Thread: Any "Lee Speed"experts here?

Picked up a lovely BSA No1 pattern factory "lee speed" sporter rifle in 303 British with Enfield rifling. Been cleaning the barrel for the fast few evenings, hopefully getting closer to being proper clean soon! Is there anything to look for that would tell what ammunition the sights would have been regulated for? As I have no idea of the age of this not sure if it will be for the 215gr or the 174gr. Going to put together some reloading components soon so I can load up some ammunition. Was going to give the 215gr Woodleighs or 174gr Hornady Round noses a go in front of some 2208 or 2209 powder.

Can't answer the ammunition query, but with respect to your cleaning, have you boiled out the barrel? Quick way of loosening up barrel crud. A few jugs of boiling water down the tube works wonders.

Ohh will try that tonight! Had even tried scrubbing the bore with JB's but everything still keeps coming out black.

Hoppes No 9 or CLR?

Plug muzzle and fill barrel with CRC type liquid and leave it overnight is another way to loosen crud n break down old oil etc.... done this to quite a few rifles,mates old 6.5x55 was the most eye opening as to how much came out and how good it was afterwards.

At first thought the sights should be for the 215 grain bullet, but it's had a long life and probably been used since it was made, so somebody will no doubt have adjusted the sights since the 1920's.

You will have to try it and see. I would try the 174 grain RN Hornady, and load it up to 2300 - 2400 fps. Use 47-48 grains of 2209. Depending on what sights you have you will have to use them right as well - if you have a front bead and a wide V, then the bead goes down in the V so you only see the circle of the bead in the crook of the V.
Start with that and see how you go.

@Scout maybe @Von Gruff Knives @gundoc some pics of the sights would be helpful. Nothing like a T stamped on the Knox?

Does it have HV stamped near the rear sight? That's normally a good indicator if its for 174gn ammo.

You’ve had some good advice here but on the cleaning, can’t beat lots of elbow grease with good solvent & wire brush, depends on how bad & what it is fouled with ?

If it hasn’t got the HV on the barrel near the rear sight, it’s only a guess, and really you will need to shoot it.

Sounds nice, can’t believe you haven’t put any photos up, isn’t there some rule on that lol ?

Im not sure I'd use boiling water, hot water with a small amount of detergent might take longer but be kinder to the steel
Boiling water with get you flash rusting

Just hot water will do.
Flash rusting is a real thing, and it can happen even if its not boiling water, just hot. You have to oil it immediately after it dries, then its fine.

Tried a real supa dupa deep clean on a .303 bore, at the recommendation of a gunsmith. can't remember the stuff but ammonia for sure. Got all the rust and fouling out of a reasonable looking bore, left me with a pitted mess that I gave away as a wall hanger. Careful what you wish for here! He did warn me that I'd be left with 'just the good steel that's still there'.
Chasing sight register on a 100 y.o + .303 is a waste of time- slight variations in load will give dramatic effects. It was only ever a 'near enough' system from the factory and unit armourer with wartime ammo not as consistent as some might like to think. Just my op.

He is talking about a factory sporter, most likely made by BSA doesn’t matter who’s name is on it, semi custom & should have regulated express sights !

You are very correct on cleaning the bore, sometimes the crude makes it look better !

Lee Speeds and BSA sporters were generally set up for the 215 grain bullet unless otherwise marked for the 174 grain. BSA used to etch the top barrel "sighted for 174 grain pointed bullet" but it was quite lightly done and would be hard to see on a worn finish. HV stamped near the rear sight is also an indicator. It doesn't take very much wear at the muzzle to ruin grouping, even if the rest of the bore is good.

Is the barrel original? My father left me a bsa lee speed he had used for 40 years. Was on its 3rd barrel, a Lithgow H barrel.
If the barrel is rooted put a H barrel on it and a mil front sight. Base and copper tipped blade. With a bit of work on the blade you can make it shoot what ever you want.

The H barrel improves a Lee speed for off hand shooting in my view.

The prettiest Lee Speed barrel I’ve seen was a hexagonal barrel with a bent rib. I think it was a rigby build but can’t be sure now.

My rifle had a military but with a schnabel type fore end and the longtom bolt with safety on the cocking piece and the half cock.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk