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Posted: 7/2/2004 4:19:16 PM EDT
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I picked this No4 Mk2 up at a gunshow for $200. It is in awesome shape, bore bright and deep grooves, no finnish issues ond the wood is perfect except for one ding by the magazine. All numbers match. I'm wondering where it came from. The s/n is UF 55 A 93**, so from this one website I found that the 55 is the year (1955). What is the UF identifier? The bottom front stock os stamped wth what looks like a B over 12 then another marking of F over 55 then a larger A 93** (from the serial#) Every band has the letter F and a number in the 50's range as well, like F over 53 or F over 55. Any help would be great, just curious about it.  
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I think it's really unissued, dunno. The stocks have the serial number stamped in it, so I assume they are the original stocks. If it's 1955, it must not have any real history.....that doesn't matter to me, I want a shooter. I'm not a collector, just curious as to what the markings mean. I read that UF was for an Irish contract??? |
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That sir is an Irish Contract rifle, produced at Fazakerly in 1955. It came into the country in the mid-90's in unissued condition, probably still in the arsenal wrap. I have one identical to it. That's a good year to have, 1956 was the last year the No4 was produced. The Irish adopted the No4mkII after WWII, but due to the political unrest, a good number of the rifles Fazakerly produced for them were put into stores and never issued. Eventually they were sold to the US importers. They were never issued to the Irish, but some were indeed headed that way at their conception. Wonderful buy, those can fetch $400 or so on the auction boards. Congrats!! It may not have a storied military pedigree, but it is a collectible that will grow in value a whole lot in the coming years. Enjoy it, it should shoot extremely well. |
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Greetings s0ulzer0. The "UF" serial number range makes your rifle not an "Irish Contract" rifle, even though it is often mistakenly referred to as such, but rather straight British surplus as swingset mentions. According to Charles R. Stratton, in his work, "British Enfield Rifles Vol.2," all post-war Fazakerley rifles have the "PF" or "UF55A" prefixes. Most rifles manufactured at Fazakerley in the '50s were contracted to various Commonwealth countries in various serial number ranges, e.g., beginning with the PF301548 - PF304047 range contracted to "Anglo-Egyptian Sudan" through PF411462 - PF411471 contracted to Hong Kong. The serial number range for the Irish Republic contract rifles are: PF309348 - PF359347 (PFxxxxxx preceded by the month/year, e.g., "12/54," of production). 1955 was the last year for Fazakerley No.4 MK2 production and the UF55Ax... serial number prefix was used exclusively for 1955 production rifles (although I have seen a 1/55 PF340408, which makes me wonder how the Hong Kong range, well into the 411xxx range, is not UF designated -- maybe February '55 until the change-over?). Apparently, UF55A rifles were not contracted out, but rather, remained in British surplus store. The data presented in Stratton's book demonstrates the difficulty in attributing precise production dates to certain serial number ranges; Stratton does mention several observed exceptions to his findings. As such, I find his books outstanding resources. Great find at an excellent price your rifle is! I saw an "unfired" (unfired that is by post-surplus-US-owner) UF55A go for +$700. on one of the on-line sites -- $450-550 seems to be the average as I've observed. Clean it thoroughly and enjoy a virtually brand-new rifle of unparalled craftmanship by today's standards! O'DubhGhaill, out Force Recon Association regular member #2259 LECS Member No. 03C1035 |
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I still plan to use it as a shooter, as I don't collect. It's nice to know I have something that isn't worn out. Looks like all I need to do is check the headspace and I should be good to go. I just need to order myself some gauges. I can't wait to shoot it, it seems like it will be a fun rifle. ~ s0ulzer0 |
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Beautiful rifle you have there s0ulzer0! I have a more used (  ) No.4MK1 that I just love. I have the above mentioned book and found the barrel on my rifle is a South African made barrel. Looks brand new with a georgous blueing. Damn S.Africans must have worn out the original shooting commies and replaced it with one of there own and then pickled the rifle.  Don't freak when you first shoot yours. The cartridge shoulder will move forward quite a bit. Enfields are cut with a generous chameber so you can still chamber a muddy, bent cartridge. Remember, this thing headspaces on the rim. I reload for mine as what surplus .303 that's around isn't worth a darn. Avoid the Pakistani stuff. click.....wait.....wait....BAMM! and of course it's corrosive too. Congrats! These are great rifles. In fact I took my last deer with mine. Everyone should have an Enfield rifle. |
Yeah, I was planning on buying the coin style headspace gauges, the ones you place on the bolt face, not in the chamber. Those also don't require the firing pin or extractor to be removed. I guess all I really need is the Field Gauge. ~ s0ulzer0 |
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Honestly, I wouldn't waste the money on a HS guage unless you plan on buying more Enfields. That's a new rifle, for all practical purposes - headspaced when it was put into stores 50 years ago. Chances are very slim it won't be in spec. I'd put a sandbag over the action and test fire a few times, check your cases for pressure signs and never look back. BTW, the SAAMI guages are too tight for the mil-spec Enfield. The No-Go guage is .070" in British mil specs. Just be aware of that, you could headspace it and not realize it's perfectly in spec if you only used the SAAMI specs. |
That's why I was going to use a coin style guage that doesn't enter the chamber. Like I read about here: www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/headspace/index.asp Yeah, your right tho....I doubt it'll have headspace issues. Thanks! ~ s0ulzer0 |
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