From what I have been able to gather-PARKER HALE made several versions of the 303-at least one of which was a ''sporterized'' military stock,the others were new stocks.I have a nice #3 with the monte carlo stock that was popular at the time,but whether they made a straight combed stock,I don't know.
Parker Hale 303
- Thread starter ratherbefishin
- Start date
I'm not sure what your point is with this thread, are you asking or telling?
Whichever, your content is correct so far. Some they just cleaned up and cut back some of the wood, some they shortened barrels, some got replacement barrels, some they changed sights, some got all new wood. They did it with No1. Mk3s and No.4s and I'm not sure but maybe No.5s, too.
Whichever, your content is correct so far. Some they just cleaned up and cut back some of the wood, some they shortened barrels, some got replacement barrels, some they changed sights, some got all new wood. They did it with No1. Mk3s and No.4s and I'm not sure but maybe No.5s, too.
Re: Parker-Hale .303's
Hi,
I just purchased a complete British Walnut No.4Mk1 Stock Parts Restoration Kit off ebay not to long ago. In this kit the Butt Stock, size L, is made from Parker-Hale, so I have been told.
The Proof Mark for this Butt Stock is located on the bottom face at the wrist; and consists of a capital "P" surrounded by a square, similar to a Savage-Stevens "Boxed Square S".
Do you have this type of Proof Mark on any of your .303's? Have you ever seen this Proof Mark before; and does it indicate Parker-Hale as a manufacturer? In what reference book can I find this Proof Mark for confirmation?
Rgs...kajn65
Hi,
I just purchased a complete British Walnut No.4Mk1 Stock Parts Restoration Kit off ebay not to long ago. In this kit the Butt Stock, size L, is made from Parker-Hale, so I have been told.
The Proof Mark for this Butt Stock is located on the bottom face at the wrist; and consists of a capital "P" surrounded by a square, similar to a Savage-Stevens "Boxed Square S".
Do you have this type of Proof Mark on any of your .303's? Have you ever seen this Proof Mark before; and does it indicate Parker-Hale as a manufacturer? In what reference book can I find this Proof Mark for confirmation?
Rgs...kajn65
Parker hale did not manufacture Lee Enfields. Tey would purchase surplus rifles, and modify them for sporting use.
I have a Parker Hale No.1 Mk3 originally made by Lithgow. From what I gather, its the "deluxe" model featuring a replacement front, ramp sight, and modified Military wood. it was my first rifle and I got it for $1 from my dad's friend.
The "custom" models featured a Italian made Monte-carlo stock, and I am pretty sure they retained their original barrels as the whole point was to make affordable hunting rifles, and replacing the barrel would be pretty costly, but don't quote me on that.
I have a Parker Hale No.1 Mk3 originally made by Lithgow. From what I gather, its the "deluxe" model featuring a replacement front, ramp sight, and modified Military wood. it was my first rifle and I got it for $1 from my dad's friend.
The "custom" models featured a Italian made Monte-carlo stock, and I am pretty sure they retained their original barrels as the whole point was to make affordable hunting rifles, and replacing the barrel would be pretty costly, but don't quote me on that.
Parker Hale did about the best sporterizing of Lee Enfields. New, deluxe and checkered wood, real nice commercial bluing, modern sights. They were nice looking sporters. However, I think they all had butt stocks with high combs? I don't recall seeing one without.
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Parker Hale Sporters were introduced as hunting rifles just after WW11 to use up the surplus rifles and components. The base model, whether a No1 or No4, was a military issue with cut down wood....sold for less than $20.00 when a Winchester 94 was going for $100.00. Parker Hale then offered a series of upgrades that saw the base model with a 22" barrel and ramp front sight; then same only with a deep luster blue; then aforementioned with checkered walnut monte carlo stock by "Sile" from Italy and an array of modifications well up into the '70's. Parker Hale sold scope mounts and aperature sights for all these models. These are now becoming quite collectable. A very good condition "Supreme"; "Custom No4" or "Custom No1" is difficult to find these days.
Sure somebody will be along to post a picture or two of these models.
Hope this helps,
Ron
Sure somebody will be along to post a picture or two of these models.
Hope this helps,
Ron
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Beautiful example Easy-I've only seen one Parker Hale built on a sportized miltary stock here on EE,the rest are new stocks.Most of the 303's seem to be built on #3's .[mine is a Lithgow]My understanding is all the rest of the PH 's were built on Mauser 98's.The 303 PH's seem to go for less than the other calibers-and are excellent value
Several years ago I was at a gun show with a friend. As usual during that period, I was broke. Saw a whole table covered with grimy old sportered LEs... and there were 2 on the table which COULD be old enough to be Sparkbrooks, so I looked carefully, flipping bolt-handles up, peeking and flipping bolt-handles down.
Found one rifle a lot odder than the others, put it back and walked away, shaking my head.
My friend said to mne, "Something good?"
"Something REAL good," I answered.
"BUY IT," he hissed at me.
"I'm broke."
He shoved three hundred bucks into my pocket and said, "Buy it!"
So I went back to the table, talked the guy down from 50 to 40 bucks, showed him my permit, he made out a receipt in duplicate, gave me both copies and I towed this relic away from his table by the muzzle, dragging it like a dead rat, down to where my friend waited at the end of the aisle.
"Well, what is it," he asked.
"Nothing much," I said back, "A.G. Parker, Birmingham, custom sporter on a Mark II Lee-Metford action, gold front sight, Parker barrel. No magazine. Oh, serial number 19."
I handed him back 260 of his dollars and we both grinned like thieves, all the way to the parking-lot.
I have a letter from Parker-Hale that they did this one back about 1920, 23-inch barrel, gold front sight and all. Closer than that they can't date, having been bombed during the Second European Unpleasantness of 1939-45.
Right now, it is in pieces, undergoing a complete.... and very careful.... restoration to "used rifle" status, which will be a considerable upgrade from "absolute junk".
It will be at my estate sale.... but no sooner.
And I'm hoping to delay that one by a fair bit.
Found one rifle a lot odder than the others, put it back and walked away, shaking my head.
My friend said to mne, "Something good?"
"Something REAL good," I answered.
"BUY IT," he hissed at me.
"I'm broke."
He shoved three hundred bucks into my pocket and said, "Buy it!"
So I went back to the table, talked the guy down from 50 to 40 bucks, showed him my permit, he made out a receipt in duplicate, gave me both copies and I towed this relic away from his table by the muzzle, dragging it like a dead rat, down to where my friend waited at the end of the aisle.
"Well, what is it," he asked.
"Nothing much," I said back, "A.G. Parker, Birmingham, custom sporter on a Mark II Lee-Metford action, gold front sight, Parker barrel. No magazine. Oh, serial number 19."
I handed him back 260 of his dollars and we both grinned like thieves, all the way to the parking-lot.
I have a letter from Parker-Hale that they did this one back about 1920, 23-inch barrel, gold front sight and all. Closer than that they can't date, having been bombed during the Second European Unpleasantness of 1939-45.
Right now, it is in pieces, undergoing a complete.... and very careful.... restoration to "used rifle" status, which will be a considerable upgrade from "absolute junk".
It will be at my estate sale.... but no sooner.
And I'm hoping to delay that one by a fair bit.
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
+1
after i bought mine a few years ago , i began noticing all the parkerhale 303's out there , and i don't recall seeing any wthout a high comb stock either , unless it was a refinished military stock added after the parkerhale conversion .
I hope they are decent shooters as I'm doing the stock on a PH Supreme on a #4 MKI action, not drilled or tapped so I am going with a S+K mt.It has a military barrel [flat top breach] and a #0 bolthead..........nice bore as well...........Harold
Well - To answer one of the posts - PH did make a sporter using a cut down wood stock - I have one. (It does have a PH front ramp site and a shortened barrel.) Someone posted a catalogue a while back showing all the models.
FWIW - I also have a commercial sporter that has a commercial chamber and the flat on the barrel.
FWIW - I also have a commercial sporter that has a commercial chamber and the flat on the barrel.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Have a No1mk3 sporter in .22 hornet made by Lithgow Arsenal for Slazengers sporting goods.
Here is a shot of mine, again with the new PH barrel, and Monte Carlo stock, not a military mod. On the table is the original weaver K4 it came with, but it is currently mounted with a classic weaver V2.5-7. These particular conversions are true pieces of history too, complete with all the unique parts, and should not be returned to milsurp spec. They are getting very rare to find in this kind of shape.
Awww, guys!
Those things are just plain PRETTY! MUCH too nice to go bashing about in the woods with.
Parker-Hale did a beautiful job on a lot of rifles but they are 'just .303s' and so don't get a lot of respect.
Connection between PH and Churchill is exactly as queried: they both worked on LEs and P-14/17s and that's the only connection.
My old shooting coach, "Bisley Bill" Brown, had a LE aperture sight that was made by A.G. Parker himself just shortly before he passed away. I have no idea where it might be now; went at Bill's estate sale, many years later and many years ago....
Tempus fugit...
Those things are just plain PRETTY! MUCH too nice to go bashing about in the woods with.
Parker-Hale did a beautiful job on a lot of rifles but they are 'just .303s' and so don't get a lot of respect.
Connection between PH and Churchill is exactly as queried: they both worked on LEs and P-14/17s and that's the only connection.
My old shooting coach, "Bisley Bill" Brown, had a LE aperture sight that was made by A.G. Parker himself just shortly before he passed away. I have no idea where it might be now; went at Bill's estate sale, many years later and many years ago....
Tempus fugit...
