Originally posted by fritz
Hey Orangetom, I hope you're not saying the accuracy of the Arisaka is comparible to that of the SMeLEy.
I would seriously doubt that even in the hands of a skilled rifleman such as I, the Arisaka would out-perform the Lee Enfield. I wouldn't know, never
having fired a Japanese WWII rifle but the Lee Enfield has stood the test of time against the best of the rest and came out trumps.
I have handled the Smeley several times through one owned by a friend. However ,I have not had the privelege of shooting one at the local range. I
know one thing immediately when I pick up a Smeley...She is strictly buisness. Rugged and dependable but no frills and thrills..flashy looks. This is
precisely what the doctor ordered in this rifle. My knowlege of history shows that this rifle has served the Empire long and faithfully through all of
her upgrades.
What I was refering to in a previous post some time back was that since I am a reloader of intrest to me where the comparisons of the ballistic tables
of the two cartridges. The 7.7mm Japanese and the .303 British are pretty close as cartridges go. As to the rifles I cannot attest not having actually
fired the .303 Enfield.
Of my 7.7mm Arisaka I have surmised that my rifle must be of a early batch as later batches of these rifles were of very crude manufacture...some
actually dangerous. Same with the ammunition. The Arisaka too is not a pretty rifle..but this is ok with me as long as she is reliable
Reliability/dependability is paramount to me in any tool I purchase.
By the way... I was informed in one board that Enfield rifles of the 7.62X51mm caliber were available on the market. This calibration being what most
here stateside call the .308 Winchester. I was never fond of the rimmed cartridge of the .303 Enfield but ballistically it is difficult to argue with
its performance. The 7.62x51mm is a significant improvement to this rifle and she is built sufficiently rugged so as to take the increased pressures.
As I recall this was done to make common ammunnition with NATO requirements.
Were I to acquire a Smeley..this 7.62x51mm calibration is the one I would want.
No disrespect intented to the .303 cartridge.
Also of intrest to me Fritz..was the articles coming out of Iraq to the effect that in several house to house searchs they found Enfield rifles of the
longer barrelled types. They must go back to before WW1. I surmised that some of these found thier way into the War Museums.
Thanks,
Orangetom
