Enfield metal finish ideas
- Thread starter Tinmasher
- Start date
The standard coating from mid WW2 to the mid 90s was suncorite it's a nasty black paint that was not the best for your health or the environment and terrible to work with. So getting it is next to impossible as it does have a rather low shelf life when opened and settles into globs of paint making it even worse to work with.
The only thing you could try is a semi gloss black charcoal cerakote finish then buff up a slight shine on the bare metal edges.
Before that it was just blued.
The only thing you could try is a semi gloss black charcoal cerakote finish then buff up a slight shine on the bare metal edges.
Before that it was just blued.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Words are important!! An "Enfield" is commonly taken to refer to the P14 (Pattern 1914) and the Model of 1917 made by Winchester, Remington and Eddystone during World War I. Most all started as blued, some changed to parkerized - Winchester always nicely polished - Remington and Eddystone tended to be less polished, but not bead blasted. USA did major overhaul program in WWII where metal often re-finished into a form of parkerizing, after blasting the metal.
If you are referring to a "Lee Enfield", totally different rifles. There is a No. 1, a No.4 and a No. 5 most commonly still being used / bought / sold. As above, generally, black Suncorite was correct for WWII and later production and re-furbs. Earlier WWI typically built with blued parts.
So need to correctly identify which rifle you are asking about, and which era that you are trying to reproduce. Depending on time, can be perfectly correct to have a blued No. 4, with appropriate dates, or it could be coated in Suncorite, again with those appropriate date.
I would agree with above that a "flat black" coating probably "most generally correct" - these were military arms - not meant to be sparkly and shiny.
If you are referring to a "Lee Enfield", totally different rifles. There is a No. 1, a No.4 and a No. 5 most commonly still being used / bought / sold. As above, generally, black Suncorite was correct for WWII and later production and re-furbs. Earlier WWI typically built with blued parts.
So need to correctly identify which rifle you are asking about, and which era that you are trying to reproduce. Depending on time, can be perfectly correct to have a blued No. 4, with appropriate dates, or it could be coated in Suncorite, again with those appropriate date.
I would agree with above that a "flat black" coating probably "most generally correct" - these were military arms - not meant to be sparkly and shiny.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
So, quick look on Internet suggests blued, parkerized or suncorite (also mention of "oil blackening - for some parts), depending if No.1 MkIII made in England, India (Ishapore) or Australia (Lithgow), and built or overhauled in which year.
Frankly, while it's completely incorrect, I've always thought Cerakote would be a great finish for a Lee-Enfield. There are 2 potential colours, midnight blue and black. In order to get it to have a low/medium lustre the applicator will have to add extra hardener.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I generally like LE’s with a blued finish, my buddy sent me this pic and for a sporter I like it. He pulled it off a Facebook group, so I have no info on it.
