Weird!
I have an Ishapore 2A Rifle in 7.62x51mm NATO, and I find it to be a very cool gun for my collection it is one of the poorest examples of the Enfield Rifle family.
Still very interesting that the Indians would convert a large-capacity (.303 Rifles held 10 rounds, 7.62 Rifles held 12) repeating rifle and convert it to a single-shot shotgun. Further VERY interesting to see the Indian Brass-Cased shotshells they had.
Also he notes that Indians are still using these shotguns. Further Indian police are still using the 7.62x51mm 2A and 2A1 Rifles as “Patrol Rifles”, and in fact under-trained Indian police were heavily outgunned in the Mumbai Terrorist attack against the AKM Wielding Pakistanis.
As useless and clunky as it is, I’d buy one in a heartbeat. Further I don’t have a single shotgun in .410, and I might not even bother buying shells, I’d just HAVE it.
Hey, I know that other guy!
IIRC, the idea behind the .410 SMLEs started during the Raj (British colonial rule), and was to allow the “native” cops enough firepower to deal with rioters, but not enough to be a military threat. Also, (again, IIRC), the basic loads for that thing were:
birdshot (riots)
single round ball (serious riots and prison guards)
buckshot (or maybe a buck & ball load) serious riots and prison guards, especially in heavily built up areas)
rubber single ball (riots after the idea of spraying a crowd of rioters with birdshot was thought uncivilized)
That makes PERFECT sense. Why neuter a perfectly serviceable rifle? Easy because those Wogs can’t be trusted to NOT throw us out of THEIR country.
Ahhh, more “Progressive” gun control.
Thanks for the added information on the load data.
Yeah, the original chamber didn’t even take commercial .410 shells — it had a 2″ chamber that used blown out .303 cases.
I think most importers reamed them for 2 1/2″ or 3″ chambers.
If you get one, check chamber depth. Or, reform some .303 brass and roll your own.
http://www.iaaforum.org/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10982&start=0
Nice picture of the round ball load.
https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-410-musket
Various loads, including cartridge dimensions and cutaway diagrams. I note they do not list the birdshot load (which I still recall, but I could be mistaken) nor the rubber ball load (which was post-colonial, IIRC).
Then, of course, there are the ones done in Australia and the UK to convert .303 rifles (including No4s) into civilian .410 shotguns to deal with encroaching restrictions on cernterfire rifles. Those will ALL have commercial chambers, as the .410 Indian Musket (AKA .410 Indian Police) was not commonly available (I’m not sure if there was EVER production for commercial market on those shells; Indian might be rolling them commercially now – for export only).
And yes, it does change the designation — these things are technically and officially “muskets”.