My first C&R

[Fang]

I've had my C&R license for years now, but had only used it for the generous discounts offered by online retailers of firearms paraphenalia. However, that all changed on the fateful day that CapnBeeb of the SA forums let it slip that he didn't care for his Ishapore 2A Enfield. In a flash, I was upon him, mercilessly badgering him with endless requests to sell me his Enfield, until at last the relentless barage forced him to relent under duress. Here's a brief reenactment of the drama:



Fang: "Wanna sell me your Ishy?"
CapnBeeb: "Okay."


See, I'd always wanted an Ishapore Enfield because they're the only general-issue bolt-action rifle chambered in .308. The story behind these, I gather, is that when India upgraded to a FAL variant (which they designated the 1A), they didn't want to throw away their existing Enfield manufacturing capability; bolt-action rifles could still be used for training and by support troops. However, they didn't want to deal with the logistical problem of having two cartridges, .308 and .303. Hence the 2A, an Enfield chambered in .308.

Motivation aside, I now had a line on one of these nifty rifles. Licenses were transmitted, moneys exchanged, and at long last the rifle was on its way to me. Unfortunately, Fate intervened in the form of a horrific snowstorm, deluging the Puget Sound region in up to four inches of snow. Transportation ground to a halt, business ceased, gas stations ran dry, stores became depleted of essentials such as tofu and organic alfalfa sprouts, timber wolves roamed the deserted streets, and families cooped up within their own homes resorted to cannibalism. Also, UPS stopped delivering.

Three freaking weeks after the designated delivery date, the folks at UPS got bored with sexually abusing animals and decided to deliver the package. I tore into it with the crazed intensity of a hungry beaver who had been waiting three weeks for his gun. This was what I found:

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_left.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/left.jpg)

Enfields have a sort of plug-ugly charm that is distinctly British. I've always liked Enfields' protruding magazine, but the magazine built for 7.62 NATO looks almost jarringly out of place on a bolt-action. I like it.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_magazine.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/magazine.jpg)

The magazine release is located in front of the trigger, allowing high-speed tactical reloads:

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_mag_release.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/mag_release.jpg)

This particular rifle has a bit of personality in the form of a dramatic gouge just behind the front cap. The photo doesn't show the network of cracks radiating from the gouge, but they're there. Something must have hit the rifle pretty hard at that point.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_gouge.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/gouge.jpg)

I'd like to get some superglue into those cracks, and also possibly clean up and refinish the stock, which appears to be made from some fairly nice teak. This would require removing the markings on the butt, though, so I'm of two minds in that regard.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_arsenal_marking.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/arsenal_marking.jpg)

There's no question, though, that the black paint must go. It's pretty grotty, as these random and poorly-lit photos of the receiver reveal.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_receiver_right.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/receiver_right.jpg)

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_receiver_right2.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/receiver_right2.jpg)

Acetone removes the paint fairly well, where it hasn't already been worn away:

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_bolt_handle.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/bolt_handle.jpg)

Finally, there appears to be some residual cosmoline hanging around, but we know how to deal with that.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_receiver.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/receiver.jpg)

(Note the stripper clip guide in the above photo.)

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_cocking_piece.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/cocking_piece.jpg)

The sights are graduated out to 2,000 meters, so I'm all set for volley fire.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_sights.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/sights.jpg)

After getting the rifle, it occurred to me that not only was it my first milsurp and C&R purchase, but it was also the first gun for which I had no real practical use. Fortunately, I soon figured out what it would be good for.

http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/tn_fortress_of_solitude.jpg (http://how-i-did-it.org/img/enfield/fortress_of_solitude.jpg)

[Fang]

I took the Enfield to the range this morning and put a few rounds through it. In addition to seeing how it shot, the plan was to determine headspace by shooting a round and then using a .308 case mic on the spent casing, which would have been fireformed to the chamber. Although it was likely the importer had already checked headspace (a supposition supported by the fact that CapnBeeb hadn't reported getting his face blown off), I wanted to find out what I had to work with. 7.62x51mm NATO headspace is between 1.6355 and 1.6455 inches, a fact I carefully recorded before departing.

Once at the range, I popped off a shot, ejected the piping-hot casing, wiped it off, and slapped it into the case mic. The resulting squeal of glee caused the range's other occupants to look up from their rested hunting rifles, irritated at having their shots thrown off--now they'd have to wait another five minutes to shoot again! I didn't care, though, for I was the recipient of great news. The spent casing showed that the Enfield's headspace measured 1.634 inches: well below the 7.62 NATO minimum, and right in the middle of the .308 range (1.6300 to 1.6400 inches). The Enfield headspace permits feeding it .308! Since the importer almost certainly didn't turn back the barrel, my guess is that the Ishapore factory built these rifles tighter than the NATO spec called for in recognition of the fact that they'd be manually fed.

Good headspace news aside, the rifle was a hoot to shoot. All of my 7.62x51mm shooting to date has been done with an M1A, so it was novel to feel recoil without having an op-rod slam forward afterward. The first few shots left the Enfield angled up while I waited patiently for reciperocating mass to pull it back on target. Speaking of reciperocating mass, recoil seemed comparable to an M1A despite the rifle's lighter weight. Maybe Garand actions exacerbate recoil or (more likely) my memory is off. Clearly a side-by-side comparison is in order.

At 25 yards, the rifle shoots low (expected) and to the left (not so good). I didn't even try to make adjustments because of the caked-on black paint; it'll just need to be revisited after cleanup.

On an unrelated note, I also shot a Mini-14 today. It was a blast to shoot, with no recoil to speak of and ejection that was surprisingly consistent given how vigorous it was. This Mini-14 was one of the new 580-series rifles; its accuracy surprised me, even with cheap Remington FMJ and fairly coarse iron sights.

Finally, on an even-less-related note, I'd read that GI-style 1911 sights were regulated so that they could be used at 100 yards. According to the rumor, you put the base of the front sight over the target and align the top of the rear sight with the bottom of the front sight, then plug away. This actually works great: I got about an 80% hit rate on an IPSC silhouette, which could be bettered by someone with higher skill and/or slower shooting. Fun fact: At 100 yards, the blast dies away in time for you to hear the "tac" of the slug punching through cardboard.

[Clinotus]

Good headspace news aside, the rifle was a hoot to shoot. All of my 7.62x51mm shooting to date has been done with an M1A, so it was novel to feel recoil without having an op-rod slam forward afterward. The first few shots left the Enfield angled up while I waited patiently for reciperocating mass to pull it back on target. Speaking of reciperocating mass, recoil seemed comparable to an M1A despite the rifle's lighter weight. Maybe Garand actions exacerbate recoil or (more likely) my memory is off. Clearly a side-by-side comparison is in order.


Clearly so! I look forward to it. :)




On an unrelated note, I also shot a Mini-14 today. It was a blast to shoot, with no recoil to speak of and ejection that was surprisingly consistent given how vigorous it was. This Mini-14 was one of the new 580-series rifles; its accuracy surprised me, even with cheap Remington FMJ and fairly coarse iron sights.

I've always loved the Mini-14, it gets a bad reap in some circles for various reasons, more so when compared to a modular rifle like the AR-15, but pound for pound I think they are great.