Thread: BSA model E 303

Got this from a fellow member a month ago-like this when he got it so not his fault.
Remember me asking about 303 ammo etc? it's for this.
Happy with price and condition as stated. all good.
The black stuff is paint-tried gentle scraping off some to see if any bluing underneath. Everywhere I tried-nope, none, so to the wire wheel it went.
Either the paint did something to it or they polished what was left off, but only bluing left is on the extractor.
Did some welding and peening to the floorplate to take out 100 years of slop. Didn't do a photo as you would be able to tell.

This is the pics of the second attempt to fill in the rear sight hole that was left over from when it was sporterised.
First attempt was to drill and tap the action and fit a 3mm screw through the center of the plug, tig it over and polish it back-yeah fail.
Got close to final polishing and you could get it to rattle sort of-right out you come.
The hole is slightly oval and the base isn't flat. On the mill it went with a carbide fly cutter (nothing even close in a carbide end mill etc) and I managed to flatten the pocket alright but the hole stayed oval and even had a bevel at the front. Seemed to cut ok but couldn't justify continuing to cut more out just in case. Close enough to the rear of the receiver bridge. considering the little chamfer I found maybe I should have.

Instead of a nice round plug, a bit of judicious hand fitting was required and then it was sweated/soldered in old school

Final polish back showed the remains of a small chamfer at the rear of the plug's recess. See comment above.
Bugger-if it was for someone I'd be pissed but due to its age/condition, and its for me, I'll chalk it down to experience and leave it.
I'm not polishing the rear down anymore and once its blued and a scope base fitted, you wont notice it.
A gunsmith inclined type person at the shooting club is going to try to sort me some bases and drill/tap it to suit for a suitably low price so I/m happy with that. Minimum price for a tap is 20 bucks if you can get them.
Next is bluing-Cant justify the money for a proper job so have to have a chat with afore mentioned gunsmith and work out the cheaper home type jobbies. He does have some chemicals there so it may just be cheaper for him to do it.

More to come as the stock needs plugs filled, cracks fixed and bits glued, bedded etc. so it will give me a bit of practice.
If it shoots ok and the dollar drops, I'll consider getting a stock in from the US unless anyone local has a reasonable one for an even more reasonable price, but that's for later.

Interesting to see a stripper clip loading original sporter rifle. They just could not leave out that neat feature.

I got quoted under 400 bucks for a Boyd stock in the cheapest form possible. A walnut 2 piece. Whether or not it fits depends on the year of manufacture. War models seem to require a bit of coaxing.

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

Ah the good old p14 BSA sporting conversion. If you mill the charger slots off, the action will accept 375 holland length stuff. Timney still do triggers for them

@Russian22-Two piece stock? Its not an SMLE. Think mauserish. Richards microfit stocks were recommended to me-Some great looking stocks and from cheap to dear. Not just yet I think. Unless one pops up really cheap i'll wait for the budget to expand if and when I ever rebarrel it.

@Walker-yes it may one day turn into something else-The PO was suggesting a 9.3x62 (or was it 64?) I looked it up-cranky round. I already have a 416 Remington magnum which has obviously scared all the cape buffs and lions etc. away so don't really need a 375HH.
In saying that, some of the factory ammo at one of the larger local gun stores the H+H ammo is cheaper than some of the new stuff-crazy-may just happen but not for a while.
Just have to get the stock sorted and a scope fitted and see how it goes first. Showed to some of the guys at the gun club on the weekend and even though the barrel isn't flash, the consensus is that it should still be OK. If it does 3" its ok, any more than that I'll be very happy.

@Cordite-From my minimal dr google research, the BSA model E was the top of the p14 conversions.
They straightened the floorplate, re-barrelled and restocked it.
Also drilled/tapped it for a side peep sight. Obviously some machining on the action but not enough to completely remove the stripper clip slots.

@csmiffy have I got this right in that you filled the big round circular hole! Think it's the first pic in your second post.
If so very nice job.
Had my gunmaker fill a hole screw hole on my BLR where someone had tried to fit a saddle ring. Harder than it looks always seem to get that out line on one side. But nice job all the same

Originally Posted by Sideshow

@<u><a href="https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.nz/member.php?u=7681" target="_blank">csmiffy</a></u> have I got this right in that you filled the big round circular hole! Think it's the first pic in your second post.
If so very nice job.
Had my gunmaker fill a hole screw hole on my BLR where someone had tried to fit a saddle ring. Harder than it looks always seem to get that out line on one side. But nice job all the same

@Sideshow

Yes, nice job on the big hole. You could also have put a gold coin in there, just for that bling effect! (-: Shame you can't glue in a button compass as the steel in the gun would have to be demagnetised for it to work.

Here's Larry Potterfield of Midway USA on a method how to fill in those old screw holes. Never disappointed when watching his videos - a real craftsman at work.


@csmiffy

Thanks, I didn't recognise it was a P14 conversion (more a complete remanufacture really).

Yep nice way of doing that, but his voice sure dose grate....

Originally Posted by Walker

Ah the good old p14 BSA sporting conversion. If you mill the charger slots off, the action will accept 375 holland length stuff. Timney still do triggers for them

i rechambered mine in 264WM awesome bang stick

Originally Posted by csmiffy

@Cordite-From my minimal dr google research, the BSA model E was the top of the p14 conversions.
They straightened the floorplate, re-barrelled and restocked it.
Also drilled/tapped it for a side peep sight. Obviously some machining on the action but not enough to completely remove the stripper clip slots.

mine has that infill plate on top with the bsa emblem no side mount fitment.

Years ago I did abit of work with p14's, you could get p17 bolts and make 270's etc or keep the 14 bolt and do any magnum. Even had some 'cock on open' sears cast.

good to hear from you all.
@mucko- there were more basic models from BSA. Just looked them up-the model C had a different stock but the belly plate was still original as is the dogleg bolt-the photo showed the side mount sight though. Both the C and D photos I found showed a recess cut in the wood. Maybe only done if its ever fitted? there are a couple of posts on other forums that show a catalogue but cant refind them to check if you know what I mean
Model D had a better stock and the bolt was straightened.
As for the top disc, my belief is that maybe a misaligned scope mount screw may have jacked out the disc. There was no sign of solder/braze under there So just friction holding it in and its only 4mmish at the thickest.
There was the original rear hole still in the receiver. I welded that up just in case it went in the same spot and could do something. Knowing what I know know after my second go, I'd have left it. More dicking round than what I gained from it.
The 264mag would be a cracking calibre for it-read up on it a while back, one of the better 6.5's as far as outright performance goes. @Sideshow-Thank you. Yeah I was confident I could do a good job but knowing what I know now (and considering the tooling I had) I'd have just machined the bottom and left the OD of the recess alone. I probably made it worse and made that little chamfer at the back. The sides were more parallel before I started and probably even less oval. lol.
@Cordite-Gold coin a nice touch, but that only worth the effort if I was using open sights only. Once the scope bases fitted you'd never see it. Also used a lower grade high tensile to give the thread some substance-don't reckon gold would have enough. Oh and yeah cant afford the gold lol. Ohh and ive seen a heap of those videos on youtube. The quirky dora the explorer music on them is far more hideous
@Walker-yes, If I wanted to do a 30-06 class of cartridge, the p17 is better, bolt head is already right as is the mag box. the 303 isn't long enough apparently

the 17 has the mag well machined back further in the action with a slightly longer box and lifter