant, and changing the stock to fiberglass to make iy lighter, to go out for yotes. but still keep it and change it back if i want to. i like the looks of your gun alot. and surplus ammo is cheap for both so i can shoot alot

Based on my experience, you might not like an MN in lighter than issue weight. They are a mite, um, "snorty" on the shoulder in military trim. Then again, you could add weight to a more comfortable stock if you wanted to.

midnight_cougar · 09-15-2010, 04:43 PM

Ive been checking into the MN for awhile now. I really like scopes on my guns, but i don't want to replace the rear site because everyone says they come loose and you need to use a pistol scope. But I don't really want to get the gun tapped and drilled to put a scope on it. It seems like everyone is saying the fiberglass aftermarket stock makes them somewhat more accurate. I ordered barrel clamp bipods, but with the kick they might pop off. i got them for the kids to use to help them shoot better and get more accurate with the .22s. Because i like to use .22s out squirrel hunting and not shotguns. If i find a MN thats already been switched over and has a scope mounted already tapped onto it. i wouldnt be the one drilling it out and i already found the scope ide like to put on it. Ive been looking thro the swap sheet and papers. i found a few before but havent seen any in a long time. N with the surplus ammo prices that cheap, i could shoot all the time. it's alot cheaper than shooting my .223 @ .50rnd. and my .22 mag @ .36rnd.

But im not trying to hijack your thread. Thank you for the info

gandog56 · 09-17-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helix_FR

Yep thats a steal. I would have ran fast. True matching No5's always bring in premiums. Especially when they have full paperwork of were and when it served. My dad picked one up from a collector that did a lot of homework on it. I can't verify that any of this was true but the Brits and Aussies kept good records of who and what. He had a full history of where it was carried, who carried it and number of confirmed kills with it. I can't imagine how they came up with that however. ANyway he grabbed it for 450.00. Most of the ones i see now are 5-6.

I got no paperwork, but according to the serial number it's a real No.5 made in the Faz plant in 1946.

09-09-2010, 11:34 AM	#2
pinecone70 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Minnesota Gal! Posts: 4,730	Re: British 303 These are going for $200-$300 around here, just the run of the mill surplus rifles, not sure about the rarer types. Did you cut the stock down or was it like that? __________________ _____________________________________________ "Miss Scarlet, in the library...with a revolver...."

09-09-2010, 11:41 AM	#3
oscarmayer Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Contributor Posts: 2,387	Re: British 303 250 tops is what it would bring in my neck of the woods. i do not believe it was cut down/homemade there was a company selling cut down enfields like this a few years back , perhaps century arms ? it was listed as a sporterized enfield

09-09-2010, 12:00 PM	#5
pinecone70 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Minnesota Gal! Posts: 4,730	Re: British 303 Heh. I'm one of the fellers. __________________ _____________________________________________ "Miss Scarlet, in the library...with a revolver...."

09-09-2010, 12:08 PM	#6
MarkWood Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 6	Re: British 303 OOOPS !!?? sorry and fellerets too !!

09-09-2010, 01:09 PM	#8
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,617	Re: British 303 To bad its just a No4 cut down to look like a No5 Jungle Carbine. It was popular to do for a while. 200-250. If it were a true No5 then 500-600 easy. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

09-09-2010, 11:19 AM	#1
MarkWood Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 6	British 303 Anyboady know what this is worth? Attached Images -->

09-09-2010, 11:53 AM	#4
MarkWood Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 6	Re: British 303 I did not cut it. It was like that when I got it. Thanks for the replys fellers.

09-09-2010, 02:49 PM	#9
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: British 303 Sure it's .303? That magazine looks like those put on No. 4 rifles that had been converted to .308. Jim

09-09-2010, 03:17 PM	#10
jim brady Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,069	Re: British 303 Pinecone70 is really our favorite "Fellerette". I'd bet that you have one of the Indian Ishapore .308 rifles - looking at the squared off mag. Don't know of anyone who cuts them down like that commercially. Have heard a lot of good comments on those rifles, but I've never shot or otherwise handled one. I'd figure about $150 in value. Cut-down surplus rifles usually loose a bit of value. (I'll never read another post by Pinecone without remembering "Fellerette" :=))

09-09-2010, 03:34 PM	#11
pinecone70 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Minnesota Gal! Posts: 4,730	Re: British 303 Heh. __________________ _____________________________________________ "Miss Scarlet, in the library...with a revolver...."

09-09-2010, 04:10 PM	#12
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,617	Re: British 303 Good eye Jim, that mag isn't rounded over like the standard No4. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

09-10-2010, 06:11 PM	#14
jim brady Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,069	Re: British 303 JLA - I WAS going to dis-agree with you, but I did check their sales list, and danged if you are right! That after-market mag looks just like the Ishapore conversion mag in 7.62. So it COULD be a .303. Why the heck anybody would prefer that one over a standard mag is beyond me. Everybody's taste is different. You can get a decent used one for about the same price.

09-11-2010, 07:55 PM	#16
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: British 303 The mag is not like that used in the Ishapore rifle (which was not a conversion), but very similar mags were sold with the 7.62mm conversion kits made in England for the No. 4 and also were sold here for both .308 and .303 as replacement magazines by GPC, Sportsman's Guide and others. I don't know who made them, they probably came from Mexico. Hi, Gandog, yes, a real No.5 in decent condition is a steal at $250. Jim Last edited by Jim K; 09-11-2010 at 07:56 PM..

09-13-2010, 10:58 AM	#18
bbqznbeer V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ontario , Canada Posts: 54	Re: British 303 It isn't really cut down , just the forestocks have. Barrel looks uncut. X2 on the aftermarket mag. It's a good candidate for a easy restoration. $175 tops . If you can give us the first 3 numbers off the serial , we can determine the factory of origin...if you like. I've bought cut down stocks for my original Canadian No4 , saving the original stocks so not to do any more damage to it's collectiblity. Stocks and parts for these are made to be readly changed out. Last edited by bbqznbeer; 09-13-2010 at 11:02 AM..

09-13-2010, 03:32 PM	#19
jim brady Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,069	Re: British 303 10,000 pardons for the 'conversion' that I slipped into my last post, sahib. Those Ishapore 7.62s were not "converted' from .303, but rather were manufactured in 7.62. Thinking of 'conversions' when I wrote was in reference to the front sight being in appearance that of a No4 than the typical flash hider on a No5. Bbqznbeer - that is a very nice Enfield. Surprising how nice some of those come out when sporterized. My brother had one with a Bishop MonteCarlo stock, a lyman peep receiver sight and a really nice hooded front ramp sight. That was a sweet looking (and shooting!) hunting rifle. In looks, some of those would give some sporterized Mausers and Springfields a run for their money. Most of the garage "sporter" jobs on these are just plain ugly. Sort of make you want to wear a paper sack on your head if you took them out in public.....

09-14-2010, 01:57 PM	#21
midnight_cougar V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 114	Re: British 303 Do you use the surplus ammo through the .303? im curious on the grouping with the surplus ammo in the .303. im still thinking about getting a mosin nagant, and changing the stock to fiberglass to make iy lighter, to go out for yotes. but still keep it and change it back if i want to. i like the looks of your gun alot. and surplus ammo is cheap for both so i can shoot alot

09-15-2010, 02:45 PM	#22
jim brady Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,069	Re: British 303 Cougar - most of the surplus ammo I've shot thru my various .303s have been disappointing for the last 20 or so years. I've had lots of hang-fires in both old WW2 British and later Pakistani ammo. I'm guessing it is a storage issue. Although I personally prefer the .303 to the Russian 7.62R, if it comes down to buying the cheapest and most reliable mil-surp ammo, I'd have to say the 7.62R. I'm not wild about the Mosin-Nagant's design, and I really like the much slicker action of the Enfield. I ended up pulling down .303 surplus ammo and reloading it into commerical cases. Most times the 'powder' is that straw like cordite, so that's not even useable - just the bullets. Grouping - that is a hard call when you expect a hang-fire or mis-fire half of the time. When I reload mine with commercial cases and powder, they shoot 2 or 3 inch groups at 100 yards with the open sights. As far as the 7.62R, I only owned an M44 carbine, and that particular rifle was a 4-5 inch grouper at 100 yards with mil-surp ammo.

09-15-2010, 04:43 PM	#24
midnight_cougar V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 114	Re: British 303 Ive been checking into the MN for awhile now. I really like scopes on my guns, but i don't want to replace the rear site because everyone says they come loose and you need to use a pistol scope. But I don't really want to get the gun tapped and drilled to put a scope on it. It seems like everyone is saying the fiberglass aftermarket stock makes them somewhat more accurate. I ordered barrel clamp bipods, but with the kick they might pop off. i got them for the kids to use to help them shoot better and get more accurate with the .22s. Because i like to use .22s out squirrel hunting and not shotguns. If i find a MN thats already been switched over and has a scope mounted already tapped onto it. i wouldnt be the one drilling it out and i already found the scope ide like to put on it. Ive been looking thro the swap sheet and papers. i found a few before but havent seen any in a long time. N with the surplus ammo prices that cheap, i could shoot all the time. it's alot cheaper than shooting my .223 @ .50rnd. and my .22 mag @ .36rnd. But im not trying to hijack your thread. Thank you for the info