Some appreciation for the spotered enfield

Alex_Zues

Alex_Zues

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Doing some quiet thinking and I thought back to my sportered Lee Enfield no1 mkIII. There are so many kicking around for great prices. It's almost like a Canadian answer to the Mosin Nagant 91/30. Cheap, plentiful, and designed to take a beating. I hear about people buying surplus rifles, then cutting them down. Why not grab a sportered enfield? Cuts out the middle work and you end up with a sportered milsurp. You can adjust the stock as you want, or just plain buy a whole new stock, mount a scope if iron sights aren't your thing, or perhaps just buy one of the many I've seen with scopes already mounted, yet still a great price. Make an an inexpensive rifle comfortable for you. Wasn't that the end goal anyways?

There so many great things about these guys. An easy to work bolt, a larger than normal capacity magazine, an easy to work safety, no guilt about further customizations, easy to find (I'm sure there's at least one on EE right now), cheap to buy, ammo's common, accuracy's fine, they're a hard hitting caliber, good for a hunt (as many a deer or moose can attest. Actually they can't), the list goes on...

Best of all, they're a part of our history (at the very least, the Commonwealth's history). They're a great brush gun. They can get dirty and they'll still work (proved time and time again, when it was needed most). Might not be fancy, but your old Lee-Enfield will do the job.

The only downside for those looking for their cheap rifle is ammo. Surplus 7.62x54R and 7.62x39 is plentiful out of the former Soviet states and China. And if your only goal is a hard hitting rifle is to target shoot, then these will suit your needs (so too will 22LR, for even cheaper). As long as you don't plan to hunt and don't mind cleaning to keep corrosion away. And don't mind cleaning cosmoline (Actually I don't). But the old 303 will hold its own for quality.

I often look at mine and wonder why I don't sell it, as I've upgraded since. But it's still got some sentimental value. So it'll stay a while longer. My first rifle was a sportered enfield, and I'm sure plenty of other Canadian shooters have also owned an enfield. There were millions made after all. Almost like an answer to so many inexpensive Mosin Nagants.

There aren't any amazing technical or historical facts here. I know people will still buy milsurps and sporterize them to suit their needs. And they're free to do so. But perhaps they just haven't considered the pre-sporterized Lee-Enfield. So I just figured I'd show my appreciation for a rifle that's inexpensive, great to shoot, under-rated, and readily available rifle.

Cheers, Al
 
I bought one a few months back, and will inherit a No1 MK3 from dad down the line.

When Canada finally figures out its "identity", we should incorporate owning a Lee Enfield of some type. Its as Canadian as hockey and beer.
 
My grandma gave me a No. 4 when I was about 14, sportered and poorly I might add.
My son has had about 3 - 4 sportered ones come his way from family members.
They are great guns but really don't hold much allure for me; probably because they are everywhere.
I personally think they are a more capable rifle than 98's or M/N's. Great peep sight on the No. 4's and J/C's. Much faster handling action IMO.
And I've got a '96, a '98 & an M-39 M/N.
Although the M-39 is definitely 2nd as far a easy of handling.
The Mauser's just don't cycle as smoothly as a LE
 
Hook said:
The P14 is better...cou:

In my humble opinion.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah ; the more accurate and stronger logic. Great if you are a designated marksman or such.
But the LE is kind of like the AK of the day, it's made to be used effectively by your average soldier. Easy to use rapidly and effectively by your everyman.
In WW1 if I was in command of a squad I'd want them fielding LE's. Audey Murphey's are pretty rare in real life, therefore main battle rifles that are effective to 800 yd's are pretty much a waste of time.
Joe; the guy who worked in the grocery store before getting drafted isn't as effective with a P-14 as with an LE.
 
Don't worry about the Draft.

Canada has only ever drafted men when there WERE no more willing volunteers.

In War Two, men were drafted for Home Defence only. THEN it became necessary to send a few overseas and we STILL haven't heard the end of the sh*t from ONE province.

Had there been enough willing volunteers, it never would have become necessary to draft anyone. The PROBLEM, as usual, was POLITICS..... with the Liberals involved right up to their smelly little armpits, lying to their own constituents and keeping the country divided against itself, then implementing the program unequally and unfairly.

Canada fielded 4 Divisions during the Great War. The plan for War Two was to send over SIX.

Idea for a Project: find out where 5th Div and 6th Div got to.

Politician: someone who can convince you that he has your best interests at heart.... while he empties your grandchildren's wallets before they are born.
.
 
tokguy said:
Oh yeah ; the more accurate and stronger logic. Great if you are a designated marksman or such.
But the LE is kind of like the AK of the day, it's made to be used effectively by your average soldier. Easy to use rapidly and effectively by your everyman.
In WW1 if I was in command of a squad I'd want them fielding LE's. Audey Murphey's are pretty rare in real life, therefore main battle rifles that are effective to 800 yd's are pretty much a waste of time.
Joe; the guy who worked in the grocery store before getting drafted isn't as effective with a P-14 as with an LE.
Click to expand...

:agree:

That is why I added in my humble opinion. I have always shot better groups with sporter P14s than sporter Lee Enfields of any kind.

However I do have a new old stock No1MkIII barrel that has never been screwed onto a receiver. Got around a dozen different bolts and milspec headspace gauges. Trying to find a gunsmith to do the work is the hardest part tho. Yes it is not a Remington 700...

I also have a ton of No.1MkIII parts, with a couple unfitted forends, as far as I know.

Any tips?
 
Sported military rifles are under-appreciated. Most sporters have all of the action and that is what counts. They are usually good solid rifles and will last a lifetime. A lack of a bit of wood does not make them any less of a rifle.
I picked up a sported #1 mk3* recently to restore. It is such a handy thing to shoot and accurate, I would have no problem leaving it as it is. The fact is, it is still a #1 mk3* regardless of the lack of a bit of wood.
 
bgcameron said:
Are you saying that proper forend bedding does not make an original any more of a rifle?
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Sigh... Really? I was talking about the action body. You know. The working bits.
A general statement. I don't know what else to say. My point was, that a Lee Enfield, now follow this, is still a Lee Enfield even if you take off all of the furniture.
 
Sorry, lol. Had to be the devil's advocate. I agree that the Lee Enfield makes a great sporter, given it is done the right way. You can't get a better hunting rifle for the price.
 
I cut down a No4 Mk1* Savage 2 groove to 19 inch's when I was 18 for a truck gun.Wiped it down with gasoline a couple time's then spray painted it with Tremclad.
It's still my go-to working rifle, and I turned 46 a couple month's ago.
 
bgcameron said:
Sorry, lol. Had to be the devil's advocate. I agree that the Lee Enfield makes a great sporter, given it is done the right way. You can't get a better hunting rifle for the price.
Click to expand...

We agree. I have several Enfields. One of them is a #4 Parker Hale. I had it scoped recently and that thing will take the eye out of a fly at 200 yards.
 
In my opinion all the Parker Hale Lee Enfield sporters are very good quality. Selected from new or FTR'd rifles. Picked for accuracy. They all shoot well with Mk7 spec ammo.

I have a 2 and they shoot very well with iron sights.
 
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Shot my first deer with a un-bubba'd No.4 and I've been in love with the Lee Enfields since I was a teen. Simple, handy, super slick action, easy to maintain, eminently suited to custom mods, and I could go on. As to accuracy? My handload 150 gr. will put 5 shots into a quarter at 100 yds. My brother has a tweaked target model No.4 and he shoots 1" groups at 100 yds with open sights. Target sights mind you, but open sights nonetheless. BTW, that first doe I nailed with my old No.4 was 150 yd one shot through the lungs.
 
smellie said:
Don't worry about the Draft.

Canada has only ever drafted men when there WERE no more willing volunteers.

In War Two, men were drafted for Home Defence only. THEN it became necessary to send a few overseas and we STILL haven't heard the end of the sh*t from ONE province.

Had there been enough willing volunteers, it never would have become necessary to draft anyone. The PROBLEM, as usual, was POLITICS..... with the Liberals involved right up to their smelly little armpits, lying to their own constituents and keeping the country divided against itself, then implementing the program unequally and unfairly.

Canada fielded 4 Divisions during the Great War. The plan for War Two was to send over SIX.

Idea for a Project: find out where 5th Div and 6th Div got to.

Politician: someone who can convince you that he has your best interests at heart.... while he empties your grandchildren's wallets before they are born.
.
Click to expand...

The reality on the ground in northern Europe for Canadian soldiers was a national disgrace. By late 1944 many infantry units were fighting at less than half strength. Literally thousands of draftees lolled around Canada secure in the knowledge that they wouldn't be sent in harm's way. After howling in protest for replacements for months a few did end up in action, too little to late. Politics has always been a dirty game.
 
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