quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Much better!

Now you just need a P1907 bayonet and a P1908 web sling for it.

I agree 100%. I also appreciate all your help on these little projects I got going on.

Really enjoying cleaning and restoring these firearms i inherited.

I’ve got some parts incoming for the SPAS to get it back to factory, or close. It’s not economical, I’m about to spend 40$ on a pistol grip “plug”! Wish I was better at creating 3D prints.

As an aside, I got 400+ rounds with this thing, out of all my firearms, this is the only one I’m hesitant to shoot! Most of my ammo is surplus 7.7x56 so I’m thinking it might be better to start with rather than the hornady stuff. Then again I could be totally wrong on that.

Very nice! Love seeing an old sporterized warhorse get returned to its roots!

Now you get to have fun diving into the goofy world of .303 Brit... it's a cultural adventure, I'll just leave it at that lol! One of my favorite things about surplus is how the rifles tend to reflect historical norms and stereotypes of the parent countries, though.

Now that I have my tank I should probably get on with refinishing my No5. But it'll be more "finishing" rather than "refinishing" since the Ethiopians didn't leave any on it!

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
As an aside, I got 400+ rounds with this thing, out of all my firearms, this is the only one I’m hesitant to shoot! Most of my ammo is surplus 7.7x56 so I’m thinking it might be better to start with rather than the hornady stuff. Then again I could be totally wrong on that.

Surplus .303 British ammo can be very hit or miss.

A fair bit of it was made using cordite stick propellant rather than traditional powder, and it doesn't hold up as well as powder to age, poor storage conditions, and/or extreme temps.

As a result, you may find that some of your surplus .303 rounds are duds, or that they sometimes cause hangfires (click.......bang). That can be typical for some of the surplus cordite .303.

A lot of it is corrosive, too.

I've had great luck with HXP and MEN surplus .303.

I feel like I've shot some late contract Winchester (made for Afghanistan as I understand), FN and South African as well that was NC and shot well.

Unfortunately, all of those are thin on the ground these days.

Still a fair bit of WWII British corrosive about and the occasional lot of Pakistani click bang stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by M1Garandy:
I've had great luck with HXP and MEN surplus .303.

I feel like I've shot some late contract Winchester (made for Afghanistan as I understand), FN and South African as well that was NC and shot well.

Unfortunately, all of those are thin on the ground these days.

Still a fair bit of WWII British corrosive about and the occasional lot of Pakistani click bang stuff.

This. I have found the Greek HXP surplus to be some of the best surplus out there. Even their M2 ball for Garands and other surplus 30-06 rifles is good stuff. Usually boxer primed and good brass so it can be reloaded. Once in while on the CMP forums under the ammunition header you will find someone selling HXP .303 Brit.

Yep. I have a veritable buttload of HXP M2, and a smaller stockpile of HXP .303. Definitely the best surplus .303 out there.

Otto I thought it was a drill rifle? Meaning it’s been relegated to parade drill only due to wear. Have you had a look at the chamber and barrel to ensure it’s not worn or drilled or cracked?

He had a good SMLE barreled action and bolt that was unmolested but in a plastic sporter stock (the black one it's wearing in his "before" photos at the bottom of Page 1), and wanted to put it back to original SMLE configuration.

So I suggested that he grab one of the $99 DP rifles for a cheap donor stock and hardware. It's right about the least expensive way to get all the parts he needed.

He's not going to be shooting the DP action.

Thanks Rogue.

Sorry Mike, was late to the reply, Rogue explained it better than I could have.