Need .308 ammo advice (Jungle Carbine)

[The Man With No Name]

I've got an old Jungle Carbine in .308 that I bought back in the 90's. I cleared the cosmoline out of the barrel, found it to have fresh rifling, did some light repairs and finishing to the stock and then set it up as a display piece. Lately I've been thinking of shooting it some for fun. I remember in the 90's people talking about being careful with the gun because of the lightening done to it in the receiver yet have never heard of one being damaged. Still I'd like some low pressure loads if available. I don't reload rifle ammunition (pistol only) as I don't shoot enough rifle to make me want to do that. So my question...

Is anyone aware of any commercially available low pressure .308 ammunition? If not do any of you that have experience with various commonly available .308 ammo have an opinion of the lowest kicking rounds as that is what I would assume would be the lowest pressure.

 

[gazpacho]

Federal has a good 308 low recoil load.

But don't forget Google.

 

[seasmoke]

Not commercial but might be just the ticket...

http://www.sgammo.com/product/surpl...arbra-112-grain-fmj-non-magnetic-surplus-ammo

 

[madcratebuilder]

The No5 MkI "Jungle Carbine" was only made in .303 Brit. Odds are you have a No1 MkII Ishapore made in India that has been cut down to resemble the No5 carbine. Ishapore 2A and Ishapore 2A1 receivers are made with improved (EN) steel to handle the increased pressures of the 7.62 mm NATO round and the extractor is redesigned to suit the rimless cartridge. Any NATO 7.62 round well be fine, I've shot 168 and 175gr match loads in these.

 

[jonnyc]

In addition, if it is an Indian conversion from a 2A/2A1 or a US mod of a No.4, it most-likely does not have those "lightening" cuts.

 

[The Man With No Name]

I think you both are right. I've never looked around for much information on it just assuming what I had been told long ago was right. Looking around some I see it doesn't have the lightening cuts and doesn't really look like what I am seeing is an Enfield Jungle Carbine.

Overall...

Markings possibly some type of three animals, then RIFLE, then 7.62mm 2 A1, then R.F.I., and finally 1967.

On the stock the letter S, an up arrow, and then the letter A.

Face of the bolt.

Midway down the stock is a bolt hole but no threaded boss on the barrel on the other side of it.

Thanks for the help with this. Back when I bought it I was buying guns every single week just to put away. This one interested me as I had never seen a bolt rifle that compact in a serious caliber before. Seemed like a good idea to me.

 

[bubba15301]

made in india

 

[seasmoke]

You may fire when ready Gridley...

 

[Ignition Override]

That rifle looks exactly like the Gibbs/Navy Arms conversion. The original Enfield #5 "Jungle Carbine" has a rear aperture sight calibrated up to 800 yards, if the original is still attached, and the #5's rear receiver bridge is identical to the standard #4/Mk. 1. The receiver bridge on your rifle is the classic style, which was modifed in the late 30's for the #4s and during WW2 for the #5s.

This is also described in my Enfield #4/#5 book by Charles Stratton, and the Gibbs magazine has a different shape than with the .303 rifles.

A really subtle difference is the fwd. section of the trigger guard. An authentic #5 has wood with a contour that does Not match the exact metal contour on the very small, front area of this section. On a #4 the wood has the exact contour of the metal.

And the forward areas of the stock/handguard have different lengths than the Gibbs.
A retired friend who is quite knowledgeable about numerous milsurps, and owns about twenty five excellent examples recently bought a Gibbs.
They are pretty handy rifles and the fact that Steve bought one says something good about the rifle.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Nice clean rifle. It should have a import mark near the end of the barrel or possible on the receiver. JJCO?

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

A friend of mine showed up to shoot his 03-A3 and had these great Federal loads which noted right on the box that they were built for M1 Garands. Very enjoyable to shoot from the 03-A3 even in tee shirts. I'll be trying some in my FAR-8 now.

 

[jonnyc]

It's a cut-down Indian 2A1 Ishapore rifle, India's 7.62/.308 version of the Enfield MkI No.3 rifle.
Any factory .308/7.62x51/7.62 Nato ammo is fine for it.

 

[The Man With No Name]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

[303tom]

Here is one of my 2A`s...................