Milsurp After Hours

Hello

I've been looking recently at buying a Lee Speed, because they look beautiful and I'm hoping that my friendly constabulary will have given me some more slots for .303. does anyone have any tips as to things to look for, places to source from. I'd like to get a really good one, rather than have a junker and regret it when a good one appears later on. also, is it worth reloading to Mk VI spec for these rifles if based on the older actions, or will Mk VII be ok for them? of the three I have been allowed to handle, one specifically mentioned being sighted for Mk VII (and was blatantly an SMLE action with altered woodwork, although done for Army and Navy)

finally, any suggestions for a good source for the beasties?

Now I do like a nice Lee Speed.

Love shooting them on the running deer.

Here's one of mine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ ... LS303B.jpg[/pic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ ... LS303A.jpg[/pic]

They seem to be going for the £4-500 mark for nice ones, they are quiete common and turn up relatively often, I saw one in the worlds worst gun magazine (gunmart) for £250 no indication of condition though.

You could try Guntrader.

Getting the bullets for a MkVI is the issue, Steve Regdwell in Canada does some I think, see the Further Reading topic.

The MK VII works well and is fine for the actions, the ones I've reloaded for seem to prefer flat based bullets though.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

thanks for that Adam. she certainly looks a nice rifle. I've found quite a nice one, the only problem being that I've run out of slots. the Metropolitan police had a nice man call me the other day and ask why I wanted more .303 and .22 slots, and what the hell was I doing with .577/450! this has now turned into a debate as to whether they will classify my motly assortment of rifles as a collection. why so much hassle-if I hold up a corner shop with a martini, I think they'll not have problems finding me.

on the MkVI, I've seen that the Kynoch company are reloading their .303 that way. am still trying to get hold of them to see what sort of prices they want.

thanks again for the suggestions

Nick

Nick,

I'm sepending Saturday at Kynoch with one of my clubs, looking forward to giving the .700" Nitro express a birl.

Will be stocking up on .310" Cadet, .303", 450"/577" Martini, and 577" Snider cases, is there anything you want me to ask them whilst I'm there?

The Kynoch .303" ammo is soft point so you'll need deer shooting somewhere to get them on your ticket.

Tell plod that these rifles are for different shooting disciplines and send them copies of the entry forms for the Phoenix, Historic Arms weekend at the Imperial and the Trafalgar. The HARC winter league stuff won't hurt either, that should all be "good reason" for their files.

I wish I was going. I've seen a couple of dummies, that .700 has to have some kick. I got to fire on their range about september last year. take double hearing protection, it was loud with .303 and 7.62, so I imagine you might find your ears ringing a bit.

I hadn't realised they were using soft tips. I only really target shoot, so I think they might be a waste on me. if you could ask them, I wonder if they do, or know of suppliers for, full jacketed stuff. I'd not realised you needed permission to hold the soft stuff, just assumed it was ok as long as you had the right calibre. also, if you could ask prices for the complete round, for .303 and .577, I'd be much obliged. I know I should reload, but that might have to wait till I actually have somewhere to do it. and they seem to be ignoring my email at the moment.

my email went in a couple of days ago. I've stated it fits into an existing collection of british militaria, and want them for collecting purposes. also joined HBSA, and managed to get some help from them. I'm now praying for divine intervention, although they're generally reasonable souls in kensington. time will tell, and you'll probably judge by an asterisk laden post on here.

many thanks Adam

Nick

That'd be a bubba'd rifle here. Full military configuration No. 1 Mk III rifles are worth far more than any 'sporterized' Lee-Enfield. No matter how pretty the stock wood is.

No offense, dromia, but that's not worth the quivalent of £4-500 here. $150Cdn(about 75 English pounds) at most in .303 Brit. 500 English pounds is about $1,000Cdn. Nobody would pay that much for that rifle.

All that aside, since it doesn't matter, Steve's .303 page is here.

http://www.303british.com/

the lee speed isn't technically a bubba'd rifle, at least as I understand it. some were plain military actions remarked and in sporterized stocks, but a lot were built specially at BSA. of the three I've handled, two were retailed through army and navy, and the gentleman selling them told me that they were designed for officers to have as a hunting rifle, but also something which could be used in battle. as I know very little about their history, I repeat this as second hand, but they are far, far nicer than some of the bubba'd crap I've seen. also, of the few I've seen, the actions aren't SMLE based, but are often earlier, and according to one dealer I asked some were built round metford barrels till the 1920's. so I guess the question is - does a purpose built sporter rifle still count as a bubba job?

"so I guess the question is - does a purpose built sporter rifle still count as a bubba job?" --KCLRPC

Okay, perhaps my perspective is a bit skewed, but my first L-E is a '41 non-prefixed Shirley sporterized by Golden State Arms. From a collector's point of view a tragedy simply because it's such an early example. On the other hand it's a professionally purpose built (rebuilt) hunting rifle from a military action. It has provided some very tasty javalina/venison sausage and many others like it keep the major ammo manufacturers producing quality .303. A pretty respectful retirement, I think.

My answer, finally, is no.

Regards, Brad

Now I do like a nice Lee Speed.

Adam, my ole bovine ball buster, only it's mother could call that Lee Speed "purdy". Sure looks like a close relative to the MAS to me.

Jethro

I'd have to agree with you Brad. of my fullbore rifles, the two 7.62's are both complete disasters when viewed as a collector. one is a P14 target conversion - a respectable rifle, and not a bad looker, but its still not what it once was. the other is one which I know can cause strong feeling on this forum - a whitaker special. the wrist is gone, and its in a one piece stock. what makes this an even greater crime is that it is a No.4 with a cut-off, which I'm told was one of the first 35,000 ever made. if it was as it should be, I'd reconvert it (and quadruple the price). however, as a target rifle, its worth every penny of the £200 odd I spent on it, and I wouldn't part with it unless legally obliged.

possibly a little off the argument of lee speeds though