Some Bamm rifle questions

[Buffalo Dick WB]

Tried one match at Illinois state and I'm hooked, I do have a couple of questions.

 

I have a Remington Model of 1917 made July, 1918. My rifle has the five groove original barrel stamped 4-18. I can't slug and measure the five groove barrel, does any one shoot one of these who can suggest the best bullet diameter to use? I did try some ammo that Shell Stuffer had loaded using .310" bullets with gas checks.  We were getting some leading initially (just under 1500 fps) but the next day after a thorough cleaning, I shot the fifteen shot match. I was still hitting the targets with the last shots and had very little leading when I cleaned the rifle later. I think a bit larger bullet might eliminate the leading but wanted to hear from anyone else who may be shooting a 1917.

 

I also have an Enfield No. 4 mk II. The mkII's were introduced in the fifties although they differ only slightly from the mkI's used in WWII. The rules allow a "close copy" of a qualifying rifle in competition. Is my No.4 mkII a legal Bamm rifle?

[Goatneck]

BD

 

We that shoot BAMM with a 30 Cal Rifle in our area use a 170gr gas check bullet sized to .310 running at 1550 fps.  This combination has proven to be an extremely accurate load in the 1917's, 1903's and the 1903A3 rifles.  Your Enfield No. 4 MK II is legal if it is period  correct with the iron Battle Sights and has not been Sporterized

[Garrison Joe]

If you didn't clean the barrel of ALL copper fouling, before shooting that first batch of lead bullets, that would be a real good reason you had some leading. 

 

Clean barrel real well, until a barrel has been wet with solvent overnight, and you start getting clean patches after all the green/brown copper fouling is out.

 

Then check accuracy with your lead bullet load, bet it will be better.  At 1500 FPS, only a real lousy bullet and lube will lead up a barrel in good shape and only shooting lead bullets. 

 

Remember a real good cleaning if you shoot any jacketed slugs later, repeat the rigorous cleaning.

 

1917s ought to shoot a .310 size bullet.  I usually go up to .311 myself in my Springfields.  Remington put real good quality barrels on those, so it may still be a very good barrel.  Most folks have best luck stretching the bullet out so it almost touches the lands in the barrel, just ahead of the throat.  But if you go too long, jamming bullet tip into the lands, you will see rifling marks on a chambered and extracted load, it can increase pressures, and you can end up sticking bullet so bad it pulls out of case when you have to remove an unfired cartridge.  Avoid getting contact with the rifling with your cartridge length.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Buffalo Dick WB]

Thinking back, I believe the bullets in the rounds I used may have been designed to accept gas checks but were not fitted with them. I had cleaned the copper from the barrel, it took the better part of three days, and 'Stuffer cleaned it with Remington 40x bore cleaner just to be sure. I'm certain there was no copper fouling left. I guess I'll try to find a vendor selling suitable bullets with gas checks. I'll probably cast my own once I settle on a bullet design and diameter. I'll probably try the .310 or .311" with gas check to see how they work before investing in moulds and sizing dies.

 

I've started the process of removing copper fouling from my Enfield and my model 38 Swedish Mauser (Husqvarna 1942) as well. I also have a Spanish Mauser model 43 in 8mm that I'll get to sooner or later-life is good.

 

All of my rifles were purchased about 20 years ago and have very good bores. The quality available back then was much better than most of what I see today and the prices were ridiculous, Enfield $89, Swede $119, Spanish Mauser $140 and 1917 $200. None are for sale!

 

Thanks for the replies.

[Doc Ironbeard]

Enfield $89, Swede $119, Spanish Mauser $140 and 1917 $200.

:P SOOoooo jealous! I'd love to find a Lee-Enfield SMLE for $89 bucks today.

 

My first rifle was a Mauser 1888/08/36 (Turkish) purchased from Big 5 Sporting Goods store back in the '70's for.....$25 dollars. It was stacked in a wooden barrel full of Mauser's. Needed an extractor replaced and cleaned but has been a straight shooter since then.

 

Wondering....would this rifle be allowed? It was re-arsenalled by the Turks, I believe in 1908 and then again in 1936, hence the nomenclature. The original sleeved barrel replaced at some point, but I have no idea when, but otherwise it's all original.

[Goatneck]

Doc

 

Your rifle is legal if it has original battle sights and not sporterized

[Buffalo Dick WB]

My Enfield was produced in 1954 and had been arsenal refurbished at some point. The front sight was wrapped with protective adhesive tape that was yellowed, dried out and cracked-I'm pretty sure it had never been out of the crate after the refurb. The vendor had crates of rifles of all kinds in vg-exc. condition.  I hand-picked mine out of a crate of similar, all very nice Enfields. This was common back then. I also bought a crate of Brit .303 ammo in the "sardine cans." The ammo was Greek, non-corrosive boxer primed in stripper clips and bandoliers headstamped HXP. As I recall, the crate was 600 rounds and cost $80. I still have one of the two cans-unopened.

[Doc Ironbeard]

Oh cool! My Mauser has its original Iron Sights. I also have a '03 Springfield....but it was unfortunately sporterized....damn!

 

I've always wanted an Enfield SMLE to try one of those famous British MAD MINUTES using your middle finger on the trigger things!!

[Three Foot Johnson]

Any gun shop with a gunsmith on the payroll will have the proper V-anvil micrometer to measure your 5 groove slug/bullet.

[Seymour Action]

New to Wild Bunch. I've been looking at LGS for rifles. I found a Yugo Mauser in 8mm. It says 44 on the side but M47 on the top. I guess it's reworked in 1947 so not legal??

I also found a MAS 1936 in 7.5x54. Would this be a good legal rifle??

[Garrison Joe]

All of the Yugo Mausers (M24,   M24/47 or the M47 Yugo Mauser) are good rifles for BAMM.   That 44 you see on the side of action is the plant number = Preduzece 44.   That plant is now Zastava Arms.  It's a good plant that updated a lot of Model 24 Yugo Mausers (and modified M24s to 24/47) and made the M47.   Do be aware that the magazine well is slightly shorter length on a Yugo Mauser than on German and Belgian (etc) Mausers.   That shorter action means a standard Mauser stock will not fit a Yugo Mauser, and the Yugo's cannot feed a really long 8MM (aka 7.92MM) Mauser cartridge, but it will fit most ammo you would use for BAMM just fine.  I have a couple of them, and since they got a new barrel in the late 1940s (Yugo under Communist regime), they are often very accurate.  The M47 Yugos have been declared legal for WB as the design is considered WW II even if guns were actually built after the war.

That French MAS you saw is also a good BAMM rifle, but the ammo is harder to find than the Mauser 8mm, which itself right now is about like Hen's Teeth.  Sometimes Privi Partisan lots will hit some of the vendors. 

Another rifle that is a current favorite is the K31 straight pull Swiss rifle shooting 7.5x55 Swiss ammo.  Also hard to find ammo for now.  The K31 is a real tack driver, and usually well cared for by a fine Swiss militia man (or woman) during the 1940s and 50s.

good luck, GJ

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Garrison Joe

[Seymour Action]

I miss spoke. These were M48 and M48A. One is a Michell's Mauser. I guess from what I'm reading they are fakes.

 

[Garrison Joe]

Mitchell Mausers are not fakes.  They are rebuilds, usually with a new stock.  As long as they have original sights and have not been sporterized, they are legal for BAMM.

Would a serious collector want one for his military collection?  Probably not.  But if you want a shooter, it would be worth considering. 

GJ

 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Garrison Joe

[Seymour Action]

I agree!! Rebuilt is exactly how I see them. Maybe "fake" was the wrong word to use, since I'm a shooter and not a collector. The one they have is a NIB M48A with all the accessories. I got the M48 due to the lower price. The MAS 1936 was in nice shape too, But I didn't like the bolt handle shape. Thanks!!!  

[Deacon KC]

A Mitchell's Mauser would be an excellent candidate for a shooter competition rifle. They were gunsmith checked for headspace and are not collectable. The MAS 36 were excellent guns with good sights, but avoid those [and the K31s] converted to .308 as cartridge head diameter was different enough to occasionally cause feeding and extraction problems.