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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Lee Speed Forum & Archive
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CarlsenHighway
.300 member


Reged: 19/03/09
Posts: 149
Loc: Port Chalmers, New Zealand
Lee Speed restoration
      #201800 - 06/02/12 02:05 PM











Nice old Lee Speed rifle, BSA&Co, very nice walnut stock on her...as far as I can tell everything including the magazine is original on her, except I think she has been rebarrelled with a barrel from a Lee Enfield MLE. (which at least is period correct..) It has the early military sights. The original sights are not available to me. The bore has some throat erosion but is otherwise excellent.

I have been looking for one for a while. A few years back I passed on a Westley Richards Lee Speed, because it had been rebarrelled with a SMLE barrel and had those great big rear sights on it which looked way out of place.
But this one I was thinking of putting some folding leaf express sights from NECGS on it, and a ramp and bead foresight, to bring it back to something like its original configuration. Or I could just leave it like this. What do you guys think?

--------------------
If you carry a cat home by the tail you will receive information valuable to you for the rest of your life.
Mark Twain

Edited by CptCurl (18/03/12 11:37 PM)

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tinker
.416 member


Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: CarlsenHighway]
      #201803 - 06/02/12 02:56 PM

I would not change a thing on that rifle.
Every part, every scratch, every dent tells a story.

It looks really nice too.
Congrats!

Shoot it and let us know how it runs.





Cheers
Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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jc5
.300 member


Reged: 10/10/07
Posts: 162
Loc: West Coast, USA
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: tinker]
      #201805 - 06/02/12 03:40 PM

Beautiful rifle!

Would you let me send you my Lee Speed rifle survey? With some data, its date of manufacture might be determined.

Cheers!

jc5

--------------------
Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have data to share or questions, please send me a PM.

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CarlsenHighway
.300 member


Reged: 19/03/09
Posts: 149
Loc: Port Chalmers, New Zealand
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: jc5]
      #201806 - 06/02/12 04:44 PM

Absolutely Jc5, I was going to send you a PM about that.

I still have to shoot her, but I believe she should do well. I got it thinking I would have a little restoration project, but really, I don't have to do anything...

--------------------
If you carry a cat home by the tail you will receive information valuable to you for the rest of your life.
Mark Twain

Edited by CarlsenHighway (06/02/12 04:46 PM)

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Sarg
.400 member


Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
Loc: Nil
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: CarlsenHighway]
      #201807 - 06/02/12 04:48 PM

Thats very nice , looks like exmil barrel , no express sight or sling eye on barrel , being the higher grade model if the mag is not engraved it is a replacement as well I would say , nice dark wood to , better than the one's I've picked up , mind are full of hole's , no wood or no barrel LoL !

Check how she shoots , might surprise you .

Is the metal proud of the wood around the mag well ?

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CarlsenHighway
.300 member


Reged: 19/03/09
Posts: 149
Loc: Port Chalmers, New Zealand
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: Sarg]
      #201814 - 06/02/12 09:21 PM

Sarge, the magazine is engraved on the bottom in the same way as the action.
The metal around the mag well is not really proud of the stock - or maybe just a little. Its all flush around the tang safety for example.
The stock is original - there is a thoroughly ancient (virtually unnoticable) repair to a chip at the toe of the butt that matches a slight dint in the engraved buttplate where someone obviously dropped it long in the past. Possibly off the elephant they were on while hunting tigers in India.

She hasn't been a safe queen judging by the buttplate and the handling marks and nicks in the stock. The main thing with it is the rebarrel, which I believe was done some years ago.
Well, I am looking forward to shooting her! Its been a long while since I loaded any .303 ammo.

Oh, I forgot to mention, it's marked on the dustcover: "Army & Navy Co-Op, Victoria St London, " which pleases me no end, because that's where WDM Bell got his .303 from....(who knows, maybe this one IS his one...)

--------------------
If you carry a cat home by the tail you will receive information valuable to you for the rest of your life.
Mark Twain

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Sarg
.400 member


Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
Loc: Nil
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: CarlsenHighway]
      #201821 - 07/02/12 12:08 AM

Sorry CH can't be Bell's , because I've got a A&N that was his LoL !

Same dent in the butt plate & chipped heel to .

Your one is very nice , glade the mag matches !

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CarlsenHighway
.300 member


Reged: 19/03/09
Posts: 149
Loc: Port Chalmers, New Zealand
Re: Lee Speed restoration [Re: Sarg]
      #202358 - 13/02/12 07:46 AM

Just out of interest, at the range, she shoots 2.5-3 inch groups with the open sights she has, and cheap Serbian 180 grain factory. So she is a shooter! With handloads it may go better, as I know some rifles like this cheap stuff and some do not, but I need the brass.
I just put a call in about Woodleigh 215 grainers and have found a box. (Jeez they are not cheap are they.)

--------------------
If you carry a cat home by the tail you will receive information valuable to you for the rest of your life.
Mark Twain

Edited by CarlsenHighway (13/02/12 07:52 AM)

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