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


Reged: 13/12/06
Posts: 100
Loc: Manitoba, Canada
Imagine my Surprise!
      #309990 - 05/01/18 10:28 AM

So, after seeing photos on the web-site, I dug the old credit card out and sent off an order for what seemed to be a bubba’ed S.M.L.E. that someone had installed a Lee Speed sporting butt-stock on.

Received the rifle in due course, actually in jig time considering the Christmas mail rush, and then started thinking about what other parts I could scrounge off it, as someone had removed the action charger strap. While contemplating my navel, I gazed down the bore & thought something was amiss. Looked at the muzzle and after admiring the nicely-executed crown, had the feeling that the bore kind of looked large. Oh no, thinks I, another over-size bore, despite having beautiful rifling. I dug out one of my NOE 314299 cast bullets. Down the bore it went & fell on the floor. Grrrrr! Wait a minute, maybe it’s a re-bored barrel. Slipped a .338” bullet down the muzzle & down it went to again exit the chamber! Hmmm. Tried the same thing with a .358 bullet. Same result! Tried one of my 350 gr. 9.3 slugs. Slid into the muzzle kind of loosely, but stopped at the driving band. Hmmm. Tried one of my .375 cast bullets & lo & behold, it just engraved the nose of the bullet. Starting to get excited, I started going through my brass. Tried one of my 375 Fl. 2 ½” cases. No luck. Stopped half-way into the chamber. Tried a new 303 case; same thing. WTH! Looked down the chamber; it appeared to be a slightly tapered hole right to the leade. Ok, what’s smaller than a 303? Racking my brain to figure out what cartridge was smaller than a 303 case that I might have, I dug some 30-30 brass out & into the chamber it went. Dug out an old 38-55 cartridge and it snugly fit. Holy smokes, looks like someone at sometime made up a 38-55 Enfield, but with a .375” groove, instead of the .378-.380” normally found on such a calibre. Now to find a .375 Fl. N.E. 2 ½” reamer & fix the under-size chamber!

;-)

In the meantime though, 5 38-55 cartridges fit into the magazine & feed, after a fashion!

Not too shabby, at least I think, for under $200.00 Cdn.

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englishman_ca
.224 member


Reged: 05/08/17
Posts: 31
Loc: Almaguin, Ontario, Canada
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Old_rifle_nut]
      #310002 - 05/01/18 02:40 PM

Ya,I too on occasion have bought a complete rifle just to get at the one take off part.

Interesting find. SMLE you say. Does the barrel or receiver have any martial markings?

--------------------
Look to your front, mark your target when it comes.

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lancaster
.470 member


Reged: 06/05/08
Posts: 9038
Loc: There's a lighthouse in the mi...
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: englishman_ca]
      #310011 - 05/01/18 09:02 PM

"Not too shabby, at least I think, for under $200.00 Cdn."

probably the price for a new .375 barrel

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27009
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: lancaster]
      #310033 - 06/01/18 05:18 AM

Nice find! I'd be happy with that one.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Old_rifle_nut
.300 member


Reged: 13/12/06
Posts: 100
Loc: Manitoba, Canada
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: DarylS]
      #310239 - 11/01/18 04:11 AM

Re: Does the barrel or receiver have any martial markings?

The barrel has absolutely no markings whatsoever.

Re: probably the price for a new .375 barrel

Not up here in Canada. Try ~$500.00 Cdn, NOT including threading, chambering, polishing, bluing, headspacing, crowning, &c.

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Sarg
.400 member


Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
Loc: Nil
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Old_rifle_nut]
      #311112 - 26/01/18 06:46 PM

I did a similar thing hoping to get a Speedier barrel for one of my orphans but alas the barrel is buggered so needs a rebore, ill get it taken out to .375 if I can get it to the States some how !

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Old_rifle_nut
.300 member


Reged: 13/12/06
Posts: 100
Loc: Manitoba, Canada
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Sarg]
      #311214 - 28/01/18 10:40 AM

I don't think the problem is sending it to the US; it's getting it back out because of ITAR.

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93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4204
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Old_rifle_nut]
      #311271 - 29/01/18 10:18 AM

Nice pick up ORN!
The 38-55 is nothing to be sneezed at on the receiving end.
I suppose it is more appropriate to have it in .375 2 1/2" being more the standard British calibre & it is loaded far hotter than 38-55 factor loads.

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Old_rifle_nut
.300 member


Reged: 13/12/06
Posts: 100
Loc: Manitoba, Canada
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: 93x64mm]
      #311463 - 01/02/18 04:36 PM

Having completed a few more tests (albeit not range tests as the temperatures hereabouts have lately been well into the -30’s with wind-chill - [90 more days til spring]) using an assortment of old British rounds I have kicking around, I now believe the rifle to be chambered in .360 N.E. 2 1/4" with .356" lands and .374" grooves.

Looking through Hoyen's & Fleming's books confirms that .360's came in a wide variety of bore sizes.

In any event, a magazine full of assorted Eley & Kynoch .360 rounds feed MUCH better from the magazine than did the 38-55 rounds.

I haven't been paying full attention to this rifle as I recently picked up a neglected old W. W. Greener take-down Club Rifle in .310 Greener and 2 spare barrels with fore-arms, one in .22 Long Rifle, which will soon be re-chambered to .218 Bee & a spare in .310, chambered with a 32-20 reamer.

93x64mm
I already have a 375 2 1/2" still in the stable, although it is a Trade Pattern Farquharson and not a Lee Speed.

I'll have to figure out how to post photos now that Photobucket is pay only, which I refuse to participate in.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27009
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Old_rifle_nut]
      #311494 - 02/02/18 04:17 AM

I think you mean .366" or .365" lands for a .374/5 groove diameter.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Old_rifle_nut
.300 member


Reged: 13/12/06
Posts: 100
Loc: Manitoba, Canada
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: DarylS]
      #311508 - 02/02/18 10:58 AM

Daryl:

No, I don't. The nose of the bullet I designed for my 400/360 2 1/4" Rimless N.E. (see reference below), can be squoze down into the muzzle, with a wee bit of thumb pressure & when removed, has faint land engraving marks on the nose.

(http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=37-355H-D.png)

The nose of the bullet mikes 0.35655", so a bore or land diameter of 0.356".

I measured each of the 5 lands and they all came out at at 0.004" deep, so 0.356" + 0.004" + 0.004" = 0.364" groove diameter.

Another indication that I believe this barrel is set up for 360 2 1/4" N.E., methinks.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27009
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Imagine my Surprise! [Re: Old_rifle_nut]
      #311509 - 02/02/18 11:09 AM

"I now believe the rifle to be chambered in .360 N.E. 2 1/4" with .356" lands and .374" grooves."

My calculations make that .018" difference, therefore .009" deep rifling, which is a bit more than necessary.

I now see your typo was the groove diameter, not the bore.

NP - it happens.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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