Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 for $150. Should I buy it?
- Thread starter jonyork
- Start date
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Looks like a go for $150 for me. Barrel appears untouched and FTR'd to a 1/3 at Faz, probably a good condition shooter that would be a nice project to return to full wood. Others more experienced will add I'm sure to your query, there is alot of experience on these forums desporterizing LE's, but it looks like what I would buy in a "sporterized" rifle.
Yes, but not beyond restoration from what the picture shows, i.e., the barrel doesn't look to have been shortened. Assuming no major faults with it, $150 seems like a reasonable price. Especially if the bolt number matches the receiver number.
definitely a sporter, not really worth restoring because its already been FTR'd therefore the collector value is zero on it + it will cost you around $200 just to find the wood and bands you need to restore it.
Ive seen long branch sporters that are not FTR'd go for $150 at my local gun shop, but either way its up to you,
it would definitely make a good project and it would probably be a good shooter if the bolt matches and the headspace and bore are good on it.
put it this way if the mag is a long branch on it, there's $50-60 right there!
Ive seen long branch sporters that are not FTR'd go for $150 at my local gun shop, but either way its up to you,
it would definitely make a good project and it would probably be a good shooter if the bolt matches and the headspace and bore are good on it.
put it this way if the mag is a long branch on it, there's $50-60 right there!
Being FTR'd doesn't kill the collector value. This rifle was FTR'd when it unde rwent the changeover to the No4 MK2 (No4MK1/3) specs. This included hanging the trigger on the reciever, rather than the trigger guard, possibly changing the rear sight from one of the other styles to the 'singer' style currently on it, depending on the history of the rifle, it may also have been re-barreled due to ware during either WW2 or Korea (FTR was in 53).
If you get it for $150 and the bore is good it will be good value as a hunting rifle. The barrel is all there so if it hasn't been drilled and tapped for a scope and you get replacement wood and relevant fittings for another $200 you'll be into to it for $350 and some time. The fact that it has been FTR won't stop someone from buying it for $350, but more importantly, if you could end up with a decent shooter in original service configuration for less than it would cost you to buy in that condition.
Many collectors will prefer something pristine or untouched but FTR is quite normal and correct for service rifles, it is certainly not unauthentic.
Many collectors will prefer something pristine or untouched but FTR is quite normal and correct for service rifles, it is certainly not unauthentic.
Friend, your rifle was built at Long Branch, Ontario (Toronto) during the Second World War. It was FTR'd at Fazakerley in England in 1953.
FTR is factory Thorough Repair: a complete REBUILD to whatever specifications existed at the time of the rebuild. The rifle was made NEW again and issued as such.
It then was removed from military service and sold off, likely without even having a shot fired through it. The FTR was done right after the Korean War ended, so likely your rifle served there. It would have been sold off only a few years later to make room in the arsenals for the new L1 semi-auto rifle: the FN-FAL as it started off.
During the FTR, it was upgraded from a Number 4 Mark 1* to a Number 4 Mark 1/3. The modification included welding a hanger onto the bottom of the Body (receiver or frame) of the rifle and the Trigger hung from this hanger. Once this modification was done, the Trigger was SET and it STAYED set. The original trigger was pinned to the Triggerguard and diffeences in how you screwed-in the Triggerguard Screw at the front could make a difference to your trigger pull. So could changes in the weather. The 1/3 (pronounced "one-three") trigger is FAR better and was pretty much the final word in the upgrading of this design...... which started in 1879!
You HAVE an excellent barreled action which has NOT been messed with and you HAVE a barrel which has not been chopped. If you want a rifle for hunting, you can scope this one with a NO-GUNSMITHING mount and still have a restorable World War Two/Korean War rifle.
To RESTORE it to its original appearance, you need complete SUIT of wood:Butt, Forestock, Rear Handguard and Front Handguard, a Band with Sling Swiel and Screw and a Front Band with Screw. These parts are, for the most part, available through Trade-Ex (gray link at 10 o'clock from the world-famous CGN Beaver at the top of this page) at relatively reasonable prices. Alternately, there are several Members on here who might have the part you require. Trade-Ex wants $6.75 each for the Handguards, Butts generally go for about $25; the Forestock is the scarce one and the expensive one.
But what is essentially a NEW rifle for $150.
It it popped up in MY backyard, it wouldn't have a chance to escape!
BTW, zip up to the Military Knowledge Library in the Stickies at the Index to this forum, take the link and download yourself a copy of SHOOT TO LIVE! It i the Canadian marksmanship course from WW2 and it is the best single book ever done on learning to shoot an iron-sighted military rifle. And, best of all, it is written roun YOUR exact rifle! For geeral maintenance instructions and section views, download a copy of "Rifle - 1942" which has it all.
Good luck..... and have fun.
Hope this helps.
FTR is factory Thorough Repair: a complete REBUILD to whatever specifications existed at the time of the rebuild. The rifle was made NEW again and issued as such.
It then was removed from military service and sold off, likely without even having a shot fired through it. The FTR was done right after the Korean War ended, so likely your rifle served there. It would have been sold off only a few years later to make room in the arsenals for the new L1 semi-auto rifle: the FN-FAL as it started off.
During the FTR, it was upgraded from a Number 4 Mark 1* to a Number 4 Mark 1/3. The modification included welding a hanger onto the bottom of the Body (receiver or frame) of the rifle and the Trigger hung from this hanger. Once this modification was done, the Trigger was SET and it STAYED set. The original trigger was pinned to the Triggerguard and diffeences in how you screwed-in the Triggerguard Screw at the front could make a difference to your trigger pull. So could changes in the weather. The 1/3 (pronounced "one-three") trigger is FAR better and was pretty much the final word in the upgrading of this design...... which started in 1879!
You HAVE an excellent barreled action which has NOT been messed with and you HAVE a barrel which has not been chopped. If you want a rifle for hunting, you can scope this one with a NO-GUNSMITHING mount and still have a restorable World War Two/Korean War rifle.
To RESTORE it to its original appearance, you need complete SUIT of wood:Butt, Forestock, Rear Handguard and Front Handguard, a Band with Sling Swiel and Screw and a Front Band with Screw. These parts are, for the most part, available through Trade-Ex (gray link at 10 o'clock from the world-famous CGN Beaver at the top of this page) at relatively reasonable prices. Alternately, there are several Members on here who might have the part you require. Trade-Ex wants $6.75 each for the Handguards, Butts generally go for about $25; the Forestock is the scarce one and the expensive one.
But what is essentially a NEW rifle for $150.
It it popped up in MY backyard, it wouldn't have a chance to escape!
BTW, zip up to the Military Knowledge Library in the Stickies at the Index to this forum, take the link and download yourself a copy of SHOOT TO LIVE! It i the Canadian marksmanship course from WW2 and it is the best single book ever done on learning to shoot an iron-sighted military rifle. And, best of all, it is written roun YOUR exact rifle! For geeral maintenance instructions and section views, download a copy of "Rifle - 1942" which has it all.
Good luck..... and have fun.
Hope this helps.
Buy it and enjoy it! I just went to a gun show last weekend, if that thing was there with that price tag I would have bought it in a second! Thats a nice Sporter which is more then you can say about most of them. I bought a mint no1 mk3 a little while back that is also sportered and I've shot it every weekend since. It's accurate and a blast to shoot, and really what kind of new rifle could you buy for $150? The best part about that rifle at that price is if you really like it for another $200 you could restore it back to military specs and if you decide you don't like enfields there's at least 3 of us on this thread that would give you $150 for it!!
