POF No4Mk2 The Neglected Enfield

Dave.S

Dave.S

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I picked up a 1958 POF Indian capture No4Mk2,After a thorough cleaning I have to admit Im happy.I read Fazakerly sold there machinery to Pakistan.It looks like they also bought as much surplus parts as possible.It sports a Faz 50 marked barrel and what looks like a Savage buttstock.Bore is good but it has a #2 bolthead.The mag is a Faz with a Singer platform but is numbered to the rifle.The wood looks like it was carved by a local using glass but does the job.The receiver and metal work has a nice finish,It sports the dreaded Ishapore screw indicating a capture.Interestingly the metal under the wood is painted green like the Brits did with there Jungle carbines,When I picked it up it was really grungy but no rust.For the price I dont think you will find another full wood No4Mk2.I will shoot it next week and let you know how it goes.I know Riflechair has a good writeup on the one he purchased as well.All and all a good buy and a must for the serious Enfield collector.http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac74/wanderingzero/DSCF2771.jpg http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac74/wanderingzero/DSCF2768.jpg
 
POF No.4

I had one go through my hands last year, a 1961 I recall. I was quite impressed with the quality of mine. No Ishy screw, decent furniture and a mint bore.
Geoff in Victoria
 
Pakistan made the rifle,Ishapore is in India,The fought a war in 1965 I believe.The Indians captured a lot of POF rifles and cleaned them greased them put a screw in them and stored them.Historians kick in and help with the details but thats the gist of it.Dave
 
Supposedly all of the POF No4 MkII rifles released for sale in Canada are Indian captures. This is the rumor anyway, for what it's worth. Most, not all of the rifles I've seen are sporting the reinforcing screw.

I agree though, they are mostly looked over. That's a big mistake IMHO. I really like mine.

P&S still has a few left. they also have bayonet/scabbards built by POF.
 
Dave...see you've been working on acquisitions. Nice find.

The POF's are the most unrated Enfield on the market today...very affordable and well put together. They shoot very well as attested to by a couple other guys on the form.

You've got the history down.....made in Pakistan and Indian capture. The screw is to reinforce the forend and prevent it from from splitting. Wood is "Luan" and has a walnut look however very straight grained and pron to failure.

Good shooting,

Ron
 
Damn you are really wearing out your wallet lol. Nice, I was thinking of getting one of the POF Mk2's. maybe when I get another job, damn, thats another one the "list" lol.
 
Ok, a question here. Why does everyone spit upon this "ishapore screw". Is extra wood re-enforcement not good? Heck the Russians had been putting stock bolts in thier Mosins since the early 1900's if not earlier. Was this screw useless? What drawbacks did it have? Why (if it does), does it devalue the rifle? Finally, are Ishapore rifles really of such poor quality?
 
Dave.S said:
Pakistan made the rifle,Ishapore is in India,The fought a war in 1965 I believe.The Indians captured a lot of POF rifles and cleaned them greased them put a screw in them and stored them.Historians kick in and help with the details but thats the gist of it.Dave
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D'oh. I know all those facts, I just didn't string them together. :redface:
 
Drach, I have no problem with the screw. The Brits and maybe some of the other user countries used them as acceptable field repairs. They were changed out at first opportunity though. More snobbism than anything else IMHO.

rgg7, Luan wood was used by the Indians, not the Pakistanis. I am under the impression that POF wood is actually Circassian walnut. Mine certainly is a fairly dense walnut.
 
Interesting difference of opinion, internet searches show Pakistan got the equipment and build Enfield's, "The Lee-Enfield story" by Skennerton, says the are all reworked/refurbished in Pakistan.(First Addition), any one have second addition, any difference?. My information is the same as some other posts, Indian captures, stock wood Circassian Walnut. Mine is a 1961/62 62 in the numbering on the side, 61 in the usual place Enfiled's are dated. Haven't got to clean, or shoot, perhaps when the mercury gets a bit higher.

pof.jpg
 
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Skennerton First Edition is obsolete and his third Edition has been out for a while now. At the time of his first edition, almost nothing was know about POF No.4 production.

- First POF efforts were refurbishing of British made No4 MKI

- Second POF efforts were building No4 MKI, but very few made.

- Final effort was building the N0.4 MK2 using British surplus tooling.
 
The "Ishy Screw" concept actually is of British origin not Indian. These were applied for use in wet and humid locations - as I recall this was performed by regionally located weapon techs.

It was applied very widely in India mind you due to wood seperation forward of the King screw when the wood was wet. When wood gets wet it swells and becomes very soft. Wood, while under tension, while at the same time is expanding due to moisture swells and cracks.

That screw is there for a reason. Especiallly with lighter woods such as Luan Mahogany. If I were you chaps I'd get used to it. There is nothing "Unoriginal" about that screw. This is one of the quick fixes lee enfields require as a result of having only one action screw.

If it enters Indian service, it gets an Ishy Screw.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you, I must get the latest edition.

JP said:
Skennerton First Edition is obsolete and his third Edition has been out for a while now. At the time of his first edition, almost nothing was know about POF No.4 production.

- First POF efforts were refurbishing of British made No4 MKI

- Second POF efforts were building No4 MKI, but very few made.

- Final effort was building the N0.4 MK2 using British surplus tooling.
Click to expand...
 
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