RTI No.1 Enfield (B-Grade) HOW'S IT SHOOT? SMLE Inspection & Firing Royal Tiger Imports Lee-Enfield
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Let’s take an in-depth look at this No.1 Mk.III Lee-Enfield (SMLE) that was recently imported from Ethiopia by Royal Tiger Imports. It’s one of the RTI B-Grade rifles and I caught it when they were running a decent discount. This, World War One, 1916 dated example came very dirty and the stock was quite dry. It required a thorough inspection and cleaning before it was ready to hit the shooting range. Let’s see how she does and if rolling the dice with RTI paid off.
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I've been thinking about it and I bet the wood broken off the rear handguard was a result of their wire wheeling. You can see scratches all in the wood around the areas it was done to metal. I suppose the wheel snapped those thin wood pieces right off when they were going to town on the sight wings. It's a shame really. Probably what cracked the front handguard too.
You gotta shoot flat base bullets like were available when the rifle was new.I handload all my 303 british to avoid keyholes.
they're cut off my 1916 LSA Enfield. Apparently this was done in the field or at a unit armorer level during WW1. Period photos show this. In your case this isn't necessarily "incorrect".
12:14, what is that machine names?
Hello!
The reason the soft points shoot better is that they're flat based. Its common for well used SMLE to shoot poorly/keyhole using boattail bullets. I would suggest getting some 174gr/180gr flat based bullets and enjoying that rifle!
Also, rub some raw linseed oil into that stock :)
Leave the stock alone or use something else to preserve it. The linseed oil will darken the wood
@@JonJonGTA Linseed oil was used by the Commonwealth armies to preserve wood. Dry wood is more prone to rot , warping and cracking, and it should be maintained with linseed oil. No other oil is correct for Commonwealth small arms. If your concerned about how linseed oil affects the wood, you'd be horrified to know that when armourers did their (minimum) yearly check-up on rifles, stocks were left to soak in vats of linseed oil for a minimum of 30 minutes (on top of linseed oil being issued to maintain rifles wood in the field) :)
@@JonJonGTA Nah, these stocks were dunked in the stuff. It's the correct stock treatment
Not only that the round they where designed for was the 215 grain british service .303 round.
@@OriginalOwner777 That is not correct, the MK VII bullet was 174 grain.
I got my B grade mk3 from RTI and couldn't find anything wrong with it until I went to chamber a round. Couldn't get the bolt to close, but it would close without a round. Pulled the bolt out to see if there was a marking on it for one of those numbered heads designed to extend life by taking up head space. What I discovered was that it was just a full turn short of being screwed in all the way. Gave it a full turn and it's been a great gun. I lucked out and I think you did too. Great content as always.
About 5 years ago, I bought a 1917 SMLE at a local gun show for $400. Its in excellent condition other then two screw heads that are stripped and the upper handguard is cracked. Other then that, it is very fun to shoot other then 303 being a absolute pain in the ass to find at a reasonable price.
The stock is actually pretty decent, I find the Ishapore stocks to be more durable than the original stocks which were prone to cracking or having the draws worn out.
I have also done some testing with 174gr and 150gr bullets in an Enfield with a worn bore. Same results, the 174 key holes and the 150gr was on point. I think the 150gr I used were flat bottom and the 174gr was boat-tail, which could have something to do with that destabilization as well.
I really enjoy seeing you take these filthy, absolutely disgusting, totally neglected African rifles from RTI and performing these thorough cleanings/conservations. While I don't feel the same way about RTI, I would feel supremely confident purchasing one of these from you after having gone through your excellent cleaning regimen.
I love my mkiii. It was the first rifle I ever bought about 30 years ago
I bought a B grade no4 mk1 for $379. It’s complete and decent shape other than wire wheeling like yours. The bore is dark. There is a hint of rifling. It too key holes but I only had some surplus ammo to try.
If you need parts for a No1 MKIII, a drill rifle would be a good option. J&G Sales are selling them, I think, for 129.00. Bought two, and both are in really good condition.
All matching, no rust, no cracks, bolts are working. They just have a rod throught the chamber, and couldn't see any rifling on the barrel. Thought about buying a barreled receiver and getting it back to life.
Sam's to me. Bought a 308 barrel/receiver from numrich, replaced the bolt and head. It all fit beautiffuly and the barrel had great rifling.
@@brucewillis1236 How much did you paid for the B/R?
@@hquiller 67.00 no kidding. Was on great shape,excellent rifling, Willis great.
@@brucewillis1236 Nice!!! I wish I could find a deal like that!
@@brucewillis1236 Oh that's interesting! I'll check Numrich out. I will give you a word of warning though, I read years ago that the MK III receiver wasn't strong enough to take a 7.62 round, part of the No 1, MK 4 upgrade was strengthening the receiver. I'm not 100% certain but you might want to check that out.
Ya i use DAWN and a good scrubbing on my surplus stocks.. it really brings out the grain right away. Thanks for showing !!
You can't rely on looking at the brass 100% to check headspace and a local gunsmith if is as good as they say should have a good set of inserts to put in the chamber of the gun and close the bolt and that way depending on the condition of it will dictate the number on the end of the bolt the lower the number the better the spacing the higher or a #4 is the loosest it was and replacing the end piece tightens it up. Good morning and great day to you all. Thanks for sharing this with us and also may you have a great Saturday and enjoy your day.
The "I.O" import stamp tells you all you need to know about the quality of the rifle.
I've owned four No. 1 SMLE's and all the front sights were drifted right on the sight base. I still own a Lithgow Mk. 3 that was refurbished in 1942, the bore looked brand new, the front sight was centered, when I took it to the range, I had to drift the sight to the right to zero, it's a common characteristic of the SMLE.
Love these videos, still wanna see a video on your military surplus room. I’m planning mine and I like to look at yours.
Just got my first rifle from RTI yesterday. I'm very pleased with it. Full disclosure, it was sourced from Italy, not Ethiopia.
Enfield is my second favourite rifles.. after the cooey model 600 I learned to shoot with.
If you handload, I’d recommend trying some of the 174gr round nose .312 bullet from hornady. My Type99 seems to do ok with them and having a bit thicker bullet might help. Best to slug your barrel to get an idea. Otherwise there are a few companies who do cast bullets as big as .315 depending on how your barrel slugs.
loved the video , you phrase "sling some lead" was correct for the fmjs , the wood is definitely from india, i have had a few smle rifles and l1a1 slr (fal type) rifles from india and the wood grain is very distinctive a tight close grain with a swirl to it , good to see this older guns being saved and shot not scraped broken for parts or just hung on a wall , all the best from the uk
you should get in on some of their gunsmith special email selections
Great video but I was blinded by the wire wheeled metal!
Well for starters, all or any of those surplus need to have the barrel slugged to get the actual diameter. 310, 311, 312 are all possible.
Took A day or two to check out, but I finally made it RR. Nicely done on work on stock, barrel, and components. Certain guns, like certain ammo. We have dealt with that with any firearm. Glad it all worked out pretty well. Glad you enjoyed. Peace, John. P.S., You gave me some ideas on cleaning, LOL.
Would it Nice rifle you did a good job cleaning it up. I have one of those. That's what I shoot is a 150 grain. I shoot light loads. They're kind of hard on brass. That's why I shoot light loads all I shoot is reloads
Do you neck size your brass? On mine I back my sizing die out so it just sizes the neck, much easier on the brass.
That's what I do when I'm using it in the same rifle. Did you slug the bore Kind of curious to see what size it is.
Those aren’t arsenal repairs on the rear handguard, they left the factory with those little wood inserts on the top. The Australians used a different technique, theirs had little brass rods to reinforce them. The most important thing to check on the Lee action, is ensuring that BOTH locking lugs are making contact with their locking surfaces in the action body. Improperly fitted bolts can cause scattering of the shots on target, and in extreme cases, can be dangerous to the shooter.
Make it a cast lead bullet gun. Some get real good groups from old war guns.
Thanks...love the looks of that rifle!
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the very informative video!
She is one ole Salty B-Grade Ennie my dude and I love it! :D Salty!
I hate to say this but the temperature of the water will not affect the drying or evaporation of the water it is the relative humidity of the air that will dictate the evaporation of it. The lower the humidity the quicker it will evaporate and the higher the humidity the slower and more sticky and humid it will be. Air temperature will also affect it to dissipate slowly if very warm and I will say that between 60-80°F is the better to dissipate the water away.
Relative humidity 100% matters, I agree. However evaporation rates also increases with temperature of the water. There are so many variables that will be at play in addition to those two, but saying it doesn't matter? it definitely does.
Thanks for all the info
Looks pretty good & at least can shot the rifle . I use PPU ammo in mine also . I also test fire one round first , to make sure all is well with the rifle & like you inspect the cartridge for a cracked case , bulge or backed out primer
that is a fine piece of Ethiopian artistry.
Is it marked HVSC on barrel..if not..its not set up for the MK7 AMMO
Whatever you say about Royal Tiger, their stuff always needs cleaning.
I noticed that when I do a bullet test with 150 grain PPU the results are more positive due to the projectile being slightly larger. I have a b grade that passes with 150 ppu soft points but fails with surplus 303. Do the muzzle test with the 174 grain projectiles
Another awesome video!!! Awesome rifle!!!
Please do a video on how you check the headspace in the Enfield rifles!!
Ive noticed that companies loading FMJ’s for the 303 British have gotten cheap and lazy and are using .308 diameter bullets. Seems the 150gr soft points are true .311 or .312 bullets need to do further testing to see if that is causing keyholes
Great video. Blessings 🙏🏼👍🏼
Enjoy your weekend and we enjoyed your video but I will say that I am not a big supporter of the some of the people who are involved in selling the rifles that are going around and the not telling people that the condition of them like I said if the bolt number is up in the 3&4 range it has been shot heavily and been well used in history for the purpose intended. Happy Easter to you and your family.
I have had the same issue with Enfields and Mosins rifles where they would not keep PPU boat tail bullets on paper but shot PPU flat based bullets with reasonable accuracy. It is my thought that rifles shooting boat tails need pristine bores.
Look how your rifle shoots 174 gr bullets😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. I'm dying right now😂😂😂😂
no bolts and centerfire sells only stripped bolts so a complete bolt will cost you the same price as the gun
What was the cost?
I just got a No.4 Mark 1 rifle back as an exchange after the first one they sent me had a couple bullets stuck in the barrel I called them up and said this is not a shootible bore they took it back and paid fed ex both ways but it took over a month. The one I received I an cleaning no no bullet stuck in the barrel but it is rusty in the barrel and it was a Long branch manufactured one made in Ontario Canada in 1943 sent to Ethiopia back in the 50's. Morn off magazine blue or black paint nose cap worn, Crack in Main Fore end most of the length only noticeable underneath. Mine was also a B grade rifle after this second experience I will not be buying anymore rifles from RTI. Your rifle being made in 1916 I would not fire any cartridge with anymore than 150 grain we really have no idea how good this steel of the barrel is after 107 yrs just for safeties sake. LL
Does it still have the cleaning kit in the stock?
That was a bedding someone installed to dampen the vibrations when firing. Old time accurizing....
I’ve keyholed with PPU also.. going to move down to 150 grain to see if it improves…
Someone gave me Infield mark1 1918. It's been sportyrise it was in bad shape, but I got it where it might shoot now.
If you reload. try 180 grain round nose .312gr.
.312 safe for the gun?
.312 is safe.enfields are not all the same .you should have the bore slugged to show actual size.
A rifle without a shootable bore, is basically a boat anchor!!😅😅😅
I got one from RTI last year. Went to take it to the range after cleaning and inspecting and it chambered the round. I fired, it felt fine. But when attempting to eject the chamber the bolt was stuck for some reason. It seemed to be from the brass expanding after shooting. I haven't fired it since, because I'm not sure what the problem could be. I've cleaned the chamber better, and looked everything over again with no revelation as to what it could be. I'd like to be able to shoot it, but I have a NO 4 that works fine so if I can't it's okay. It's pretty frustrating though.
Check bullet diameter/bore diameter
I tend to avoid B grade, shooter grade, or any milsurp with the front sight drifted to one side. In the long run, you'll be more happy spending that extra $100 for a fully serviceable rifle.
I have an enfield No4T sniper rifle and experienced the same results as you with the ammo. Its a laser with the PPU 150gr but throws the 174gr ammo all over the place. Seems these rifles are picky.
Nice informative video, how much does it cost to get a decent British smle mk3 in the states
That one is a B-grade, but RTI lists "like new" weapons that have rust and wood that looks old. How are they "like new?"
If it was from Africa it may was use with heavy bronze big game load
Did you inspect the "draws" in the stock. That area softens over time and abuse and the action moves in the stock.
Yeah those draws can be a nightmare. Mine were soaked and soft in my Ishapore and before I realized something was wrong, it beat itself completely to death in just a few shots. Completely destroyed the fore end.
Hopefully the Ethiopians are not storing the ark of the covenant in a goat shed.
Jah Rules Mon!
It does not matter what the topic is some racist bigot as to spoil the moment. And for you information the Ethiopian has the holy sprites over 800 years before the European even knew the earth rotates around the sun and it's not it was not flat.
And those weapons that made it to Ethiopia in most cases were on their last leg but that used what they had.
Those Ethiopians love storing their guns on their porch
Saying these were stored among goats isn't a joke. It is literally true. RTI released videos of them recovering the rifles and there were actually goats walking around the stacks of rifles.
That's exactly what you are looking at don't breathe it in,and sand it off or will destroy the wood just enough to get it off.
Love videos like these. It helps newbies understand how to clean milsurp guns and take them apart.
Good video
I'm curious to see what the rounds that keyholed would do to ballistics gel
I'm sorry ,RR.Those are just j**k. You can get a nice one with what you end up spending on replacement parts.
RTI is worst than Cla$$ic
In the military I would shower with my rifle in the hottest water and I never failed my inspections. It was so hot it evaporated all water off the gun
I have bad luck with RTI Carcanos, I’ve received 3 with loose barrels, I kept my first one and sent back the second, a few months later then send me a replacement, I picked it up yesterday and what do ya know Loose barrel
That's crazy. Like it isn't screwed tight into the receiver?
@@Toolness1 yes that is correct
I think that 174 grain ammo was faulty .Tumbling at 45 yds is not the rifle's fault,I think.
I like RTI's disclosure. Many of their early offerings disclose that the gun you get may be missing an extractor or other key parts which in all probability will not be available anywhere and fabrication would be ruinously expensive.
Idk that thing is more like D- grade, total POS with those broken parts and whiz wheeled.
Well it was only $85.
Great video! I would love to get more milsurp but price these days are killing me 😢
People complain about prices yet all im seeing are People paying hundreds of dollars for moldy cracks.
The enfield was designed for the 215 grain british service 303 round.
No it was not, the MK VII bullet was 174 grain.
Buying from Royal Tiger is a mistake, most of these are worn out trash.The owner is even refurbishing rifles with terrible barrels, don't support that kind of business practice.
Yeah, I find that pointless. If I am buying a refurb, they should be picking from rifles with the best bores and overall condition. Why should I pay 1500 for a refurb rifle and not even be able to shoot fairly accurately.
You know of RTI rep and their prices and issues with misleading grades, etc. And you still give them business. We need people to stop buying from Cla$$ic, RTI, and sometimes Aim so they can sit on this crap and eventually will lower prices back to somewhat decent prices like $250 mosins again. Even though yes they're were like 49$ in the 90s.
"My eyes are not the best.. " proceeds to shoot old bitsa rifle with modern ammo...WITHOUT EYE PROETCTION lol.. Readiness to get blinded.
That is not a #1 SMLE
REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That gun is a total piece of junk 😊
YOU PAID 500.00 FOR A 50.00 DOLLAR GUN NOT SMART
If these are 400.- rifles, than my Enfields are 4000.- $ Rifles!