Lee Enfield .22 target, No. 8 Mk I

Grouse Man

Grouse Man

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What can you tell me about this rifle. It's a .22 target rifle, converted from a .303 Enfield. ".22 No.8 MkI", stamped on the left receiver, and N (up arrow) Z stamped on the left side of the write ban (whatever you call that). It also has a PH5C sight, and a corresponding front sight. The stock has a 1951 stamp behind the trigger guard, and a 1952 stamp on the front band. Barrel is 59cm long, and it has 3 sling swivels on it.

Any body got any info on what this is?
 
No.8 target rifle

The rifle is not a conversion, but a proper trainer. It was new built as a .22. The foreend should be short and resemble the L42 sniper rifle. The bolt, magazine and sights to name a few parts were specific to the No.8. The marking is the New Zealand proofmark. I'd call it 'N broad arrow Zed'.

The CNo.7 .22 is the equivalent made by Long Branch and one place in UK. There are relatively few No.8s in circulation, so it is a seller's market. I'd go as far as $800, and pry to make sure you get every accessory he had.
 
Are you sure that it is a PH5C? I think tat the PH sight for a No.8 is a 5D. Slightly different attachment points. Last one of these I saw for sale was $375. Laddie had run a .22 Magnum reamer into it, thereby cutting the value at least 50%.
 
I stand to be corrected, but the ".22 No.8 Mk1" training rifle was not delivered with a PH5C sight, however, it was built with a heavy barrel that was 2" shorter than the .303 No.4 barrel, with a special foresight block and protector, which allows interchange of match and service type foresights.

According to Skennerton, there was a special batch of N0.8's produced at BSA Shirley in the early 1950's for New Zealand which have the serial number prefix "DA".

Regards,
Badger
 
No. 8's are not conversions, they were made that way (although the receiver may be converted).
They were intended to be competative target rifles with fully adjustable triggers, convertable from double stage to single stage.
They were equipped with sights similar to the #4 but were designed to easily mount target peeps and globe front sights as well.
My literature does not say which receiver sight fits.
 
Serial number indeed begins with DA, and that matches the stock date stamps. I can't debate the sight issue at all, all I know is that's what is on it currently. That is an awesome sight, by the way, isn't it? I figured out that little wheel that changes the apeture diam., and the button that releases the main sight body. Cool. Presently it's a loooooong travel on the trigger until take-up, and then it releases at about 56 to 60 oz.

I can't wait to try this thing out.
 
Thanks for all the info, guys, it's been very enlightening. I've found on another site that there were 20,000 of these style rifles made, and 1,500 to 2,000 of those were these New Zealand rifles.

One of these days I'll get set up on photobucket, and get some pics up.
 
Finally figured out how to do pictures.

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The hole on the left side of the receiver, above the "Mk.1" is the second fixing hole for the PH5D sight. I do not know if the No.8 rifle originally had a tapped ejector screw hole where the front of the PH5C sight is affixed.
 
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