I stumbled across this while looking for a pic of a chromed Garand. It's a site that does firearm modification (as well as selling firearms of all types including the occasional machine gun & other NFA items).
Special Interest Arms offers a very neat conversion. They'll take your #4 or #5 SMLE & convert it to 7.62x39mm with one of their new barrels & adapt it to take single stack (i.e. 5 & 10 round) WASR mags. They also offer a kit you can use to do the conversion yourself (just send them your bolt head & trigger guard; they fit it to the new barrel & send you back all the parts necessary).
The 7.62x39 isn't viewed as a tack driver mainly because the AK & SKS it usually is fired through isn't the most stable platform. But I have heard in a bolt action rifle the cartridge will hold its own. Plus you can get hotter loadings out of a bolt action than would be safe for an AK or SKS to handle (if you're into that sort of thing).
They also make an Enfield in .45 ACP with an integral suppressor for those who don't mind the paperwork.
Check the site (just scroll down past the "for sale" section for info on the Enfield conversion) but be warned - they're not taking any orders right now as they seem to be backed up. Apparently I wasn't the first one to think an SMLE that shoots inexpensive ammo was a good thing.
Posted by Publicola at April 24, 2007 06:19 AM | TrackBackYou were looking for a pic of a WHAT? A CHROMED GARAND? Just why fer godsakes?
Posted by: Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner at April 24, 2007 07:35 PMBTW, CZ chambers the 527 in 7.62x39. Would you really want to bubba a fine old milsurp like that?
Posted by: Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner at April 24, 2007 07:38 PMlol I was looking for it for a link to the word "shiny". I never have claimed to be funny, but I have claimed to try. :D
& if a person has an already bubba'd SMLE & wants to shoot cheaper ammo, or has a worn barrel & wants to shoot cheaper ammo it does make a bit of sense. I don't think the conversion will harm a dwindling supply of collector grade guns & besides - better to have a rifle that you shoot a lot than one that has collector value but stays int he safe. Least that's always been my view.
Posted by: Publicola at May 3, 2007 06:46 AM