| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 10/05/16 10:10 PM |
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Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
I should like to start with an admission that this project seeks to honour more than replicate a Lee Speed. Firstly, I am starting with a Longbranch No 4 Mk1 action that I obtained in sporterised form and missing its bolt and magazine. I have polished the action by hand and it is now with a gunsmith. Secondly, I want this rifle to be my 'go to' rifle for a range of hunting and as such will need some sights my old eyes can use yet still be in keeping with the concept of an early 20th century British sporting rifle. So I have decided to equip the rifle with a sporting ghost ring sight.
The action is having the charger bridge removed and the rear of the action cleaned-up and a rear bridge installed to accept a NECG ghost ring sight designed for the CZ550 dovetail. The bridge is being milled from a piece of chrome moly and will be screwed and silver (soft) soldered to the action. I have gone this way so if the hunting conditions warrant, I can remove the ghost ring and replace it with an Aimpoint micro or similar.
The barrel is being source from TSE and I am having a custom reamer made with a throat better suited to the use of cast bullets that will be made from a custom 270 gn Mountain Molds mold.
I am hoping to use this magazine as part of the project:
I will post pictures as and when the work is progressing. Please wish me luck!
| Roy |
| (.300 member) |
| 11/05/16 12:23 AM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Hi,
Sounds like a very interesting project, thank for sharing and letting us be apart of it.
The magazine looks very unique, can we have some more photos of it and details?
Cheers and good luck!
Roy.
| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 11/05/16 10:00 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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You are welcome, Roy. I will take some more photos of the magazine when I get back home and post them. I regret not taking some photos of the mock-up the gunsmith has made of the modification to the action. As to the story behind the magazine - I am totally in the dark. I bought it at a local gun shop and the dealer was unaware of its history. I was hoping someone on this forum might have seen something like it but no joy!
| Roy |
| (.300 member) |
| 11/05/16 11:55 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Hi Slowflyer,
Thanks for that. It looks like a lovely and unique magazine. The engraving clearly suggests Australia which is interesting. I was curious if it was a standard Lee-Speed pattern of magazine, five or ten round etc?
Whatever it is, it is a nice find.
I'm always on the lookout for any spare magazine for my Lee-Speed rifles, so if you find any you don't want, feel free to drop me a line.
Good luck and look forward to the photos of this project.
Cheerio, Roy.
| Dogfish858 |
| (.300 member) |
| 12/05/16 01:10 AM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Up in Canada the last generation of No4 rifles had the charger removed, barrel shortened, 5 round mag, with just enough of the rear sight mount left to handle the two position flip-up site. It sounds similar to what you're doing, but yours would have a much nicer look overall!
| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 13/05/16 11:17 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Gentlemen,
I have a few more photos of the magazine and the work in progress:
This is the rear bridge with the ghost ring being fit checked on the dove tail:
In this photo you can see the raceway milled to accommodate the bolt head:
The gunsmith is using a damaged No 4 action as a mock-up before milling my action:
It will be a couple of weeks before the next installment.
Regards,
Murray
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 15/05/16 02:38 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Should be an interesting project. Please keep up progress reports as they come along.
| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 10/09/16 11:31 AM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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It is a slow journey but it is getting there! A TSE chrome-moly barrel has been fitted and chambered with a custom 375 Flanged NE 2 1/2 reamer (much shorter throat than the 1899 spec) to better utilize cast bullets. In any case the magazine limits the OAL and the shorter throat should also suit the 270 gn Woodleighs.
Showing the receiver bridge in place
Looking through the ghost ring
| Roy |
| (.300 member) |
| 10/09/16 01:30 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Looks very slick indeed my friend, keep the photos coming..!
Cheers,
Roy.
| hollowedpoint |
| (.224 member) |
| 15/09/16 06:33 AM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Very nice! I really like modern twist and the milled out charger guide. It reminds me of my sporter's I recently picked up minus the interesting caliber. What kind of stock are you going with?
I would love to rechamber mine into 405. Win!
Thanks for posting your project, can't wait to see it finished.
| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 15/09/16 09:46 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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The stock will do the metal work justice. I will try and keep the look similar to the early 1900s English sporting rifles. I toyed with the idea of the 405 Win but as Von Gruff brilliantly demonstrated, you really need to shorten the case. As it is, I am running into problems with max OAL. The 270 gr bullets need to be seated deeply to work through the magazine.
I do like the clean lines of your rifle, Hollowedpoint.
| Slowflyer |
| (.224 member) |
| 14/01/17 01:21 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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This is taking a lot more time and effort than I expected. I guess that sounds familiar to many of you!
I finally have the rifle in the white. There is still much polishing to do, particularly of the tiny bits. I have temporarily placed the original sporter stock on the rifle. It is not a keeper. In fact the sights are only 26 mm above the centreline of the bore and the stock is way too high. Here are a few pictures:
| TRX |
| (.224 member) |
| 13/03/17 12:01 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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Slowflyer, what's the overal length of your .375x2-1/2s?
A friend of mine just called to tell me the new Kynoch .375s he just bought are far too long to fit in his No.1's magazine; they're right at 3.25". The internet sources I've found say the .375's OAL should be about the same as the .303.
| yumastepside |
| (.333 member) |
| 13/03/17 04:33 PM |
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Re: Lee Enfield. 375 FL NE 2 1/2 Project
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.......hope you don't mind me asking, but who cut the chamber? Is it your reamer or a 'smiths? I'm finally getting to do some work on my LSA and I'll need a chamber cut.
......as it was several years ago, still in 257 Roberts Rimmed (7x57R case)
Roger