New Acquisition (PIC Heavy)
- Thread starter MattE93
- Start date
Nice rifle. My bet is it is a rebuilt sporter. One of the reason I don't like Enfields is that they are so common that everyone has one or knows of one they could have. Add a stock and it's magically worth big bucks.
That's my rant. Still it's a nice gun.
That's my rant. Still it's a nice gun.
I don't believe a NO4 MK1 would have come with a brass butt plate. And does the front sling swivel belong there?
Look at the wear on the different parts. They don't match. Also, wood - it's 75 years young with a few safe kisses. Butt stock is factory new. Hand guard rivets sticking out proud and new, Parts - do they match factory? No FTR...
Like I said nice rifle but my radar is working overtime.
Some people are OK with rebuilds and that's fine. There's a huge market for the rebuilds or people wouldn't do it. Myself, I'd rather find a gun in original condition that looked like crap. The stock should have hundreds of hours of use and be black with grease, dirt, blood and who knows what else. Give me a survivor not a rebuild. I once had a beautiful LE Savage that was too good to be true. I got rid of it for an M305 lol (and I love the M305 - I have a great time with it).
Like I said nice rifle but my radar is working overtime.
Some people are OK with rebuilds and that's fine. There's a huge market for the rebuilds or people wouldn't do it. Myself, I'd rather find a gun in original condition that looked like crap. The stock should have hundreds of hours of use and be black with grease, dirt, blood and who knows what else. Give me a survivor not a rebuild. I once had a beautiful LE Savage that was too good to be true. I got rid of it for an M305 lol (and I love the M305 - I have a great time with it).
Nice rifle. Many British No4's have the rifle serial number stamped on the forestock behind the front steel band. If it is there and matches the receiver then you know its original and not de-sporterized. In the pictures it looks like the wood may have been refinished. Looks too glossy.
Kayser Sose
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Van Isle
Looks good! But.
The forwardmost sling swivel as mentioned, and
There's something not quite right about the shape of the butt stock, to my eye. The ledge that one's finger rest upon, on the bottom behind the butt socket... odd shape.
I would be pleased to own this rifle, mind you. Hows it shoot?
The forwardmost sling swivel as mentioned, and
There's something not quite right about the shape of the butt stock, to my eye. The ledge that one's finger rest upon, on the bottom behind the butt socket... odd shape.
I would be pleased to own this rifle, mind you. Hows it shoot?
It's the wrong swivel. That's a sling swivel, not a stacking swivel which is what should be there.
OP, is that just a poor pic or is the bore pitted????
If that bore is nice and shiny, it's a great looking rifle.
As for sporters being put back into full wood configuration, I don't have an issue with with that if its done properly. Lots of Canadian/US furniture was shipped to the UK to help them out with providing rifles to field for their war effort.
I have a very similar Maltby with a brass plate and another with a gray sintered metal plate. Both of them were acquired around 50 years ago and neither of them were FTRed. IMHO, anything is possible that late in the war.
Still, I would agree, that rifle has been brought back from a sporting life.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
OP, is that just a poor pic or is the bore pitted????
If that bore is nice and shiny, it's a great looking rifle.
As for sporters being put back into full wood configuration, I don't have an issue with with that if its done properly. Lots of Canadian/US furniture was shipped to the UK to help them out with providing rifles to field for their war effort.
I have a very similar Maltby with a brass plate and another with a gray sintered metal plate. Both of them were acquired around 50 years ago and neither of them were FTRed. IMHO, anything is possible that late in the war.
Still, I would agree, that rifle has been brought back from a sporting life.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
Last edited:
Got Juice?
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Peoples Republik of Kanukkistan
Rebuild or not, it is a great looking rifle. Congratulations.
If this is a rebuild which I am leaning toward it being, is it done properly in your opinion? Ie right color for wood? The wood does fit very snugly almost no play and the barrel is properly bedded so I think that was at least correct
As said earlier, it was common for wartime No4 Lee Enfield manufacturers to supply each other with parts, so wood type/colour isn't necessarily consistent. There are a few things that I would check though:
No4 MkI* has a simplified bolt release (no bolt catch). A No4 MkI (no star) forend has a small internal cutout for the bolt catch. Have a close look at your cutout to see if it appears to be either done by bubba or milled out like the rest of the inletting.
Are there any stamps on the wood? Not all stocks were serialized, but if you see a different serial stamped on the forend then there is a good chance it is a restoration using second-hand parts.
Lastly, check the fit of the forend. With the rifle disassembled, but with the forend still in place, there should be no back and forth movement of the action in the forend. When assembled there should be 2-7 lbs of upward pressure on the barrel from tip of the forend.
There is no stamping on the fore stock. When fully assembled it takes about 3 or four pounds to move the barrel up/fore end down.
As per your last instruction do you mean there should be no wiggle in the wood when full assembled? I’m confused by the with the rifle disassembled but foreend still in place.
