SMLE No1 Mk3 Barrel Replacment

[mchughcb]

I've had nothing to with SMLE 303 my whole life. Last week a work mate brought his late father's sportorised No1 Mk3 around for me to look at. I looked down the barrel with the borescope and for the first time I've seen a rifle with zero rifling as it was completely gone, completely corroded out. He's thinking to replace the barrel and wants to know the options.

I've been looking around for an ex military barrel that can be replaced without going down the new stainless barrel for him but can't find much in the way of spares on the net. Any advice on where to get a cheap 303 barrel to swap would be appreciated, preferably Victoria.
thanks
Chuck

[bladeracer]

I've had nothing to with SMLE 303 my whole life. Last week a work mate brought his late father's sportorised No1 Mk3 around for me to look at. I looked down the barrel with the borescope and for the first time I've seen a rifle with zero rifling as it was completely gone, completely corroded out. He's thinking to replace the barrel and wants to know the options.

I've been looking around for an ex military barrel that can be replaced without going down the new stainless barrel for him but can't find much in the way of spares on the net. Any advice on where to get a cheap 303 barrel to swap would be appreciated, preferably Victoria.
thanks
Chuck

I don't know of a barrel but if anybody does it'll be the LERAA guys. But they generally send everything to Tom Smith at T-Bone Shipwriting, he must've rebarrelled hundreds of SMLE's by now.

Make sure it's not a very collectible example before doing it though, bore condition probably doesn't matter to a collector that's never going to fire it.

[mchughcb]

Cheers, ill give him a call. It's been sporterized and been treated like a farm tool so it is in a real bad way but I can check.

[bladeracer]

Cheers, ill give him a call. It's been sporterized and been treated like a farm tool so it is in a real bad way but I can check.

One of the guys tells me that Paul Finn at Claremont Firearms (Perth) had some new old stock barrels a while back still in grease so could be worth an email.

[mchughcb]

Even better. I'll call them Monday

[No1Mk3]

Ring Tim at Recoil Firearms in Spotswood, he had plenty recently, including a couple of new H. He dismantles 303's on a regular basis.

[mchughcb]

Ring Tim at Recoil Firearms in Spotswood, he had plenty recently, including a couple of new H. He dismantles 303's on a regular basis.

Even better. He comes to the city each week so he can swing by.

[mchughcb]

Ring Tim at Recoil Firearms in Spotswood, he had plenty recently, including a couple of new H. He dismantles 303's on a regular basis.

Thanks, I got a hold of Tim and looks like he has them in stock and can install for a very reasonable price. When my mate gets back from WA he's going to arrange an appointment with Tim.

[bigrich]

yup , tom at t-bone. he's a enfield guru . i've had two lothar walther barrels from him in chrome moly and couldn't be happier . i had a enfield H barrel installed by my local smith on my 1880 martini sporter and with me wearing glasses and open sights it'll shoot 1 1/2" at 100 yards . tom redid my 308 musgrave 98 with a walther barrel , and it's one of the smoothest moly barrels to patch out that i've ever had . workmanship on my barreled action is faultless . ring him and have a chat . cheers

[mchughcb]

Thanks, I'll double check with my mate what he wants to do.

[bigpete]

Sprinter firearms had barrels full of 303 barrels last time I was there. And far far cheaper than tj shipwrights

[mchughcb]

Thanks. Even though I have another mate that lives near strathablyn and we'll be in SA next week the spotswood option appears to involve the least logistics and his prices are very sharp although you aren't getting a german stainless barrel, just a replacement.

My mate just wants to be occasionally able to fire his dad's gun and take the odd sambar out the back paddock.

[mchughcb]

I can report that Tim at Recoil was able to complete the job in a day with a Sportco barrel for a very sharp price and replaced the rear part of the stock with a better condition wood. We'll get some PPU factory ammo and see what it does. I've put a bradley comb riser on it and its now got the right about of comb height. We'll look at a picatinny rail later and a scope.