Ishapore 2A1

A quick gloss-over of honestly one of the coolest MilSurps you can own, the Indian-produced Ishapore 2A1 rifle. It's a No. 1 MkIII* -pattern Lee Enfield rifle chambered in 7.62mm NATO. Old School Cool with a current-use caliber that's readily available and affordable. The Indian government was already producing .303 Brit-caliber rifles, but by the 1960s it became clear that a stop-gap measure was needed to make up for the lack of modern military rifles, yet account for the need to have a 7.62mm standard-issue rifle. Production began in 1963, and the Ishapore Rifle Factory tooled up to produce the venerable Lee Enfield, but this time with some enhanced and stronger steel and some minor changes to make it a 7.62mm rifle. By 1975, production ended, with a grand total of approximately 500,000 rifles produced. The end result was a relic of rifle technology from the World Wars, chambered in a modern caliber, and pressed into service on the modern battlefield. Today, these rifles were imported and do exist on the current American MilSurp market, but as the years have gone by the prices continue to go up.

The 2A and 2A1 have the distinction of being the world's last standard-issue bolt-action rifle, officially being withdrawn from service in the 1980s, yet still being seen in official and unofficial service to this day. The last chapter of this rifle's history hasn't been written yet, as it continues to be used by combatants and collectors alike.

**SAFETY NOTICE**
Lee Enfields, in general, have a larger military chamber (as-is common for military weapons), and a generous headspace. The Ishapore 2A/2A1 series of rifles is no exception, and these rifles tend to have it the worst. These rifles were chambered for the 7.62mm x 51mm NATO cartridge, NOT the commercial .308 Winchester cartridge, which has thinner cases and is rated up to higher pressures. Military weapons of all kinds are built to intentionally generous headspacing with larger chambers to account for dirt and combat conditions, and the 7.62mm NATO cartridge is constructed using thicker-walled cases and rated to a lower pressure. The intended principle at work here is thicker brass cases to be able to stretch in the military chambers they are used in, resulting in ammunition that is able to stretch, flex, and fire-form properly and safely no matter what type or kind of military chamber it finds itself in. Commercial .308 Winchester ammunition was not built for this purpose, and is rated for tighter chambers with tight headspace, and therefore in an abundance of caution, should not be used in your 2A or 2A1 rifle. Commercial .308 Winchester ammunition and anything steel-cased should be avoided in this rifle due to extra concerns for safety and a healthy amount of precaution. Whenever in doubt, seek a competent gunsmith to check, gauge, and inspect your firearm to ensure it's in serviceable and safe condition to shoot, and always shoot the correct ammunition, loaded to the specifications the firearm was designed to handle. Never risk or chance anything, always seek credentialed and competent help.