I love the silky smoothness of the Enfield. I have Jungle carbine and it is a lot of fun. We all know that many were converted to .308 so they can obviously handle higher pressures than the .303. But when is that power threshold met and overstressed. I want to have a .264 Winchester built but I don't know if the action could handle this cartridge and if these rounds would feed from the mag. Will this work, dumb idea, if it will work am I risking a problem with accuracy?
Enfield actions
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I think accuracy would be the least of your problems. IF you can get someone to do the work, and IF you can get the rounds to feed, and IF the receiver ring will hold up, you still are making a common mistake in confusing pounds per square inch pressure with absolute pressure.
The following is very rough, but you can do your own measurements and calculations if you want. The internal pressure of the .308 and the .264 is about the same at 60,000 psi (piezo gauge). If you measure the internal diameter of the rear of the case, you will find that about 6000 pounds of that are pushing back against the bolt lugs. (The part of that 60,000 pounds pushing sideways or forward doesn't count.)
That is not 6000 pounds per square inch, that is absolute pressure. For the larger base .264 case, that figure is about 7500 pounds, a lot more and much more than that action was ever made to take. (The 7.62 NATO is actually too much, a bit like a proof load every shot, but the rifles will take it for a while.)
So, IMHO, bolt smoothness or not, I strongly recommend a better action for that cartridge, like a modern sporter designed for that kind of pressure. It will cost more, but I checked at Wal-Mart and they are out of spare eyeballs and can't get any more. Shoot the old rifle with the ammo it was made for and save the body parts you have.
Jim
The following is very rough, but you can do your own measurements and calculations if you want. The internal pressure of the .308 and the .264 is about the same at 60,000 psi (piezo gauge). If you measure the internal diameter of the rear of the case, you will find that about 6000 pounds of that are pushing back against the bolt lugs. (The part of that 60,000 pounds pushing sideways or forward doesn't count.)
That is not 6000 pounds per square inch, that is absolute pressure. For the larger base .264 case, that figure is about 7500 pounds, a lot more and much more than that action was ever made to take. (The 7.62 NATO is actually too much, a bit like a proof load every shot, but the rifles will take it for a while.)
So, IMHO, bolt smoothness or not, I strongly recommend a better action for that cartridge, like a modern sporter designed for that kind of pressure. It will cost more, but I checked at Wal-Mart and they are out of spare eyeballs and can't get any more. Shoot the old rifle with the ammo it was made for and save the body parts you have.
Jim
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
+1 to everything Jim Keenan said!
The only factory-built .308 Enfield I am aware of is the Indian Ishapor model. It has a stronger receiver & bolt then the British versions.
The .303 is rated for 49,000 PSI.
.308 runs 62,000.
.264 is 64,000!
In addition, the maximum case dia. of the .303 is .455".
The .308 is .470"
But the belted .264 Mag is .513"!
That would put bolt-thrust on the locking lugs well past their design safety limits!
Also, the .264 cartridge is over a 1/4" longer then a .303, and no doubt would not fit in the magazine without lengthening the action and magazine box.
Even if you modified the action extensively to feed & extract rimless belted Mag cases & got it to work, it still would not be safe!
rcmodel
+1 to everything Jim Keenan said!
The only factory-built .308 Enfield I am aware of is the Indian Ishapor model. It has a stronger receiver & bolt then the British versions.
The .303 is rated for 49,000 PSI.
.308 runs 62,000.
.264 is 64,000!
In addition, the maximum case dia. of the .303 is .455".
The .308 is .470"
But the belted .264 Mag is .513"!
That would put bolt-thrust on the locking lugs well past their design safety limits!
Also, the .264 cartridge is over a 1/4" longer then a .303, and no doubt would not fit in the magazine without lengthening the action and magazine box.
Even if you modified the action extensively to feed & extract rimless belted Mag cases & got it to work, it still would not be safe!
rcmodel
ieszu
Member
Having have worked on Lee-Enfields before.... Rcmodel and Jim Keenan are absolutely correct.... This is just an unsafe idea. There are plenty of other actions out there that can be modified for the .264 Win... but not that one.
Curator
Member
A P-14 Enfield will convert safely to .264 Win. The action is almost as smooth as the Lee Enfield but way stronger!
ieszu
Member
True, as will a P-17 Enfield... but the OP has stated that he has a "Jungle Carbine", which seems to indicate he has a Lee-Enfield - Not a standard Enfield.
For those who may not fully understand the pressures involved, it might help to envision a rifle standing on the ground, barrel pointing up. Now imagine a steel rod down the bore, and on the top end of the rod is a platform onto which a Ford F250 pickup truck (curb weight 5675 lbs) is dropped every time the trigger is pulled. That is kind of blow the locking lugs and the whole action have to withstand.
So anyone wanting to rework old rifles needs to give those absolute pounds consideration, not just pounds per square inch.
Jim
So anyone wanting to rework old rifles needs to give those absolute pounds consideration, not just pounds per square inch.
Jim
mrmeval
Member
Not too hacked up, someone would buy the barrel.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=102518932
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=102518932
Just to be obtuse...
Elwood Epps of Canada, in concert with Mr. Ackley, did a series of cartridges necking down and blowing out the .303 case which much resembles the .30/40 Krag case. Mr. Redgwell at .303british.com has info on the .303 versions, regular and improved. You would not approach the .264 WCF but you could approach the .260 Remington a few paces back with the wildcat. P-14's are the action, I believe, that Mr. Weatherby developed his package(s) in. With rear lugs of Lee-Enfields, you want to show more restraint, A LOT MORE restraint. the .303brit sight has contact for the Epps gunshop, in hands of offspring, I believe. Enjoy. Luck.
Elwood Epps of Canada, in concert with Mr. Ackley, did a series of cartridges necking down and blowing out the .303 case which much resembles the .30/40 Krag case. Mr. Redgwell at .303british.com has info on the .303 versions, regular and improved. You would not approach the .264 WCF but you could approach the .260 Remington a few paces back with the wildcat. P-14's are the action, I believe, that Mr. Weatherby developed his package(s) in. With rear lugs of Lee-Enfields, you want to show more restraint, A LOT MORE restraint. the .303brit sight has contact for the Epps gunshop, in hands of offspring, I believe. Enjoy. Luck.
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