Long Branch No 4 Mk I* with buttsocket removed

cantom

cantom

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It's not my cup of tea, but this ad is interesting. The receiver has been machined off and altered to remove the buttsocket. See at the rear, the bolt goes up through the trigger guard and stock, and probably threads into a threaded hole in the rear tab left on the receiver. Note that they have put an SMLE type band around the barrel so a bolt can go up and thread into it through the forend, presumably to help stabilize the action in the stock.
Interesting setup, and not too expensive.

Maybe a rebluing and stock finishing...could be an interesting and unique rifle.

Somebody put a lot of work and thought into this.

Ad reads-

Lee Enfield and receiver


No 4 mk1* long branch 1944 .......f(ftr) 48
Barrel length 25 1/4" barrel looks like it has been painted black
Bore Shiny and bright

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Elwood Epps started doing those back in the sixties, maybe even earlier. There is a write up in Frank de Haas book about them and some of the wildcats he built on them.
That may not be one of Elwoods' rifles but it's on the same lines.
 
Buy it. Examine it. Give credit to the machinist who put his energy into it. Take it shooting. It is what it is, and at least you will have an example of a one-piece stocked No. 4.
 
Don't forget to paint it black and green for the new awesome tactical look.
 
cantom said:
Well, don't blame me...I just copied and pasted the pics...:);)
Click to expand...

It actually just needs a bit more work on the action and on the trigger guard. Straighten the trigger guard screws up, weld on metal tang onto the back of the trigger guard, New stock and round on the back of the receiver, it would do better.
 
While I'm not a fan of sporters in general, some of these were very nicely done. Here is mine (I didn't do the work).

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I have another receiver with most of the work done, but I will never take it any further. I guess I should sell it one of these days.
 
Long range target shooters used the #4 LONG AFTER THEY WERE USING GOOD FRONT LOCKERS FOR SHORT RANGE SHOOTING (600 YARDS AND LESS). The #4 'compensated". Slower rounds were aimed a bit higher than the the faster ones, so they were still in the bull at long range. We did not shoot them at shorter ranges becasue they would string shots vertically. We had to use issue military ammo of mediocre quality.

It was not unusual to put a #4 into a good one piece wood or fibreglas target rifle stock. If nothing else, it helped the two rifles feel more similar. I used one piece #4s until 1985. In Bisley, 1984, I used a one piece #4 equipped with a Sportco barrel (cheap) to set a new record score. I dropped 11 points all week and only 2 at 900 and 1000 yards.

I still have that rifle and the action from the back up rifle. They used Canjar triggers.
 
Ganderite said:
Long range target shooters used the #4 LONG AFTER THEY WERE USING GOOD FRONT LOCKERS FOR SHORT RANGE SHOOTING (600 YARDS AND LESS). The #4 'compensated". Slower rounds were aimed a bit higher than the the faster ones, so they were still in the bull at long range. We did not shoot them at shorter ranges becasue they would string shots vertically. We had to use issue military ammo of mediocre quality.

It was not unusual to put a #4 into a good one piece wood or fibreglas target rifle stock. If nothing else, it helped the two rifles feel more similar. I used one piece #4s until 1985. In Bisley, 1984, I used a one piece #4 equipped with a Sportco barrel (cheap) to set a new record score. I dropped 11 points all week and only 2 at 900 and 1000 yards.

I still have that rifle and the action from the back up rifle. They used Canjar triggers.
Click to expand...

Got some pics?
 
Ok, here are pictures. The rifle is the second one I had made. The first one worked so well I did not want to practic with it, for fear of wearing it out before the big competition in Bisley - so I had another one made. It used a Spotco barrel instead of the Shultz Larsen barrel in the first one. When it came time to go to Bisley, I took the "practice' rifle because it worked well and I was most familiar with it.

The blue paint on action, bolt and sight is to thwart "mix & match" of parts on the cleaning bench.

Note that the bottom of the action has been machine flat, to make for a better bedding surface.

These rifles were built for long range performance. Not for looks...

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For sentimental reasons, I have kept it. The other got canabalized for the stock, sights and barrel. All that is left is the action.

Note that the rifle is cocked. The firing pin fall has been shortened to reduce lock time. Spring is much heavier - probably a 32 pound Wolfe.

Since they are target rifles, they are single shot. A piece of pop can has been glued into the magazine well to aid feeding.

The stocks used were the original fibregalss stock made by Ian Roberstson. Since we shoot in the rain, these stocks tended to be more consistent.

I became a believer in the #4 as a long range rifle after I tested a conventional rifle (a Musgrave) and a #4 (one of these) with three lots of ammo, loaded with powder variations of .7 grains of 4895, like 44.0, 44.7 & 45.4 The #4 at 1000 yards put all 3 lots into the bull. The Musgrave shot bulls, high inners and misses.
 
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