Lee Enfield sporters....which to choose??

saskgunowner101

saskgunowner101

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So I'm thinking of getting an Enfield rifle, you know, the typical bubba'd/sporter type just to have a beater kind of rifle. Are there more desireable versions?? I don't know a Mark 1 from a Mark 4 etc. Which are the ones with the bolt head that you can swap to fix headspace problems? What would be my first choice?? This will probably never do any hunting, just a cast boolit plinker. Thanks in advance.
 
I have a No1 Mk3 and it shoots good,

You can't really go wrong with either if they are in good condition. Both have removable bolt heads. My family has 4-5 enfields and none of them have had head space problems.
 
Personally I like the higher grade English sporters the best, usually new barrels and stocks on them. Look for Parker- Hale, Churchill, Whitworth brands in particular. You can get a real nice one on the EE for around $350 and that's a lot of quality for the money.
 
My first choice would be a No. 4 Mk 2, followed by a No. 4 Mk1, then No. 4 MkI* and finally a SMLE MkIII or MkIII*.

The No. 4 comes with better sights than the MkIII, and on the No. 4, the "*" mod includes a damage prone bolt release catch.
 
"...with the bolt head that you can..." All of 'em. It's less expensive and usually easier to find bolt heads for a No. 4 though.
"...don't know a Mark 1 from a..." No. 4's rear sight is on the receiver. No. 1's is on the barrel. Mags are not interchangeable either. A No. 4 mag has one locking lug on the back. Two on a No. 1.
Go here. http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/main.htm
Like bryan.14 says, not all of 'em will have headspace issues. Depends on who bubba'd it. Century, for example, is notorious for assembling both models out of parts bins with zero QC. Some of the rifles assembled are stamped with their name. Some are not.
The rifles built by the companies Mike Webb mentions rarely have any issues. They weren't assemble by dyslectic monkies.
 
I've only owned a no.4 mk1, made in the UK in 1944, it's a great rifle, shoots straight, mine had a worn out extractor spring, but you can buy almost any part for these things.
Mine was bubba'd, I wanted it in full wood for hunting, so I restored it, best I could.
 
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