.303 to .32 conversion sleeve?

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NoobCannon

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Well, I picked up an Enfield recently, and fell flat in love with it. My Fiancee's been hesitant about my weapons, so I try to keep from pressing the subject too much on her, and she keeps from worrying too much about it, since I've proven myself to her that I'm a very responsible shooter.

Problem is, My weapons aren't geared towards varmit getting. No one needs to explain what a .40 S&W, 9mm, 12-Gauge, or a .303 will do to poor Mr. Cottontail. My Fiancee, while she respects my shooting lifestyle and lets me have my fun as long as I'm safe, she doesn't want me getting anymore weapons. Fine by me, I'm not asking y'all about my relationship choices. I'm asking about what's in the title.

I found a .303 British to .32ACP conversion sleeve online, and it's gotten me excited. Do these function well in Enfields? How do they function at all? It looks like a hollowed out steel version of a .303 casing that you stick a .32 round into.

I know full well that a .32 isn't a high-powered round(though it started a World War and Ended another, so to speak), but it should be more than adequate for shooting critters like Rabbits, Squirrels, Possums, and the like? By my guess, it's somewhere between the .22LR and the .30 Carbine in the Varmit hunting powerband.

Frankly, I think I may be onto something. I'll keep the missus-to-be happy, I'll keep my big, heavy Enfield, and if a Hog or something wanders onto me while I'm popping bunnies for the dinnertable, I could always jack-out the sleeve and throw in some of the good stuff, right?
 
Whats wrong with reduced loads without a adapter, in fact how about loads better than adapter rounds.

All you need is some Trail Boss powder and some Hornady bullets for the 32 magnum.


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The adaptors work fine and are cheap enough to make them a no brainer for what you are looking to do. I use a 22 LR adaptor in my single shot 223 Rem caliber gun. It has an extra plug to adapt from rimfire to center fire . At 25 yds or so the rimfire will shoot to point of aim with no problem (at least to point of Rabbit) accuracy.

The adaptors are like $20 - $25 so not a big outlay and I recommend you try one.
 
I have seen one. I don't know how well the extractor would hold up as you are not feeding from the mag. and may be stressing it. Maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in.
 
The thing about adaptors in general that kept me from getting the 7.62x25 mosin rifle insert is the horrible possibility of a weaker round not making it all the way through a longer barrel. With a .32, a much lighter load than a 7.62x25, in an enfield barrel, I don't know. The reload guy has the right idea. Maybe you should stick to .22. Getting rifle barrels unplugged is expensive. Hope it works for you.
 
Yeah, go ahead and try it. If you have problems with it please let everyone know.I'm sure all of these people have shot .32 out of their enfields. Good luck.
 
The thing about adaptors in general that kept me from getting the 7.62x25 mosin rifle insert is the horrible possibility of a weaker round not making it all the way through a longer barrel. With a .32, a much lighter load than a 7.62x25, in an enfield barrel, I don't know.

No worries there. They don't gain as much from the extra tube as a larger cartridge will, but they'll exit the rifle with more velocity than any handgun. About the only cartridges that will actually slow down in a rifle barrel are the powderless .22 Kolibris.

That said, I've never tried these ones, so I can't speak to how much gas might escape backward around the adapter. I expect not much, though.
 
By all means, try it. These folks know that it will probably most likely work all the time. Last comment.
 
I've been wanting to try one out of curiosity for quite a while I think I may try one I was thinking about the 7.62 Tokerav adapter for my Mosin Nagant I figure since I don't have a whole lot invested in this rifle if it fails I'm out as little money as possible.
 
There are two kinds of adapters. The simple kind put the pistol cartridge at the rear where the primer is struck directly by the firing pin. The problem is that this creates an inch or two of freebore before the bullet engages the rifling. Aside from the negative effect this has on accuracy, there are also problems caused by a lack of resistance during ignition. In a normal barrel the bullet engages the rifling and requires a certain amount of pressure to build up before it moves. In the adapter as soon as there is enough pressure to move the bullet out of the case it jumps into an empty space much larger than the interior of the case before it contacts the rifling. This results in incomplete burning and sometimes unburned powder in the adapter, along with inconsistent ballistics.

There are more complex adapters that put the pistol cartridge at the front of the adapter with the bullet nearer the rifling which use an internal firing pin to transfer the blow from the rifle's firing pin to the primer, but I haven't used one.
 
Well, I'll place an order for one come payday, and I'll see how it works out. Easiest way for me to test the accuracy of it, my old Mouse died on me yesterday, and I was looking for a good way to send it off.

In all seriousness, though, $20 and shipping is better for me than A few hundred, once it's all said and done to order some reloading supplies(I have my stuff picked out and bookmarked for when that time comes, trust me.) Even better, I can target practice with the old girl at $21 a box for 50, instead of $33 a box for 20. And I'm not expecting some super-fantastic wondershot out of it, either. I can get maybe 20 yards away from a rabbit before they split for the undergrowth. If it's minute-of-bunny in 20 yards, then I'm happy with it.
 
This adapter is designed for shooting grouse for the pot with a deer rifle. I believe it had its origins in Canada, where the Enfield is as loved as the .30-06 is in the States.

http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/index.html

This is a modified case, with a stainless base that holds a .22 power hammer rimfire "blank", located off-center. It shoots sized lead balls, typically lead shot used for shotshells.

You can select different color power hammer blanks to get higher or lower muzzle velocity. Generally, you choose one that doesn't cause barrel leading.

I have them in .30-06 and .243 and they are fairly accurate. I think this is due to some pretty good QC for the power hammer blanks, to get consistent anchor seating depth.

The blanks are reasonably cheap, as is the lead shot.

I've found you can size 10 or 20 pieces of shot and carry them with the blanks in the little provided plastic box. To reload, you just eject the adapter, remove & replace the blank and push a sized ball into the mouth of the adapter. Then chamber as you would a normal cartridge.

Switching to normal ammo is fast, provided you have practiced ejecting a cartridge and catching it with one hand...

Another tip, which works with most bolt-actions, is to press down the top round in the internal magazine so the bolt will clear and then load the adapter directly into the chamber. Then all you have to do is eject & catch, put the adapter in your pocket, then close the bolt to pick up a standard round for deer/hogs/whatever.
 
I have .308>7.62Tok, .303>.32, and .30-06>32 adapters.

I wouldn't say that any of them "group" at 50 yds out of any rifle i've shot them with. (FR7, FR8, Saiga 308, M1A, 1903A3, No4mk1,2) however, the .303>.32 perform best in my 2-groove Canadian Longbranch No4Mk1/3. I don't know why...

For close critters they'd be fine ballistically, but the lack of consistency (which i attribute to the excessive freebore before the lands, as natman mentioned above) rules out a high probability of a one-shot kill...it's a crap shoot.

Couple that with manually removing the spent casing and inserting another and getting that sucker into the chamber...and you missed, and the quarry bolted while you reloaded.....aaaannnnd, I'll take my 10/22 with subsonics for that critter-getting-job before i'd break out my Longbranch.

That being said, the adapters are fun, and for the cost you should definitely get one, or some, and try em out.
 
however, the .303>.32 perform best in my 2-groove Canadian Longbranch No4Mk1/3. I don't know why...

I would hazard a guess that it's the reduced friction of only two lands. OTOH, there may be no good reason that we could determine without extensive scientific testing. lol
 
I recommend the Hammond Game Getter. http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/

The purpose of the Hammond Game Getter is to convert your big-game rifle into a low-power rifle ideal for targets, birds, and small game at close range with minimum noise. Included in the kit are a precision made cartridge adapter with a stainless steel chamber, a bullet forming tool (swage), a few lead balls and a carrying case. Not provided are 22 caliber blanks (mail restriction).

Mine is in .30-06 and with the lowest-powered nail setting blank (brown), it drives a sized 00 buckshot to about 700 fps and prints right at the top of the thick bottom cross hair in my scope at 25 yards.
 
Quote:
however, the .303>.32 perform best in my 2-groove Canadian Longbranch No4Mk1/3. I don't know why...
I would hazard a guess that it's the reduced friction of only two lands. OTOH, there may be no good reason that we could determine without extensive scientific testing. lol

If reduced friction were the cause, then my 1903A3, which is also 2-groove, should be more accurate still, since it's lands and grooves are more worn than the Longbranch's...
 
If reduced friction were the cause, then my 1903A3, which is also 2-groove, should be more accurate still, since it's lands and grooves are more worn than the Longbranch's...

Like I said, just a guess. Didn't mention the '03 was a 2 groove before. And you did say performance, which incorporates more than just accuracy
 
Well, I finally got my Caliber conversion sleeve from Numrich, and picked up a box of Remington FMJ .32 ACP.

I went down to where I target practice and I set up a few clays in the grass at various angles and levels to see how she'd perform, and I was pleasantly surprised. No recoil whatsoever out of the rifle, and almost no report. I was able to shoot without earplugs no problem. Just a hair bit louder than a firecracker, less louder than a .22. For range I lined up a shot on an old oak at about 20 yards, and hit exactly where I was aiming. Once I get some more land to shoot on, I'll give it a shot on some real distance. Reloading it was easy. Jack the bolt back, it falls onto the empty magazine spring, pick it up, a quick breath into it to push the .32 casing out, drop in a new one, and put it back in. It's about as fast as a break-open single shot, which is perfectly fine by my book.

Now...I just need to wait for little Mr. Cottontail to show back up.
 
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