Help required from down south....

T

tacfoley

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A good and dear friend of mine in OR sent me this plea this morning, and I admit that what I know about the Lee-Enfield series could be writ large on the period at the end of this sentence. I'd really appreciate some help from you far more knowlegeable Gentlemen here -

Yo Tac,

My new shooting club holds a military surplus bolt rifle steel match out to 600-800 yards. I am thinking of campaigning an Enfield, as I have had some some pretty fine accuracy in the past from the No. 4 Mk. II (I think) platform, when fitted with that lovely adjustable aperture rear sight (Mk.III?).

Just for fun, I am thinking of making this a rescue operation, hoping to find a neglected, kitchen-table sportered Enfield and restoring it to battle configuration.

Besides the obvious bore condition, what would you look for in an Enfield chassis? Any particular barrel groove configuration? Arsenal (e.g. Long Branch, Savage, Maltby, Fazakerly et al)?

Any other thorts, or am I outta my nut?
TIA

tac
 
I would think a rifle with a good bore and throat. that has not been shortened as most sport rifles are. then it would be wood in as close to original as possible.with as many original parts as possible . now I'm thinking buy a surplus rifle as the price will be the same in the long run.
 
Looks ain't everything. If you are going with iron sights at 600 to 800 yards, you need a proven rifle. A good looking bore regardless of number of grooves is just the start. even the best looking bore doesn't always shoot perfectly. Then there is the bedding of the stock. At 200 yards not a big deal. At 800? good luck. I am addicted to rebuilding Enfields but there is very little economy in that.
I would suggest shopping for a proven rifle. Not as much fun as rebuilding but may serve you better.
Long Branch would be my best guess for the shoot.
 
Maybe Gaff, but if this will be his first LE, I'd recommend doing a restoration. The amount he will learn through getting the bedding etc right will help a huge amount if he plans on using it in competition. I'm really glad I've done a few now as every one seems to get better and better on the range.
 
I may be off base, but I seem to recall reading that at distances beyond 400 yards or so the No 1 Mk III rifles tended to be more accurate. A nice No 1 with PH or AGP sight might be the better way to go, but it may also be harder to find with a really good barrel. That being said, unless the guy pulling the trigger can do the job the rifle might not matter.
 
flying pig said:
Maybe Gaff, but if this will be his first LE, I'd recommend doing a restoration. The amount he will learn through getting the bedding etc right will help a huge amount if he plans on using it in competition. I'm really glad I've done a few now as every one seems to get better and better on the range.
Click to expand...
bedding and accurizing a complete rife is a lot different than starting with a sport rifle that you have to track down parts for and hope its all going to fit together .then there is the cost . is all I am saying.
 
I read his question as to what to look for, or look out for when finding a donor rifle for restoration, not what to do/steps to take during restoration.

I'm no expert, but I learned pretty quick to either get proof of headspace, or check it yourself before you buy. The 2nd #4 I bought blinded me with her amazing stock, but she's got awful, unshootable headspace. Like many women I know...

That time, this fool and his money were soon parted. Looks great on the wall in my garage though.
 
TargetAcquired said:
I read his question as to what to look for, or look out for when finding a donor rifle for restoration, not what to do/steps to take during restoration.

I'm no expert, but I learned pretty quick to either get proof of headspace, or check it yourself before you buy. The 2nd #4 I bought blinded me with her amazing stock, but she's got awful, unshootable headspace. Like many women I know...

That time, this fool and his money were soon parted. Looks great on the wall in my garage though.
Click to expand...
what number is on the bolt head?maybe it can be replaced with a larger one.
 
As far as what to look for in a restoration rifle, a No4 wins on availability of parts and quality of factory sights. For mechanical condition obviously it needs to have a barrel and receiver that haven't been modified, drilled, charger bridge milled off etc. Full length barrel with good rifling. Headspace. Shoot it in sporter form before starting a restoration to be sure it will shoot well to start, if it does it will likely shoot even better once restored.
 
gaff said:
bedding and accurizing a complete rife is a lot different than starting with a sport rifle that you have to track down parts for and hope its all going to fit together .then there is the cost . is all I am saying.
Click to expand...

I agree. If you can bed a non original wood set and make it work properly and shoot well you won't have trouble fixing a problem in bedding etc on a rifle that does have its original wood though is my point. After doing a few complete fittings during restorations you start to learn what does what and how to fix little issues that will come up.
 
My pal Bill is not a shooting noob, as he has a very impressive selection of BPCR-type stuff as well as more modern firearms. He just has a yen for a Lee-Enfield, is all. He is an accomplished wood-worker, too, and has no problems whittling things he wants from the roots up - he made mrs tac a very fine kitchen spoon a while back!

Just needs pointing in the right direction.

Thanks for all the advice so far, Gentlemen, I'm sure when he looks in he'll readily appreciate the value of your comments.

Best

tac
 
Tac, you should tell your friend to go to the milsurpknowledge.com and sign up. It's free and will give him all of the information he needs to put a Lee Enfield rifle restoration into proper perspective.

Lee Enfields can be extremely tricky to rebuild. It mainly depends on knowledge at hand and the condition of the parts you have on hand to rebuild them.

The fore end for instance has to have proper spacing between the butt socket and the wood. The "ways" need to be tight to hold the rifle in its bed without movement. The fore end has to have around 5 pounds of upward pressure against the barrel. The "King Screw" needs to have a proper spacer to stop the wood from getting crushed and ruining the bedding, when the trigger guard/mag holder is attached.

This is just the beginning of restoring a rifle with new or used parts.

If he has the skills necessary, the right tools, parts availability, and a rifle with an excellent bore to start with, he has a very good chance of putting a rifle together that will shoot well enough for the matches he wants to use it for.
 
For cost in vs. single/annual match out? Find something that needs no resto. My limited experience in part chasing, and time to actually give a project attention means I won't be able to shoot it for a while... Limited time is a huge factor, but budget is too.

If the focus is on the "project" end of the scale, then time is on his side. Shop around for bits n' pieces before the project even starts. Find a donor/sporter, and know what you'll need to do before you spend a dime. I'm guessing the OR scene isn't the same for Enfields as it is here.

Your friend may not make the next match...When he does get there, I hope he gives 'em hell.

I hate to admit it, but my best searches for parts come up south of the border. He may have an easier time finding/affording parts than we would on an Enfield.
 
[
I hate to admit it, but my best searches for parts come up south of the border. He may have an easier time finding/affording parts than we would on an Enfield.[/QUOTE]

Most of my parts come from south of the border. I get some really nice LB furniture from a fellow in Nevada. Very few places will ship to Canada but even so, ther is a lot of stuff available.
 
myenfield said:
I may be off base, but I seem to recall reading that at distances beyond 400 yards or so the No 1 Mk III rifles tended to be more accurate. A nice No 1 with PH or AGP sight might be the better way to go, but it may also be harder to find with a really good barrel. That being said, unless the guy pulling the trigger can do the job the rifle might not matter.
Click to expand...

Up to 600 yards, it is a bit of a "toss up." The Number 4 rifle with the heavier barrel and aperture sights is usually a bit more accurate. At 800 yards, the Number 1 rifles come out of their cases and a 1000 yards, you might think the Number 4 rifles are extinct.
 
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