.303 or .308?

[BenningBoy]

So I'm looking at these Enfields. The .303 is about $30 cheaper than the same one in .308. I have no experience with the .303. But my larger concern is ammo availability. Right now, surplus for both is plentiful, but I have the feeling that the .303 will dry up, where as, if necessary, I can always buy new production .308. I have never fired an Enfield either way. Anybody have insight?

[Hokkmike]

Go with your gut feeling and the .308. I believe you are right.

[K31]

There really is no more good 303 surplus left. The packy stuff is crap.

[wizzegun]

You are comparing apples and oranges...somewhat. It depends what you are looking for. A true British Enfield in .303 is IMO better quality than the Indian Enfields in .303 (you can tell the difference in the nosecaps. British are rounded while Indian are squared.) I have both .303 versions. As far as .303 surplus, you can find some here and there but the quality is poor. Mostly click.....wait for it...BANG! stuff. And the .308 versions of the Enfields are Indian made. You can tell those by the difference in the mags...they are squared and have a mag plate. I know I am going to open a can of worms here but, the .308 versions were designed to fire the NATO 7.62 round with thicker brass and lower pressures. Commercial .308 has thinner brass with higher pressures meaning that you may have headspace issues with commercial. I believe the Enfield action will handle the higher pressures. I am sure other people can chime in here since I don't have a .308 Enfield. If you must shoot NATO 7.62, that surplus is also drying up. Which means you are kinda screwed either way. Prvi makes nice reloadable .303 which would sway me towards the British Enfield. I will admit I am biased though. Hope that helped.

[BenningBoy]

Damn. I got a C&R, and wanted to branch out beyond the Mosin line, but everything I'm seeing available is ammo-challenged. Don't need an 8 pound paperweight.

[wizzegun]

You are correct about ammo challenged. EVERYTHING is that way now, even the Mosins. I am guessing you are looking at the .308 Enfields from AIM. They do have South African surplus .308 for $60 a battle pack which is a decent price.

[BenningBoy]

Actually, I was looking at SOG, but the story is pretty much the same everywhere.

[PA Rifleman]

So I'm looking at these Enfields. The .303 is about $30 cheaper than the same one in .308. I have no experience with the .303. But my larger concern is ammo availability. Right now, surplus for both is plentiful, but I have the feeling that the .303 will dry up, where as, if necessary, I can always buy new production .308. I have never fired an Enfield either way. Anybody have insight?

That's more or less the conclusion I came to several years ago, .303 was a dead pool. So, I sold off my .303 burners with the rest of the ammo still in stripper clips. I replaced them with an Ishapore 2A (7.62mmx51 NATO), which shot very well. I sold it only because I replaced it with a Remington 700 PSS in 308.

Winchester still made .303 British as of 10 years ago, so you'll still be able to find 303 for some time. The only question is price. 308/7.62x51 is another matter. With many of the world's armies still using this cartridge as their GPMG round, brass (if not loaded ammunition) will be around for decades to come, and in abundance. Right now ammunition and components are pricey due to wartime conditions, but this will pass in a few years.

Another observation: Eventually you'll get around to the question of reloading, as many are. Among the sizes I still have the reloading equipment for: 308, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 7.62x54R, 7.62x39, 8mm & .303. Each one is their country of origin's version of "30 caliber": Soviet, .310-.312. British, .311. German, .312, US, .308. Of these, 308/30-06 & 300WM have many bullet sizes in common as well as powder. .303 requires a .311" diameter bullet, limiting your bullet selection to one or two weights. Logistically, the US-sized 30 cal rounds made a lot of sense.

As far as I know, no standing military force is still using .303 which means the only brass in circulation now is very old surplus or commercially made brass. If you're sold on .303, consider hoarding a *lot* of ammunition now, or really limiting you shooting. If this isn't an important gun in your overall defense strategy, it really doesn't matter since you'll be shooting it only when convenient. This is also the same situation with all those Nagant revolvers, and Mannlicher M95 straight-pull rifles so reasonably priced. As far as I know, there isn't any more 8x56R in quantity for those Mannlichers.

[JLR666]

I'd go with the .308, they're made to newer standards with better materials. And the ammo can be had just about anywhere. I'm actually picking one up tommorrow morning.

[Willie D]

I read somewhere that Enfields tend to have large chambers and that .303 brass might need to be resized considerably if you reload.