The P14/17 models are a mauser type action and just as strong although there is a lot of scuttlebutt out there about eddystone actions being brittle/hard from poor heat treating and barrels being super tight with their removal causing small cracks in the receiver. One comment I found was there was double the amount of eddystones mad than the others so any failures would be pronounced although on average just the same.
They were used for a shit ton of magnum calibre conversions right up past 458.
I cant see how the original 303's were any worse than any others until they got to the no4.
And no I wouldn't be trying to hot rod them too much myself in the weaker actions although when I do start with my p14 based model e's I might a little.
Nick Harveys reloading data for the 303-25 suggested 2-3 grains more would be possible in the P14 action
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