DISCLAIMER: Don’t blame me for this… my Old Man bought it this way... on purpose!
After my Old Man passed away and the estate finally settled, I got to keep his favourite hunting rifle… an old sporterized .303 Lee Enfield.
I remember him telling me it was a Canadian designed and built Number 4 rifle , and that it was made at Longbranch Arsenal, just outside of Toronto. He also pointed out and explained (to this fascinated 12 year-old) that the C-broad-arrows showed it once saw service in the Canadian military.
The rifle was purchased in Ottawa the summer of 1968 at “ Byles Bicycle Shop” (if I remember correctly) somewhere out on Bank Street. The old boy paid $30 for it, a lot of money back then when you consider we saw a LOT of near mint, full-military versions for about $10 that day.
A full-military one is what I begged and pleaded for… but he wasn’t having any of that … he wanted a “sporterized” one and that milsurps were “ too heavy, too long and way too ugly” so we ended up with this one at the end of the day.
He was really impressed with the one-piece stock, noting that the gunsmith who did the job was “ a helluva good machinist” for taking the time to mill off the buttsocket area, and to then “carve out” a very pretty stock it. And yes, the wood is gorgeous for sure … but … but…Lord Jaysus.
I never knew what we had until I stumbled on a post over at Milsurpsdotcom and lo and behold there was my Old Mans .303 in full military trim, looking like a cross between a P14 and a #4 … weird… and it even had a 1-piece stock but was WAY cooler than mine and had these carved-out sides… same Hawkins recoil pad, same bolt, same almost everything except that MY Longbranch Experimental Lightweight Trials Rifle had been Bubba’d beyond all repair.
I almost puked.
About a month later, I was explaining all this to fellow board member Burnt45 and he said HE had a weird looking .303 like I was describing and he brought it over. Turns out he owns #13 ( I think) and that I had #28 of a run of, they say just 50 rifles.
We compared them side-by -heach” ( Quebecois-speak) and they are most definitely siblings.
Anyways, for you Milsurp guys who wonder whatever happened to the rest of these rare little birds…
I present ... Number 28
After my Old Man passed away and the estate finally settled, I got to keep his favourite hunting rifle… an old sporterized .303 Lee Enfield.
I remember him telling me it was a Canadian designed and built Number 4 rifle , and that it was made at Longbranch Arsenal, just outside of Toronto. He also pointed out and explained (to this fascinated 12 year-old) that the C-broad-arrows showed it once saw service in the Canadian military.
The rifle was purchased in Ottawa the summer of 1968 at “ Byles Bicycle Shop” (if I remember correctly) somewhere out on Bank Street. The old boy paid $30 for it, a lot of money back then when you consider we saw a LOT of near mint, full-military versions for about $10 that day.
A full-military one is what I begged and pleaded for… but he wasn’t having any of that … he wanted a “sporterized” one and that milsurps were “ too heavy, too long and way too ugly” so we ended up with this one at the end of the day.
He was really impressed with the one-piece stock, noting that the gunsmith who did the job was “ a helluva good machinist” for taking the time to mill off the buttsocket area, and to then “carve out” a very pretty stock it. And yes, the wood is gorgeous for sure … but … but…Lord Jaysus.
I never knew what we had until I stumbled on a post over at Milsurpsdotcom and lo and behold there was my Old Mans .303 in full military trim, looking like a cross between a P14 and a #4 … weird… and it even had a 1-piece stock but was WAY cooler than mine and had these carved-out sides… same Hawkins recoil pad, same bolt, same almost everything except that MY Longbranch Experimental Lightweight Trials Rifle had been Bubba’d beyond all repair.
I almost puked.
About a month later, I was explaining all this to fellow board member Burnt45 and he said HE had a weird looking .303 like I was describing and he brought it over. Turns out he owns #13 ( I think) and that I had #28 of a run of, they say just 50 rifles.
We compared them side-by -heach” ( Quebecois-speak) and they are most definitely siblings.
Anyways, for you Milsurp guys who wonder whatever happened to the rest of these rare little birds…
I present ... Number 28
