Gunsmith recommendation for Ishapore 308

[crowleycr]

I won this at an auction. serial numbers match on the bolt and gun. It chambers 7.62 rounds OK. After firing however the cartridges are sticking in the chamber and are impossible to extract with the bolt. This is with surplus NATO as well as steel case I tried.

I read somewhere that it might be excess buildup in the chamber. I cleaned it pretty good with a 20 ga brush but still the spent cartridges will stick out about 1/4 inch while fresh ones go right in.

Any ideas on this? Can someone recommend a gunsmith that is familiar with the Enfield 308 here in MD? I have reached my level of stupid on this.

Thanks.

 

[crowleycr]

I looked into the chamber with a flashlight this morning and there isn't a smooth transistion to the barrel from the chamber. A broken cartridge maybe? The original owner was a reloader.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/broken-shell-extractor-308-broken-shell-extractor/p/EA1510AD164C2E545003?q=308+case+extractor.&lpq=308%20case%20extractor.&FORM=HURE

or a bronze brush. Anyone have an idea what size brush to try for a 308?

 

[scouse]

I won this at an auction. serial numbers match on the bolt and gun. It chambers 7.62 rounds OK. After firing however the cartridges are sticking in the chamber and are impossible to extract with the bolt. This is with surplus NATO as well as steel case I tried.

I read somewhere that it might be excess buildup in the chamber. I cleaned it pretty good with a 20 ga brush but still the spent cartridges will stick out about 1/4 inch while fresh ones go right in.

Any ideas on this? Can someone recommend a gunsmith that is familiar with the Enfield 308 here in MD? I have reached my level of stupid on this.

Thanks.

I do not know a lot about this and forgive me if I am wrong but are you sure that it is 308 and not 303?. I do know that firing a 7.62 in a 303 and vice versa is NOT recommended.

 

[crowleycr]

I do not know a lot about this and forgive me if I am wrong but are you sure that it is 308 and not 303?. I do know that firing a 7.62 in a 303 and vice versa is NOT recommended.

Thank you for responding. With my limited understanding i can't be certain. I have checked all of the easily visible markings and it is in line with the Ishapore 308. However I should look under the hood and get a look at the barrel markings. The gun should chamber a round properly and it isn't so anything is possible. I do appreciate the feedback

 

[scouse]

Thank you for responding. With my limited understanding i can't be certain. I have checked all of the easily visible markings and it is in line with the Ishapore 308. However I should look under the hood and get a look at the barrel markings. The gun should chamber a round properly and it isn't so anything is possible. I do appreciate the feedback

You are welcome. I have an unfired (I plan to rectify that situation) lee enfield 303 and think that in the not too distance future would like a nice M1 Garand to keep the Enfield company. Does the GCA have a website and buy/sell section?

 

[retrorichard]

I have a 7.62 Nato field gauge I can let you use. I used it to headspace my Ishpore.

By the way the Ishpore is in 7.62 Nato and NOT .308. They headspace differently.

 

[crowleycr]

You are welcome. I have an unfired (I plan to rectify that situation) lee enfield 303 and think that in the not too distance future would like a nice M1 Garand to keep the Enfield company. Does the GCA have a website and buy/sell section?

go to the CMP that is where Garands are reborn. you will need to read the requirments section carefully. You have to be eligible for purchase. If you have a DD214 you are half way there.


http://www.odcmp.com/

I brought one of the fired cartridges to a friend today. Three things.

The primer was punctured.
The primer was raised above the base of the cartridge
The cartridge is slightly bulged at the bottom.

I am told the ammunition is Portuguese Berden primed 7.62. FNM 80-05


This bodes ill. I should have gone over this piece before I tried it out with my face in front of the bolt.

 

[retrorichard]

You really should headspace the rifle.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/ has really good guides on headspacing and the takedown of enfields.

Here is a good article on .308 vs 7.62 nato headspace. http://carnival.saysuncle.com/002453.html

I can loan you a gauge or two!

 

[crowleycr]

I have a 7.62 Nato field gauge I can let you use. I used it to headspace my Ishpore.

By the way the Ishpore is in 7.62 Nato and NOT .308. They headspace differently.

That would be great. I have read that they are not the same and that I better not use 308 in this rifle because of the higher pressure. its marked 7.62 on the receiver.

 

[lee2]

is the magazine squared off or slanted?

pic is of a .308 rifle.

 

[retrorichard]

That would be great. I have read that they are not the same and that I better not use 308 in this rifle because of the higher pressure. its marked 7.62 on the receiver.

Shoot me a PM and we can work it out. I live in Rockville and work on Bethesda.

 

[scouse]

go to the CMP that is where Garands are reborn. you will need to read the requirments section carefully. You have to be eligible for purchase. If you have a DD214 you are half way there.


http://www.odcmp.com/

I brought one of the fired cartridges to a friend today. Three things.

The primer was punctured.
The primer was raised above the base of the cartridge
The cartridge is slightly bulged at the bottom.

I am told the ammunition is Portuguese Berden primed 7.62. FNM 80-05


This bodes ill. I should have gone over this piece before I tried it out with my face in front of the bolt.

is the DD214 the C&R permit?

 

[Threeband]

A DD214 is the documentation of discharge from the US armed forces. I understand you served in Her Majesty's forces. (Tell me, do they make you give her her shilling back when you're discharged?)

Here are the CMP eligibility requirements:

http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/eligibility.htm

I'm not sure if the US citizenship requirement blows the deal for you. If it does, then take heart. While the CMP program is a great thing, you take whatever rifle they send you (unless you go to one the CMP stores to pick one out.) You can shop around and hand pick a Garand for yourself on the non-CMP market.

 

[crowleycr]

A DD214 is the documentation of discharge from the US armed forces. I understand you served in Her Majesty's forces. (Tell me, do they make you give her her shilling back when you're discharged?)

Here are the CMP eligibility requirements:

http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/eligibility.htm

I'm not sure if the US citizenship requirement blows the deal for you. If it does, then take heart. While the CMP program is a great thing, you take whatever rifle they send you (unless you go to one the CMP stores to pick one out.) You can shop around and hand pick a Garand for yourself on the non-CMP market.

I have read that you need more than a C&R. You need to have a pistol/rifle live fire course.

 

[crowleycr]

is the magazine squared off or slanted?

pic is of a .308 rifle.

Magazine is squared not rounded and has the small "ledges" that stick out the sides on the bottom. Rear sights are forward and metal is black parkerized. Definitely not a 303 magazine or rifle but I will be pulling hand guards off to look at the barrel as soon as i have a free moment.

After I sort the firing pin gauging, I will need to headspace the bolt/chamber.

 

[scouse]

A DD214 is the documentation of discharge from the US armed forces. I understand you served in Her Majesty's forces. (Tell me, do they make you give her her shilling back when you're discharged?)

Here are the CMP eligibility requirements:

http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/eligibility.htm

I'm not sure if the US citizenship requirement blows the deal for you. If it does, then take heart. While the CMP program is a great thing, you take whatever rifle they send you (unless you go to one the CMP stores to pick one out.) You can shop around and hand pick a Garand for yourself on the non-CMP market.

Hell, they never gave me a shilling in the first place!

I'm embarassed to say that I have not yet completed the naturalization forms; I got to the "documentation of travel since you have lived in the U.S." portion and bogged down - I have lived here for 40 years and traveled a lot, so documenting the travel aint easy! I will get it done this year.

I have looked on the CMP website and know the requirments; no, I do not qualify. I do not like the idea of "you get what you are given" anyway so I would rather look on the open market when the time comes.

 

[crowleycr]

I have got back around to this rifle after some other projects. I have noticed that the inside of the chamber has a uniform char-coaled look to it. Much like the exterior. I may have a rifle that was improperly parkerized. If so I am surprised they took the time to remove the stock.

I suspect that the feed ramp on this rifle should be shiney. Any one have one that can comment?

 

[Pinecone]

I do not like the idea of "you get what you are given" anyway so I would rather look on the open market when the time comes.

None of them are that bad. Their ratings are pretty good.

But you can make a drive out CMP North store and pick one out yourself. Or join the CMP Forum and someone to serve as your agent. They go to the store and pick out the best they can find that day for you. Many of the CMP Forum gusy do this for no charge.

If yo go to the store, the people working their will help you out.

We went to the CMP South store this past winter. Two Garands followed me home.

 

[Pinecone]

One of the best ways to figure out what round it is chambered for is using a material called Cerrosafe.

It is a very low temperature melting metal that you block the bore, pour into the chamber, wait and bit and pull it out and you have a cast of the chamber. You can then measure to see what size and shape it really is.

Headspace checks are a start, but will not tell you the whole story. And you need both Go and No Go gauges.

 

[crowleycr]

scratch my last.

I had a 308 field Gage and it checked last year (as near as I can remember). I have recently acquired 308 go/nogo for another project. I went ahead and tried them and the bolt is closing on everything. In between I soaked the barrel in penetrating oil for a week, but that couldn't have changed the measurement.

I do not have NATO Gauges yet. Failing with 308 gauges has me worried. Thank you Pinecone for the Cerrosafe suggestion, I am going to order some. In the meantime I am going to clean out the chamber and bore with bore paste.