EAL factory custom

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1bigrn

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I jsut got a EAL rifle from a relative. It has been in the family since 1958 (give or take a year) and as far as I know it came from the factory as it is. My 65-year old father remember my grandfather shooting it back on te farm. When I told my father about it he immediately refered to it as a custom.
As far as I understandit came from the factory like this.
It has a lyman dovetail rear sight, front sight appears to be gold plated. It is in pristine shape and the only I added was the leather sling. The decelerator pad is original. It come with a 5 round magazine, the receiver says 303 cal. EAL 6497.I will post the pics the pics tell the story.

I want to post pics but i have no idea how to do that. eamil me at:
tickle_yourfancy@hotmail.com
I will send you pics. HOPE YOU CAN POST THEM.
 
photos! of EAL custom

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1bigrn said:
I jsut got a EAL rifle from a relative. It has been in the family since 1958 (give or take a year) and as far as I know it came from the factory as it is. My 65-year old father remember my grandfather shooting it back on te farm. When I told my father about it he immediately refered to it as a custom.
As far as I understandit came from the factory like this.
It has a lyman dovetail rear sight, front sight appears to be gold plated. It is in pristine shape and the only I added was the leather sling. The decelerator pad is original. It come with a 5 round magazine, the receiver says 303 cal. EAL 6497.I will post the pics the pics tell the story.

I want to post pics but i have no idea how to do that. eamil me at:
tickle_yourfancy@hotmail.com
I will send you pics. HOPE YOU CAN POST THEM.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for posting this story and the pics!
 
1bigrn said:
Does anyone know anything about this model or anything about EAL rifles.
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Yes, we've learnt a lot about them in the last year.
Your rifle has the hallmarks(and serial number) of the military range of EAL's as far as is known. I sent a link to this thread to Warren, who wrote a treatise about EAL's (Woodchopper has a writeup on them too). It'll be interesting to see what he says about it.

http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ri14.htm

It seems to be outside what would be expected based on past experience. Personally I'm very glad you put the pics of it up!
 
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hmmmm..

nice job on the checkering, and it looks like it's been polished and blued, and a different sight bead added.

someone did a lot of work there.

without actually handling the rifle I don't have anyting to add.
 
EAL Sported rifle too bad actally

This rifle has been through someone's shop-too bad.

The rifle has had the stock and foreend checkered.
The front sight bead has been exchanged from the factory original--these brass beaded sights were popular in the fifties and sixties.

The rear sight seems a bit different from the original military rear sights they had a two position flip sight.

The stock looks like it has been varnished to reduce moisture absorption in the woods hunting in bad weather a good thing for you now to restore it a bit.

I would strip the receiver off the wood.
Remove the Jostram recoil pad.
Take some paint remover apply and remove the varnish reapply a second coat if some varnish remains.

As to the checkering, with paint remover use a stiff toothbrush. This will last all of one application (rifle stock) now with paint remover on the checkering lightly stroke along the checkering with the bristles make sure they reach the bottom of the checkering.

Also you can run in light circles all over the checkering.
This will remove hand oils from over the decades, dusts, and junk along with all varnish.

Now take a maroon (medium) scotchbrite and put some dishsoap on the pad then wet the pad with warm water and very lightly go over the wood keeping away from the checkering. Rinse off all varnish remover outside with a gargen hose nozzle and rinse then dry with warm water in a sink now with a towel.immediately hand dry with an old towel this reduces water absorption into the wood.

Hang to dry , do not fast dry with blown air or directly over a heater, near but not hot.

A day later you are ready to start. Take Boiled Linseed oil and get some turpentine, mix 50-50 and with a rag wet the wood all over. Allow to sit 20 -30 minutes and now with a clean terrytowel rag wipe off by wiping fast and hard with pressure.

Allow the stock pieces to dry a day near heat.

Repeat for a week.
Never allow wet linseed to dry on the stock always make sure you hand rub that linseed off the stock while still a liquid, of course it may have soaked into the stock it is important that you still vigorously rub off the surface for each and every application.

a) once a day for a week
b) once a week for a month
c) once a month for a year.

Reassemble the rifle after a week xof application.
You can do the rest of the coats with the stock on the rifle.

You will love that original look to the wood. and the rifle will have that original beautiful oil rubbed finish.

As to the family having it since 1958 I am not sure that the Canadian Government had released these for sale to the public? I thought that was a few years later in the 1960's.

Anyone know the date that military EALs were released for sale.

Regards
Terry in Victoria
 
Eal

Nice family heirloom. I'd suggest leaving "as-is", or as Terry advised, removed varnish and oil finish. Obviously someone had a lot of work done on this rifle. Remember these EAL's were very economic,basic rifles, just one grade above a cutdown military No.4. Many have been altered or used hard over the years and thats what they were meant for. I've picked up a few over the years, always in the "cutdown Enfield" rack at shows or gunshops, but someone always seemed to want it more. They are interesting pieces of Canadian military/hunting history and yours looks like a fine example.
Cheers
Geoff
 
Not sure they ever released any of them. They've had this cut them up rule for a long time. Dammit.:mad:

Btw, no necessity to do that stripping job, as the rifle will never be original anyway, assuming it was once a standard model (high likelihood). However, that is an excellent program Terry, I'll be saving that! Thanks! Anyone who's seen pics of Terry's rifles will know that he does know his stuff.

The only question is, did EAL ever sell fancy grade rifles like this? Warren doesn't think so. Anyone know? Why would they not have had that as an option if they were selling rifles to civilians? Every gun company offers a range of grades...

I'd sure like to see an old catalogue from the late fifties with EAL's for sale in it...otherwise we're spinning our wheels.

Anyone know the date that military EALs were released for sale?

Regards
Terry in Victoria
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My $.02 worth... I think the "custom" part of the family story came from a basic EAL being "customized" by a decent gunsmith when it was first purchased - I don't think EAL did the work.
 
Only thing I cant figure is why?

I cant figure why my relative would put out so much money on customizing such an average rifle. Espeially since he was poor.
I would assume even back then this type of work would cost good money and I know he didnt havbe it.

But I will be taking of the front stock to get some pics of whats under it.
Thanks
 
That is a great looking rifle. Proof that not everything that has been modded has been bubbad. I don't think it is to bad that it has been customized. As long as it is well done and not a rare and important milsurp there is nothing wrong with a well done custom rifle. When this work was done no one could have imagined that people would collect EAL rifles. I have a top of the line Parker Hale Custom no 4 that is as nice a rifle as any Weatherby and it is a .303.
 
more pics as requested.

Some members have asked for more pics and have asked to to take off the front stock and take some photos. As you can see the colocur of the grain is consisten on both sides.The dark points are where the barrell touch the stock. it appears to be oil staianing fron heavy gunoil.
Intersting is the magazine is quite polished. It appears silver in the pics but is closer to a gun-metal grey (almost looks anodized).
I cant find any stamping or marking on the stock.
So here are the pics.
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Good pics, thanks much!
Very interesting that the normal EAL front sling swivel is present, installed in the normal spot, and the Jostam buttpad. You wouldn't think a gunsmith sporterizing it would have bothered to install those would you?

Usually those sporters use the little round ball type sling swivels, I've rarely seen anyone sporterize a rifle using the sheet metal type late No 4 swivels, particularly on the forend. I've only ever seen that forend swivel on EAL's...

Does anyone think this was done by EAL? I have to wonder.
 
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Back in the fifties and sixties and even now, there were a lot of fellows doing their own checkering.

The checkering job may have been done by a friend, doing a favor or just for the practice.

In the fifties and sixties it wasn't uncommon to find milsurps for sale, cheap, in all conditions from new in wrap to totally worn out, to sportered, either tastefully or bubba.

Sporteriseing actually increased their value, unlike now.

That's the reason so many of them show up "cheap" from time to time, The guys that sell them, haven't kept their hand in the sport and the old as new fixer upper project was perpetually put on the back burner for more important projects, like shoes for junior or rent, or saveing for a rainy day, you name it.

Now, with all of the above conjecture, were the military models ever offered to civilians as surplus? I've heard "NO", but many were liberated one way or another from government abuse.

bearhunter
 
I looked at that pic of the front swivel/checkering

I have to think this rifle is a factory custom for a few reasons. First the original but pad and swivel.

Second, I understand that checkering if done at the factory, is done before they add any hardware. The checkering is clearly done well, but if you look closely at the picture the checkering is slightly off centre, what would suggest to me that the checkering was done before the swivels were added.
If the checkering was done after the swivels were put on (hence post factory) Surely any amateur would make sure centre line was lined up with the checkering.
Therefor I think this maybe the only factory custom, or the only one I know.

Maybe your grandfather was an EAL Industrial spy!, Probably a communist!!
 
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