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Posted: 3/11/2014 10:24:52 AM EDT
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Pretty excited that I'm getting my first Enfield finally! It's a 1944 Longbranch No4 Mk1. Buying it from a guy in Pennsylvania so I won't have it until next week. It's all matching with a great bore. Here's a few random pics of it
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/13088288034_b8102530dc_b.jpg Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3469/13087991435_31df664170_b.jpg Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3407/13088024265_d5f95cfb64_b.jpg Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3258/13088101373_b92e7f571d_b.jpg Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr |
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Sweet! I think you're going to love it.
My first Enfield was a '45 Long Branch. Externally, it's a beat up POS with a mismatched bolt, but all in original finish. The bore is shiny and sharp, yet the crown shows plenty of use. Many No.4s have come and gone since I got it, but that one stays with me and is still one of the most accurate Enfields I've ever shot. 
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Sweet! I think you're going to love it. My first Enfield was a '45 Long Branch. Externally, it's a beat up POS with a mismatched bolt, but all in original finish. The bore is shiny and sharp, yet the crown shows plenty of use. Many No.4s have come and gone since I got it, but that one stays with me and is still one of the most accurate Enfields I've ever shot. I hope I will. It's my first purchase from a private owner that has to ship to a FFL so I'm pretty nervous about it all. But how accurate are these rifles? I'm only use to Mosin's and 8mm Mausers |
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cock on close means the bolt can cycle extremely fast. Just watch a video Lee Enfield - The mad Minute.
Mad minute was a pre-World War I term used by British Army riflemen during training at the Hythe School of Musketry to describe scoring a minimum of 15 hits onto a 12" round target[citation needed] at 300 yards (270 m) within one minute using a bolt-action rifle (usually a Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford rifle). It was not uncommon during the First World War for riflemen to greatly exceed this score. Many riflemen could average 30 plus shots. The record, set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, was 38 hits.[1] During the Battle of Mons, there were numerous German accounts of coming up against what they believed was machine gun fire when in fact it was squads of riflemen firing at this rate.[2] PS- Welcome to joining the madness 
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Rifle in the pictures is NOT a No. 4 Mk. I. (It's better)
It's a ROF Fazakerley No. 4 Mk. 1/3 (that's pronounced one oblique three) made from a 1944 Long Branch No. 4 Mk I*. The Mk. 1/3 rifles are conversions of Mk. I* rifles to the No. 4 Mk. 2 standard. Mk. 1/3 rifles are quite uncommon. ETA: The left side of the receiver wall will read thus: /(two digit date of conversion) serial number No. 4 Mk. I*/3 (F) FTR Long Branch 1944 |
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Rifle in the pictures is NOT a No. 4 Mk. I. (It's better) It's a ROF Fazakerley No. 4 Mk. 1/3 (that's pronounced one oblique three) made from a 1944 Long Branch No. 4 Mk I*. The Mk. 1/3 rifles are conversions of Mk. I* rifles to the No. 4 Mk. 2 standard. Mk. 1/3 rifles are quite uncommon. Good catch, here is a Savage built to 1/3 specs @ ROF. 
Like VOLK says.. they do not grow on trees. |
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Good catch, here is a Savage built to 1/3 specs @ ROF. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/10697761533_2395c9542f_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7372/10697572864_990a3b2abf_b.jpg Like VOLK says.. they do not grow on trees. Nice rifle, Spax! As you may know, the 1/2 and 1/3 conversions were complete overhauls; literally nothing remains of the original rifle besides the receiver and sometimes the bolt. Every other part was replaced and the original barrel was replaced with a new five-groove one. The rifle that left ROF Fazakerley was basically a new rifle. As far as rare goes, try finding a 1/2 made from a Long Branch. Budgies' teeth, those. |
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Care to explain that? I've never handled a Lee Enfield before let alone shot one lol. Just paid for the rifle. Hopefully I'll get it mid next week Quoted:
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They are very accurate, at least in my experience. The cock on close action is a hoot to shoot as well  Care to explain that? I've never handled a Lee Enfield before let alone shot one lol. Just paid for the rifle. Hopefully I'll get it mid next week You'll understand once you get a chance to handle your Enfield. Most modern bolt rifles, and many of the more common bolt action surplus rifles like the various Mauser 98s/Mosins-Nagants/1903s/etc, have what are known as "cock on opening" actions. After the shot is fired, the bolt handle is rotated and the bolt is pulled back. This opening process cocks the bolt, so most of the force required to work the action is exerted during the opening process. The bolt is then pushed forward with little resistance to load the next round, and the bolt handle rotated down, and the rifle is ready to fire again. The various Enfields, on the other hand, have what are known as "cock on closing" actions. After the shot is fired, the bolt handle is still rotated and the bolt is pulled back. But on an Enfield, that bolt opening process does nothing except extract the fired case, so there is little resistance and little force required. When the bolt is pushed forward, this closing stroke both cocks the bolt and loads the next round, so most of the force required to work the action is exerted on the closing stroke. And in fact, if the bolt handle is lifted on an Enfield while the bolt is still cocked, the spring pressure will retract the bolt on its own. So the Enfield's action is "backwards" when compared to what most American shooters are used to. But many folks find that it's actually faster to operate a "cock on closing" action, once you get used to it. |
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Nice rifle, Spax! As you may know, the 1/2 and 1/3 conversions were complete overhauls; literally nothing remains of the original rifle besides the receiver and sometimes the bolt. Every other part was replaced and the original barrel was replaced with a new five-groove one. The rifle that left ROF Fazakerley was basically a new rifle. As far as rare goes, try finding a 1/2 made from a Long Branch. Budgies' teeth, those. Quoted:
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Good catch, here is a Savage built to 1/3 specs @ ROF. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/10697761533_2395c9542f_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7372/10697572864_990a3b2abf_b.jpg Like VOLK says.. they do not grow on trees. Nice rifle, Spax! As you may know, the 1/2 and 1/3 conversions were complete overhauls; literally nothing remains of the original rifle besides the receiver and sometimes the bolt. Every other part was replaced and the original barrel was replaced with a new five-groove one. The rifle that left ROF Fazakerley was basically a new rifle. As far as rare goes, try finding a 1/2 made from a Long Branch. Budgies' teeth, those. I got the rifle above from HAL on Gun boards for 300 shipped. Didn't realize it was that uncommon until i started reading about it while waiting for it to come in. Anytime one can get a 1/3 for a good price is a good day. I have only seen a handful of 1/3s for sale.. never a 1/2. Like you said rare as rare. |
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Rifle in the pictures is NOT a No. 4 Mk. I. (It's better) It's a ROF Fazakerley No. 4 Mk. 1/3 (that's pronounced one oblique three) made from a 1944 Long Branch No. 4 Mk I*. The Mk. 1/3 rifles are conversions of Mk. I* rifles to the No. 4 Mk. 2 standard. Mk. 1/3 rifles are quite uncommon. ETA: The left side of the receiver wall will read thus: /(two digit date of conversion) serial number No. 4 Mk. I*/3 (F) FTR Long Branch 1944 My heart sank at first when I saw that lol but that's awesome! He sent me this picture as well but I didn't think anything about it. 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr So if I were to ever get parts for it someday, I would need No4 mk2 parts? |
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My heart sank at first when I saw that lol but that's awesome! He sent me this picture as well but I didn't think anything about it. [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94604487@N02/13135392695/]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/13135392695_272cbbbf24_b.jpg[/email] Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr So if I were to ever get parts for it someday, I would need No4 mk2 parts? Correct. Bear in mind that a fair amount of parts are shared between the two. |
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You did fine. ETA: Hey, Spax, did you realize you have a Pattern '25 RAF sling on that No. 4 Mk. 1/3? That would look better on a P'14 (there's one on mine, as it's RAF-unit marked). Yea, thats what Hal Shipped it with, and a Bayonet (not bad for 300 :) ) I plan on changing it out once i get around to purchasing a correct sling. Right now its just a place holder. |
Just got it! It's a little more beat up than I thought but I like it. Everything matches including the magazine. And it has the brass buttplate. Also came with two stripper clips. Where are import marks typically on these? The gun store guy I did the FFL transfer through said there were no import marks
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr |
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interesting place. Ill check mine to see if its from the same group. Quoted:
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Found it just barely visible above to trigger IAC ALFX Virginia interesting place. Ill check mine to see if its from the same group. Here it is. The previous owner keeps saying that the /3 in the other pic just means it was refurbed and is a really common Enfield lol 
Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr |
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Here it is. The previous owner keeps saying that the /3 in the other pic just means it was refurbed and is a really common Enfield lol [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94604487@N02/13369132364/]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/13369132364_4dbfe54505_b.jpg[/email] Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr Quoted:
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Found it just barely visible above to trigger IAC ALFX Virginia interesting place. Ill check mine to see if its from the same group. Here it is. The previous owner keeps saying that the /3 in the other pic just means it was refurbed and is a really common Enfield lol [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94604487@N02/13369132364/]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/13369132364_4dbfe54505_b.jpg[/email] Untitled by Sn8kebitten, on Flickr His ignorance is in your favor. 1/3s do not grow on trees! :) Good reading : http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/no4s/no4-mk12-mk13-mk2-and-ftr/ |
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My cousin is Canadian/American (my uncle moved up there after he was honorably discharged in '62). I asked his opinion of the quality of Commonwealth guns. IIRC, he said:
"The Canadian guns are the best; followed closely by the Australian and U.S. made (Savage) guns; the Brit guns can also be good, though many war-time guns seemed rushed; and the Indian-made guns are maybe good for clubbing people." 
In reality, the Indians have a very long history of steel-making and you don't really hear of many problems with them. The fit, finish and the wood is a little different from other Commonwealth guns though. |
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There's nothing wrong with the build quality of Ishapore-made rifles, especially the ones made pre-Independence under British supervision. If you can find an unmolested 20's-30's rifle you will find that they are gorgeous indeed.
The problem with the Ishapores (and, indeed, of all Indian-service rifles regardless of country of origin) is the treatment they were subjected to after they were issued. Neither the Indian climate nor the Indian conscript military are kind to rifles. |
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There's nothing wrong with the build quality of Ishapore-made rifles, especially the ones made pre-Independence under British supervision. If you can find an unmolested 20's-30's rifle you will find that they are gorgeous indeed. The problem with the Ishapores (and, indeed, of all Indian-service rifles regardless of country of origin) is the treatment they were subjected to after they were issued. Neither the Indian climate nor the Indian conscript military are kind to rifles. This, many were ridden hard and put up wet. |
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