Well sporterized Enfields

BullOnParade

BullOnParade

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In a country with 2.3 million legal gun owners, I estimate 2. some-odd Lee Enfield rifles ... I exaggerate, but you know what I mean, it seems everyone who's been at this for a while, has an Enfield in some form or another, many sporterized.

I have one, it was my dad's, it's a sporterized mkIII SMLE. It seems well sporterized enough ... The barrel is clean, the action is smooth, and the stock is ... a stock.

I'm curious if anyone is, or was, a known quality gunsmith who turned out great hunting rifles from these quality actions?
 
I have a nicely sporterized 303 Mk 3 which was done by Globe firearms back in the day. Very modern looking stock and nice fitting throughout. It is my loaner rifle for when I take someone new to hunt.
 
Start with good words - You are referring to Lee Enfields, I think. American guy, Lee, designed the action; British arsenal at Enfield Locks designed the rifling profile. So Lee Enfield No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, etc. "Enfield" also refers to the P13, P14 and M1917 "Enfield" rifles, also designed at Enfield Locks (or at least the first two were, I think?) I have receivers here from all three. Long after WWI, the P14 was designated as No. 3 rifle in British arsenal stores.

I will be corrected, no doubt, by owners of these arms on this site, but there was an enterprise named "Speed". They produced hunting rifles. Using a Lee action, and I do not know what the "speed" contribution was - Lee Speed rifles. Appear to be built on early Lee action designs, maybe prior to the Lee Enfield SMLE No. 1. They have a distinctive "perch belly" shaped magazine - never newly made, always altered from standard / military design. Reputed to be the most slickest bolt action rifles every made.

I have had the privilege of working with Lee Enfield No. 1's that are so slick I have had to open the bolt to ensure a cartridge actually did chamber - I understand that was "expected" on a Lee Speed rifle.

So if you are looking for "quality gunsmith who turned out great hunting rifle" - you are probably looking for a Lee Speed.
 
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There were the sporting rifles commercially made, usually in .303, sometimes in other calibers. Fine, slick, smooth handling hunting rifles. BSA made many of them, others came from the established firms.
Since WW2, there have been very nice sporting rifles made, starting with ex-service rifles. Some conversions were rudimentary, others more sophisticated. Some of the finest ones made up in Canada were done by Ellwood Epps. He specialized in one piece stock conversions, with the butt socket removed.
 
The best of the Parker Hales were restocked with stocks by Sile of Italy, polished and reblued metal, sporting sights.

Some years ago at a gunshow, I saw a semi finished stock for a one piece conversion for $75, if memory serves. Foolishly I didn't buy it, have never seen another.

Joseph Speed was a manager at Enfield, and patents issued early in the 20th Century were in his name. That practice soon ended, and patents were assigned to the Crown. The pre-First War sporting rifles will have markings referring to Speed's patents. Hence Lee Speed.
You will see sporting rifles with a tang safety, shotgun style. The bolt will have no provision for a safety. I had the opportunity to inspect one of these tang safety rifles when it was disassembled for rebarreling. It had been smoothbored to .410 to make it easier to own in the UK. The tang safety is remarkably simple in design; one could be fabricated for a sporting rifle project. When the safety is pushed forward, a finger moves to block the sear against the cocking piece against the sear. Forward is safe, rear is fire - opposite to most tang safeties.
 
So when do we start posting pics of nice sporter LE's?

Also potashminer, they used the name "speed" in the commercial rifles until i think 1907 or 1914 when the patent ran out. Then they just built commercial rifles without it. They were dubbed "lee speeds"

Very nice rifles. I have had both lee speeds and later commercial rifles

My CLLE is a "lee speed" but missing the "speed" as it was built after the patent expried. Commercial rifle build by bsa then sold to SA for military use

The commercial built pre ww1 Factory sporters are by FAR the nicest lee enfield sporters out there. They ooze classic rifle
 
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Agreed. The early commercial sporters just ooze class. Recreating one starting with a SMLE barreled action would be possible, but challenging to get it right.
 
tiriaq said:
Agreed. The early commercial sporters just ooze class. Recreating one starting with a SMLE barreled action would be possible, but challenging to get it right.
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Yeah it is hard. Ive tried twice, i cant get the look im going for.

Although now i have a LEC barreled action that has all the markings buffed off. I think this one may work. Although ill have to hold out for factory wood or get some made. You really cant use sporter mill surplus stocks.

Also i know a guy who will convert mill spec mags into either 6 round LEC mags or the fish belly mags now that i got him a pattern to copy. So the short mag will help a lot.
 
The tutorial on how to convert a magazine to the fishbelly commercial pattern is very helpful. Making the jigs would be the time consuming part.
The styling of these rifles is very subtle, not easy to duplicate.
I wonder if there would be a market for someone with a carving machine to do a run of stocks in the classic British sporting style?
Rifles could be made up for a variety of rimmed cartridges within the overall length, diameter and pressure levels appropriate for a SMLE pattern action. I recall photos of one in .375 Nitro.
 
sporterized Enfields

Well here's a personal one I been working on for years ,it was my fathers #1,Parker Hale sporter I always wanted to to look better ,ive gotten the bug to get it finished now wood is done all thats left is
to set the sights in place and some minimal engraving and the bluing

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The closest that I have to one of the pre-war classics is a BSA Model 4 rifle. This was an entry level rifle; butt was basically that of a MLE.
Like just about all of these sporting rifles, it has the classic rear sight - standing leaf, with two flip ups, plus a flip up ladder for long range. This sight seems to have been a standard; have even seen it on a .303 double rifle. I assume that the sights would be calibrated for Mk. VI equivalent ammunition.
 
In the locker, I have a Savage No.4 MkI* which has been converted to a hung trigger among other small improvements by Bob Robinson in Bedford, QC.
 
This is my BSA Lee Speed pattern 3 Sporting Rifle in 303 brit .My gun has light engraving on the dust cover,trigger guard ,magazine and buttplate,has a 27 inch barrel with express sights(Cape) and has the cartridge cut off limiting the gun to single shot if desired and wrap around checkering on the wrist and forearm.Though hard to see in the pic the pistol grip has a beautifully carved knob
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chasseur said:
This is my BSA Lee Speed pattern 3 Sporting Rifle in 303 brit .My gun has light engraving on the dust cover,trigger guard ,magazine and buttplate,has a 27 inch barrel with express sights(Cape) and has the cartridge cut off limiting the gun to single shot if desired and wrap around checkering on the wrist and forearm.Though hard to see in the pic the pistol grip has a beautifully carved knob
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There it is, i love that rifle.

Im working on a rifle like that. Ill post up pics once i get more of the parts finished. I need to find a place that does very rich deep shiny bluing
 
This be my No 4 sporter build in .32-40 Win that is uber fun to plop pest critters and to plink with. (I love the older British sporters, but me older eyes don't
go for the barrel mounted rear sights.) She wears Bishop stocks, a McGowen 24" barrel cut to me specs & is fixed using a Brewer type barrel nut. Fitted
a Huber trigger on 'er to boot. The scope be a Bushnell Elite 2-7x32 unit.

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SHELL SHUCKER said:
This be my No 4 sporter build in .32-40 Win that is uber fun to plop pest critters and to plink with. (I love the older British sporters, but me older eyes don't
go for the barrel mounted rear sights.) She wears Bishop stocks, a McGowen 24" barrel cut to me specs & is fixed using a Brewer type barrel nut. Fitted
a Huber trigger on 'er to boot. The scope be a Bushnell Elite 2-7x32 unit.

View attachment 396774
Click to expand...

That’s one clean good looking rifle, very nice indeed!
 
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