Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Shooting the fixer-uppers

I got the two restoration projects out to the range yesterday.
Top is the Canadian #4 Mk1 Enfield, and the lower one is the Remington 1903A3 Springfield.

Both shot very well, with the Enfield breaking sporting clays at 50 yards and easily holding "minute of paper plate" wonderfully at 100 yards. It helps that it has a VERY light trigger that almost breaks if you blow on it hard. I think that if I put one of the micrometer sights on it instead of the battle sight, I could get some serious long-range accuracy out of it. We'll see if I can find one of those sights cheap.

As for the Springfield, it was shooting awesome groups at 100 yards, only it was hitting 6-8 inches left, placing them just off the plates I was shooting at. A close examination of the rifle showed me that the rear sight base had drifted left somehow, probably back when it was still a drill rifle. This was easily fixed once I got it home since there was an alignment mark on both the sight base and the receiver and I just had to use a hammer and brass punch to move it back. It didn't really want to move, so it took some hammering, but that's good as hopefully it will not want to move back out of position again.

It was a good range session, if short, except for the fact that it was ridiculous hot out there.

7 comments:

  1. Very nice! And any range time is good! :-)

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  2. Ooooo! You already fixed the Enfield!

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    1. Just needed a new barrel band and screw. The new one fits a lot better than the other one, and the finish is better, too. Should have bought the nice unissued one the first time instead of going cheap on a crummy used one.

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  3. Two Fields: Spring and En.

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  4. Yeah....I just GOTTA get out to the range with my Garand this summer....

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  5. Anonymous11:56 AM

    You gave them a new life

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