I'm reposting with appropriate changes made because I think it's interesting (already got a couple of PMs about it), and certainly pertinent to the subject matter here.

Repost:

The first time I saw the Ruger gunsite scout rifle it was love at first "site". Then I found out what they were asking for one, or what you had to pay for one if you could find one on the market, and that lady broke my heart. But I was still enamored with the idea of a easily handled bolt-action .308 with iron sights, removable mag, and the option to mount a long-eye-relief scope for quick hog, I mean target, acquisition.

I halfheartedly did a search for possible alternatives, and nothing really jumped out at me. There's the Steyer, if you want to pay twice as much as the Ruger. Maybe the Savage hog hunter, but where's the removable mag? So I looked at possible starting points for a build, finding that most of them are too expensive to chop up and modify, likely resulting in a gun that cost as much as an off-the-shelf Gunsite. Only one starting point seemed like a viable possibility, the Indian version of the Lee Enfield No.1 MKIII, the Ishapore 2A1.

Seriously though, where the heck am I going to find one of those?

I kid you not, one week later I walk into my local mom and pop pawn shop to marvel at the ridiculous markups on anything remotely resembling a semi-auto, and I see this:



"Let me see that one... No, the next one. Other way... OTHER way. Right. " Apparently I was the first person in a month wanting to see something other than a $1200 WASR10.

Got my hands on it, it was labeled "Rechambered for .308 per previous owner". I knew that was wrong, I could tell by the shape of the 12 round mag that it was a factory Ishapore .308. See a couple of issues, floppy safety latch, missing adjustor on the rear sight. "who can tell me about this?" "Oh, our gun guy is out, come back tomorrow". I look down the bore, it's perfect. PERFECT. Puuuur-fect. Not only that, but it was cut down by the importer to resemble the LE #5 jungle gun. This absolves me of any guilt over "ruining" a collectors item; it's already ruined.

Internal conflict ensues. I really don't want to walk away from it. Tag shows two markdowns, though, so I very reluctantly hand it back and plan to return the next day.

When I get to talk to the "gun guy" he doesn't have a clue about it. All he knows is it was marked at $375, then $300, then $260. I point out the issues with the safety and the rear sight adjustor and walk out with it after tax for $240.

The rear sight comes off, problem solved. Bend the spring back on the safety, problem solved. Remove old stock and sell on ebay ($81), buy ATI stock ($59).

Total investment at this point, $218:


Bonus tech, it's a double stack mag, not a single like the gunsite.

Next up, rear peep sight and scout scope mount. Stay tuned.

I love my old Enfield, they were truly ahead of their time.

Mine's a .303, No1 Mk4

Better shoot that turd, & check out the bolt, receiver, bbl straightness, etc.) thoroughly before you invest too much $$$$!! But I'm digging it already.

Well done.....so far.

Hey
Great minds think alike - I put together a hog gun much like your.

It's a Brit .303 (1917) #1 mark lll --- stripped it down put an ATI stock on it - did a custom camo paint job...my we're to old for that peep sight so - I then I put a barrel mount rail on it and attached a nice red dot sight - works perfect - here's the post from that project

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...ini#Post2587670

I'll never forgive myself for selling my Enfields. Paid less than 80.00 apiece for them and now they typically run over $300.00

I have four of them and they are without a doubt my favorite guns.

very cool find and great craftmenship on bringing it back to life

scout mount from XS sights, $74.



Up to $292.

I like that...I want a gunsite also.

You could play and put some more toys on it and still be way off of the price tag of the Gunsite!

Man Ive been looking all over for a Enfield Jungle carbine. I want to keep it origional though.

Have you checked the headspace on that rifle?

That is a pretty neat budget rifle. Im curious to see how it shoots once it has a scope and is sighted in. Keep us updated!

Yeah, if it was a real jungle carbine I wouldn't have butchered it, but since it was a Ishapore that had already been modified I figured there was no harm done.

haven't checked the headspace, but from what I've read it's not as big an issue as people would have you believe. judging by the wear I don't think it was really fired that much at all.

I'll definitely post a range report once I get it all set up.

Headspace is an issue if all you fire out of it is factory ammo. A case head separation is an ugly and dangerous condition. If you handload, the once fired brass has expanded to the chamber, then all you do is neck size, thus eliminating the headspace issue. It is an issue for the Lee-Enfield rifles as they were manufactured with pretty generous chamber dimensions. This may not be such an issue in one of the .308 rebarreled rifles. Just something to think about safety-wise.

One of mine is sporterized just like that, same model too. Someone polished the outside of the barrel on mine. It's a decent shooter.

I fell in love with the gunsite myself, and didn't want to pay the big bill for one. Waited long enough and was able to trade into one and I am very pleased. I too was looking into the jungle carbine, and still may. Nice gun you have there and can't beat the price tag.

This right here.

GSR is pricey, but you just have to shoot one to understand. Love mine!

Ishapores are not rebarreled and they are not 308. They were made from the ground up with modern steels to chamber 7.62 NATO. 308 and 7.62 NATO are not the same. Many people will shoot 308 in their Ishapores all day without incident, but it is not recommended.

Correct.

However, check the headspace. Excessive headspace coupled with firing commercial .308 Win. ammo in a rifle designed for 7.62 NATO pressures is a disaster waiting to happen. Use a .308 Win. headspace gauge. Otherwise, use 7.62 NATO ammo for which the rifle was designed.

See, everything I've read (meaning everything I've read not based on "common knowledge wisdom") says that really the worst thing you're likely to see from excessive headspace is some fire-forming of the case that will make multiple reloads problematic. As for a catastrophic failures, I'm not seeing anything about that. Here's a link showing what can happen if a case fails http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/3361#.URsDp2eJ3gc I'm much more concerned about poor accuracy than about a headspace issue.

Good looking rifle. Range report if you care to after sight in.

Oh yeah, there'll be a range report... It might be a while... I mean, I'm not going to post up any targets unless it's sub-MOA, so it might be a while...

I'm still waiting for my rear peep, so that's the big hold up. Honestly, I'm more concerned about what it can do with the irons than what it'll do with a scout scope.