Enfield, anyone?

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RedneckFur

New member
Last weekend, the milsurp bug bit me again.... I think its becoming an infestation.... Why did i have to get a C&R license?... its going to be the ruin of me, I'm sure :)

Picked up a clean No1, Mk 3 Lee-Enfield... 1912 BSA, to be exact. For a 95 year old rifle, she looks great (I'll try to get some pics up soon)

The bore is bright with no pitting, and the rifling looks very sharp. No rust, or corosion on the metal, and very little cosmo. The cartouches on the stock are very faint, but it apears the stock is a 1941 Lithgow... is it common for WW1 era british rifles to have a WW2 era Austrailian stock? All numbers on the metal parts match.

It was a bit of an impulse buy for me. I've personally never shot a .303 before, and have never owned an Enfield. Do any of you guys own one? Whats your openion of them? Good shooter or bad? Any tips you can give, or any things i need to beware of?

As always, I'm greatful for any information you can give me. Thanks!
 
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Tidewater_Kid

New member
I own several Lee-Enfield rifles. My earliest is a 1907 and the latest is a 1948. Love them all. Loads of fun to shoot. My worst problem is I don't reload and commercial ammo gets expensive. Good Luck and post pictures.

TK
 
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boltgun71

New member
Congrats on a fine new rifle! I have a Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 that I love. It was my first mil-surp, bought it when I was 15. It has all matching numbers and was manufactured in 1944. Becareful of the ammo you fire through it. Lots of the surplus ammo is corrosive and you will have to clean it real well immedietly following a range session. I use mine just for general plinking and collecting purposes. I reload for a buddy of mine that has a sporterized No. 4 Mk 1 and have had great luck with 150gr Speer softpoints. They group around 1"-1 1/2" out of it at 100yds and he has taken a few deer with it. The .303 British is a great cartridge, only problem is somewhat limited choice of bullets for handloading. Luckily theres plenty of surplus around!
 
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joab

New member
I'm trying to collect every incarnation to have been fielded

The No1 Mk3 is my favorite

Next on the list is a No5 and/or No4 Mk2
 
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RedneckFur

New member
A little further inspection seems to indicate the original action was re-barreled in 1941 in australia by lithgow. The reciver has three "broad arrows" on it.. two pointing at each other, that have been struck through, and a smaller one right below those two. Does that mean it was removed from service, then, perhaps after being rebuild by lithgow, was put back into service? The more decoding i do, the more history it seems this rifle has.
 
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Limeyfellow

New member
Thats how it always start with one fine Lee Enfield. Next thing you know you have two NoI MkIII, three No4 Mk1s, a No4 MkII, a 2a1 or two and you are convincing your wife we don't need any food and instead we could use that money on a No5 and then things get really collectly.
 
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Webleymkv

New member
There is some surplus .303 ammo out there to be avoided. It comes in a greenish colored 32rd box and hangfires like a brown bess. I had some of this junk when I still had my No. 4 Mk.1 and after a new Wolff extra power striker spring in would still hangfire. Right now, it looks like Wolf Gold or S&B is the way to go in feeding your .303.
 
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KDM

New member
I love mine...a #4 Mk1*. Accurate thing, even with the one-groove rifling. Enfields are fun to shoot. I feel all old-timey and stuff when I'm plinking. :D

Lots of stuff available for them, too. I picked up most, if not all, the parts needed to rebuild it should it become necessary. Springs, pins, screws, etc. One of the best things was the replaceable bolt head...headspace was shot, but a quick changeout to a new bolt head fixed that.
 
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RedneckFur

New member
took her out for the first time and shot her. The only ammo available locally for the 303 is that remington express 180 grain stuff... I hope thats not average for .303 ammo... I'm a 280 lb guy, and just 5 rounds of that stuff was enough to beat me. I can shoot 200 grainers out of my mosin nagant all day, but that .303 british bruised my shoulder and slapped my face a few times. I hope the other brands and surpluss ammo dont have so much kick. I thought, with it being such a heavy rifle, it would have very little.

Enfield2.jpg

And here she is. I'm not sure what the green stripe indicates...
 
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FirstFreedom

Moderator
Might wanna get a slip-on rubber recoil pad. I have one on a No. 2A Enfield, and one on a Swiss K31. Helps quite a bit on the bruising.
 
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Limeyfellow

New member
Generally I avoid the Pakistani surplus ammo, with POF on the case. Its mostly tripe though you can occasionally find a good batch that won't mostly hangfire or be dud. I had one pack of POF that nearly half of the rounds hung or were dud.

Greek .303 British and the British .303 British are generally okay stuff. Not sure if the Canadian ever put their .303 British for sale, especially since the Rangers and so on still use it. The South African surplus can occasionally be find but its pretty rare nowadays, but still works well.

Did the Aussies or Kiwis ever put their surplus on the market?
 
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44 AMP

Staff
I have a couple

A No3 and a No4 (I always get confused on the Mark# and the * and I don't feel like looking them up right now). My No 3 is dated 1917, and the stock is nearly black and very oil soaked. I call her "sweaty Betty" because in the sun, some of the oil oozes out making the stock sweat. But it shoot real well, and with Remington ammo, the recoil is mild. it may be your problem is not the ammo, but the "fit" of the stock. Stock fit can make the recoil feel a lot worst than it really is. A slip on recoil pad can helop alot, and they are cheap.

I haven't taken the No 4 to the range yet, but I expect it to do well. Sorry I can't help on the surplus ammo, the only surplus stuff I have is some WWII British, and I'm not shooting that, I'm saving that because of it's history.

I reload, and while not noted for long case life , the .303 is a good round.
 
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Limeyfellow

New member
No I mk III is the older one. They stilled used a latin naming scheme. The No 4 Mk1 is what we saw in WW2 since they changed the naming system in 1924.

No 2 Lee Enfields are a .22 trainers. The No4 Mk2 came about in 1947 and hung the trigger from the reciever but other than that is the same a No4 Mk1. The No5 is a carbine version of the No4 that was shortened and lightened. The No6 Lee Enfield was a carbine version of the No1.

A No 3 is the military designation for the P14 which while it was an Enfield is not a Lee and patterned on a modified Mauser design. Rather nicely designed rifle at that.

Then theres all the post war Lee Enfields with the L designation but I'm not going to go into that.
 
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moose fat

New member
Yeah Enfields are easy to collect. I have collected three in the the last six months since I got my C&R lisence. I collected them as shooters/hunting rifles.

My first was an Ishapore 2A, from AIM, and I learned how to strip it down and clean cosmoline and evil black paint off it and how to clean the wood, dishwashers, and the wonders of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). There are some good parts supplieres such as Springfield Sporters, Numrich Gun Parts, SARCO and the "The Shotgun News".

Also I found a good forum site on millsurps, Parallax Bills Surplus Rifles Forums, The Enfield Forum. Sorry I'm not at my home computer or I would have links for all these. Ian Skenerton is a well respected authour on all things Enfield. Midway has his books. I haven't gotten them yet.

My next was a 1942 BSA Shirley N0.4 Mk1 and it got a new micrometer sight and a new/used grooved rear handgaurd. A Century International Arms import but bought for a good price on Auction Arms.

My last was another auction site purchase, Gunbroker, another CIA import. It is a BSA No4Mk1 made in 1943. Haven't shot it yet but as I was cleaning the cosmoline off and out of the barrel I saw two shiney and sharp grooves. I had to file on the ejector screw to keep the bolt from hitting it. The extractor spring was replaced with the correct one and a new complete safety was installed.

I have just been reloading for two months and haven't gotten to full power loads yet for the Enfields.:)
 
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Dannyboy303

New member
"Did the Aussies or Kiwis ever put their surplus on the market?"

Yes they did, its everywhere in AUS. But in recent years its almost the same price as new factory ammo, so why bother imo.

There is still cordite rounds being sold for 303British as i use them in my old mans rifle... but i think its hardly worth the while when Remington makes a CoreLokt 180gr bullet for this cartridge for only a couple dollars more. I think the rise in millitary surplus ammo is because of its depleting stock. 1 interesting thing, i used the last of the 1911 ammo that was the silver tipped ammunition made for 303 millitary then found it on ebay selling for $6-12 a bullet!!!!
 
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RedneckFur

New member
I managed to tame down the recoil of the enfield a bit. I filled that hole behind the but plate... the one where the takedown screw is... with a mixture of #1 buck, 00 buck, and .454 lead balls. I imagine I've got at least a pound of lead in there. Now she kicks about like my Mosin Nagant.. I was able to fire 15 rounds before it got uncomfortable.... after I'd already put 25 through the M44
 
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