I have finished restoring my Ishapore 2A1 and have a few questions. I've googled the hell out of the ishapore but thought I would get some expert opinions here. My rifle can shoot nails in a board with Federal 150GR PSP Power-Shok ammo. Tulammo 165GR Steel SP is a lot less accurate. Both were tested at 63-64 yards (I know weird but it was the farthest I could put a target on my woodlot) with the stock open sights. Pic below is my last Tulammo 5 shot group at 63 yards. I think I flinched on a couple as it was pretty windy.

1. Anybody have experience shooting steel ammo out of the Ishapore? The Tulammo is about a 1/3 of the price as federal but I would hunt with American ammo anyway.

2. It looks like the primers bulge out due to pressure during firing. (2nd pic, middle is un-fired round) I take it that isn't good since steel doesn't expand like brass?

3. Adjusting the mag. to feed properly is a real bitch. Try to remove it only when adjusting. Think you have it then take it to the range and it seems she goes back in heat. Frustrating (just whining).

What did this consist of.

Restore might be a strong word for it. Completely disassembled, cleaned all cosmoline off, lubed, replaced sear and sear spring, replaced the front sight blade with a higher one to be able to zero in the sights and refinished the wood with tru oil. Didn't touch the bore as rifling looked pretty good.

The amount your primer is backed out is your head clearance or how much shorter the case is than the chamber.

This normally happens with workup loads when the chamber pressure is not high enough to push the case back against the bolt face.

My Winchester 30-30 at 38,000 cup or 42,000 psi has backed out primers all the time. Normally at higher chamber pressures above 43,000 psi the case will start to stretch to meet the bolt face.

Bottom line it looks like the upper part of the case gripped the chamber walls but the pressure was not great enough to push the case up against the bolt face.

You might have a headspace problem "BUT" who's headspace standards did they follow. They could be British or Indian standards and not even close to American standards.

The American SAAMI on their cartridge and chamber drawing list headspace as minimum and maximum with .010 in between. And for setting up new rifles there is .003 between the GO gauge and the NO-GO gauge.



Don't be discouraged on a .303 British Enfield rifles at maximum military headspace of .074 with a rim thickness of .058 you would have .016 head clearance.
With new Winchester white box .308/7.62 ammunition I had .009 head clearance with my Ishapore 2A1 and it caused no problems the first firing.

It could be the Russian ammunition being short and I would ask myself what does brass American cartridges do when fired and if the primers back out as much.

The real problem you might have is if you reload and how much do the cases stretch in the base web area. And this can cause case head separations in just a few reloadings.

Below is how far the primers backed out on a very worn No.1 .303 British Enfield rifle with reduced low pressure cast bullets. Meaning if you reload and keep chamber pressure below the point the brass will stretch even at excessive headspace well over max old rifles can still be shot.

Thanks for the info and help!