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Enfield .410

hardedge
So here I sit with an Enfield No1 Mk3 that lived out its long life and then was converted to a .410 British rifle at RFI in 1939. Probably not content to have a rifle with no ammo, it was subsequently reamed out to .410 US (commercial?) when it was imported to the good ol' USA.

Today's dumb question, however, is whether anyone out there in answerland thinks that the rifle still has enough meat in the works to fire a 45LC now and again or is that totally lunatic on my part?

Thanks
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Ed_Hilton
    I am not entirely sure this was done as a commercial change.
    The British did this and gave to the Arab nations to use during the war. They did not want to give them something that could be turned on them easily. It least this is what I have been told.
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    .410 shotgun=.410 bore dia., .45 colt=.454 bore dia........not a good idea (.38/40 is a LOT closer).
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  • iwannausername
    Why not get some brass casings (from the cowboy shootin type folks) and load some 410 slugs?
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  • hardedge
    Same reason why I couldn't see the obvious until Mike wrote it on the blackboard: Too new at this stuff (Aug of last year) to be any good at it yet. ;-)
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  • lilmor50
    these were converted by the brits in india. three theories have been advanced. i tend tro believe #3.
    1. for use as a "forager"
    2. for use in guarding prisoners.
    3. the brits were pressured by local chiefs to arm native troops.the converted l-e's looked just like the british issue and satisfied the indian gentry while avoiding giving military arms to the troops that were not 100% trusted.
    morty
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  • lilmor50
    more on the l-e 410.
    the original chambering was for a short cartridge (2 1/4?) and will not accept us 410's. a good smith can reaam them to 2 1/2, but this may negate future collectability
    morty
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  • hardedge
    Already negated before it reached my hands, unfortunately. Still, having a rifle to shoot, rather than just another Harvey Wallhanger, is probably a more important consideration for me. (I know, "Philistine!") I think I saw some ammo labeled ".410 British" online, but after what I went through collecting up equally obsolete 7.62x45 I felt just as good not having to go through it again. :-)
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  • hardedge
    quote:Originally posted by lilmor50
    these were converted by the brits in india. three theories have been advanced. i tend tro believe #3.
    1. for use as a "forager"
    2. for use in guarding prisoners.
    3. the brits were pressured by local chiefs to arm native troops.the converted l-e's looked just like the british issue and satisfied the indian gentry while avoiding giving military arms to the troops that were not 100% trusted.
    morty


    I'd lean towards a combo of 2 & 3 only because I've heard #2 but not #3 yet.
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  • 11b6r
    The original all brass .410 shells for this and other 410s were 2 inch. Even. Bear in mind since they were all brass, there was no folded hull mouth to extend into the bore. If you want to shoot one of these, would NOT use commercial plastic hull ammo, and would NOT try to run ANY pistol ammo through one.
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  • hardedge
    quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
    The original all brass .410 shells for this and other 410s were 2 inch. Even. Bear in mind since they were all brass, there was no folded hull mouth to extend into the bore. If you want to shoot one of these, would NOT use commercial plastic hull ammo, and would NOT try to run ANY pistol ammo through one.


    Word to the wise. But that doesn't leave a heck of a lot of ammo options.
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