Borrow for 30 seconds?

[Naphtali]

I am in Seeley Lake, Montana. I need for a few seconds a 308 Winchester or 7.62x51 mm case or cartridge to verify chamber on a rifle I have been given. The No.4 Mk.1 SMLE I have been given has an unknown chamber. My nephew was given the rifle, the previous owner saying it may have been rechambered to 308 Winchester. If the wider brass drops into its chamber, it has been rechambered. If the wider case does not, it remains 303 British. I have neither cartridge, and a 303 case will drop to its case head. This furnishes no confirmation of chamber.

Anyone in Missoula or Seeley Lake we can meet and do the check in about 30 seconds. Please let me know if you can help me out.

[AJMD429]

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For the gas-money if I were to come there, we could probably both buy new guns - or at least a box of ammo.

If nobody is nearby and you don't want to buy a box of factory ammo just to do the check (if it's 308 you'll have some ammo to use, but if not, you'll have ammo with no gun to use it in), you could buy an A-Zoom snap-cap pretty cheaply.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014951340?pid=996222

Otherwise, if nobody is nearby enough to do the test, you could do what I would do - buy a box of 308's and sort of hope that they don't fit the gun.....cuz then I'd just HAVE to buy a gun in 308, so that ammo didn't go to waste...

[Grizz]

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For the gas-money if I were to come there, we could probably both buy new guns - or at least a box of ammo.

If nobody is nearby and you don't want to buy a box of factory ammo just to do the check (if it's 308 you'll have some ammo to use, but if not, you'll have ammo with no gun to use it in), you could buy an A-Zoom snap-cap pretty cheaply.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014951340?pid=996222

Otherwise, if nobody is nearby enough to do the test, you could do what I would do - buy a box of 308's and sort of hope that they don't fit the gun.....cuz then I'd just HAVE to buy a gun in 308, so that ammo didn't go to waste...

I'm with Doc in this one. Buy the ammo. I have ammo for firearms I don't have, I will either recover firearms during the hard times, or I will be able to trade for dead cats to the owners of those firearms . . . win win eh?
grizz

[GunnyMack]

You like Chinese food Grizz ?

Yes I'd buy a box of 308 as well.

[earlmck]

Save yer money Napthali. If a 303 case drops to the head the rifle is still in 303. Or at least it isn't chambered in 308 win. A 308 case may be fatter but it is shorter, so a 303 case wouldn't insert all the way in but would stick out almost a quarter inch. At least that's what my old Lyman load book shows. You'd need to set the barrel back to rechamber a 303 to 308 Win, so not a very likely conversion. 30-06, however.... might be a possibility.

[marlinman93]

Why not just do a chamber cast of Cerrosafe and be positive? Dropping a cartridge in wont tell you what it is for sure as a .308 will drop right into a .30-06 chamber. So you still wont know positively what it is without a chamber cast.

[2ndovc]

Most of the .308 Enfields will be marked GRI from the factory in India. The shape of the magazine will be different too.
Some pictures would help if possible.

Here is a picture of a .308 / 7.62 NATO GRI Enfield. There are fake Jungle Carbines out there as well.

[44shooter]

I think your rifle is almost certainly a 303, as said above 303 will not fully seat in a 308 chamber. I believe the Enfield action is too short for ‘06 conversion. If you really want to be sure, maybe take it to your LGS and have them check it..

[marlinman93]

If it's still .303 you should be able to shine a light in at the chamber and see a cut for a rimmed cartridge.

[jnyork]

Why not just do a chamber cast of Cerrosafe and be positive? Dropping a cartridge in wont tell you what it is for sure as a .308 will drop right into a .30-06 chamber. So you still wont know positively what it is without a chamber cast.

Wise advice here.