[Nightcrawler]

Actually, I want several, but for now I'll settle for one.

What I want at the moment is a No. 4 Mk.I. I don't know anything about manufacturers, or what the best years of manufacture are.

So here's what I want:

-Best condition I can get, without being a "collector's item" that I'll feel bad shooting. Don't care if it's been refinished or restocked, so long as it's as close to like new as possible, with the metal/wood still strong, and a clean bore that will give me years of service.

-The best No. 4 sights. I think those ladder sights are cool, but which Enfields had better sights? I've heard some of the wartime models had simplified sights to ease maufacture.

-All the accessories. Cleaning kit, bayonet, stripper clips.


So, which model SMLE would be best for me, and where's the best place to get it? Note that Navy Arms Mil Surp Division's website is gone, leaving me to wonder if their MSD is out of business (I've emailed them asking as much).

Oh, and, as usual, let's see your Enfield pictures. Down the road, I want a No. 1 Mk. III (basically a World War I style, in the above listed condition) and a No. 5 Jungle Carbine (in the same excellent condition).

[Monte Harrison]

Except for jungle carbines, Enfields have pretty much dried up, except that AIM has just got a few No 4 Mk I's:
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/British_No__4_Mk_I__303Brit_Enfield_Rifle.html

[Andrew Wyatt]

Ask around. I've found two enfields in the last couple years just by asking around.


Check pawn shops. (bring a bore snake)


IMHO, the best sights are the milled click adjustable sights. number4mk1 milled click adjustable sights should go up to 1300 yards. jungle carbine ones only go to 800.



www.whatpriceglory.com has reasonably good prices on enfield acessories, and you can ask around their forums for more info.



right now, i'm in the pricess of acquiring a full pattern 37 uniform, inclusind helmet, boots, jacket, trousers, and LBE.

I already have the LBE, including the bayonet and frog.

[.41Dude]

Check http://www.bdlltd.com lots of good stuff, good prices.
I don't own a No.4, but they have a lot of them listed.

[Nightcrawler]

Just heard back from Navy Arms. They are no longer in the military surplus business.

So. Finding an Enfield is becoming more important, since there aren't as many out there anymore.

I do wish somebody would start making them again.

[Destructo6]

I prefer my No4Mk2's, two-aperature (300&600 IIRC) rear sight to the flip-up dial sight. The short-range peep on the flip-up was huge and its long-range peep just didn't do much for me.

[Futo Inu]

I'm with Nightcrawler; now I really want to find a good one before they're even harder to find, or the prices go up.

[Deadman]

Oh, and, as usual, let's see your Enfield pictures


Alrighty then - http://www.lawranceordnance.com/new/images/rifles/M10A3-rifle.JPG

( bear in mind, mine has a Leupold scout scope attached and the wood looks much better in person )

[Nightcrawler]

Deadman, that's interesting. Is that in 7.62x39mm? Who makes that, or is it a custom setup?

EDIT: Oh, it's Aussie. I've heard about these.

Still, I'd prefer one in .303 or .308, myself. (.303 to be original.)

[esheato]

Alright, you asked for it.

No 4, Mk I, Long Branch, 1945 with ladder sights to 1300 as specified. .303 Brit caliber. Paid seventy bucks a year or two ago. It shoots fine, but it's a wall hanger for right now. I realize the picture of the whole rifle is crappy, but hey, that's home photography for ya.

esheato..

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL60/919855/1686534/33888233.jpg

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL60/919855/1686534/33888232.jpg

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL60/919855/1686534/33888231.jpg

[RON in PA]

IMHO, the best Lee Enfields are the post-war #4 mk 2s and the Canadian Long Branch #4 mk1*.

You are just going to have to do some hunting at gun shops or gun shows to find them as their heyday as a readily available milsurp was 5or 6 years ago.

[Andrew Wyatt]

esheato: that rifle is missing the front sight protector. you can get one from gun parts company.

[esheato]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find a replacement for it.

esheato..

[50 Freak]

Ditto on the Post War No4 MkIIs.

I've got 3 originally "unissued" No4s. One I "snipered out", Second I kept stock, and third is still in its original mummy wrap (plan to pass this one down).

Love the Enfields.

[swingset]

IMHO, the best Lee Enfields are the post-war #4 mk 2s

And pretty too! :D

http://home.alltel.net/swingset/Gallery_Guns/images/No4mk2_Faz_1955.jpg

But, the prettiest of all are the No1MKIII's, in their ugly old stock, banged up from being drug through the trenches and dripping with history....I just love those early SMLE's.

http://home.alltel.net/swingset/Gallery_Guns/images/No1mk3_BSA_1917.jpg

[Deadman]

Nightcrawler, yes it is a 7.62x39 chambered rifle and it is Australian distributed. However there is an American equivalent - http://www.pyramid.net/sia/

[keederdag]

Swingset Your killin me man. Where did you get that #4 mk2. AHHHHHHH ....I HATE YOU.:D

[telewinz]

The 303 British Enfield must be a GREAT rifle just from all the posts I've read. I have been collecting for 25 years and never owned any enfield for two silly reasons; the two piece stock and the cock on closing. I like the looks of the "Jungle Carbine" but I hear the recoil is a bit much. Would a WWI, MKIII(?) be considered one of the "best"? It has to be made in the 20th century, no 19th century rifles. Regardless of Mark# you may recomended, please suggest a price for one in excellent condition. Thanks

[Tamara]

What I really, really want is a Lithgow; one of the Aussie rifles with the snazzy looks of the SMLE but the groovy ladder sight of the No.4... :cool:

[swingset]

The 303 British Enfield must be a GREAT rifle just from all the posts I've read. I have been collecting for 25 years and never owned any enfield for two silly reasons; the two piece stock and the cock on closing. I like the looks of the "Jungle Carbine" but I hear the recoil is a bit much. Would a WWI, MKIII(?) be considered one of the "best"? It has to be made in the 20th century, no 19th century rifles. Regardless of Mark# you may recomended, please suggest a price for one in excellent condition. Thanks

They ARE great rifles - sturdy accurate and fast. The two piece stock isn't a liability - they designed around that. Believe me, the competitors at Bisley used Enfields at long range to dominate those competitions for a whole lot of years, and the two-piece was actually credited with their performance. The cock on closing is odd, but it's also FAST and once you get used to it, it's as natural as eating with a spoon.

The recoil of the No5 isn't anything worse than a 12 guage, even shooting the hotter Mk8 MG ammo or Greek HXP. It's stout, don't get me wrong, but it's not brutal. Offhand it's just a healthy kick. They are wonderful rifles and if you can live with the range idiots repeating the "wandering zero" myth to you, you'll enjoy one tremendously.

As for recomendations, the No4 or No5 actions are the most refined and have the best sights. Either a No4mk1 or mk2 are quite good shooters and can still be had relatively cheaply. The No5's are still available at SOG, but aren't of the utmost quality. The earlier No1mkIII's are fine rifles, but not as accurate as the No4's and have tangeant sights.

Don't worry about makers, they ALL produced excellent guns - some will tell you the wartime Brits aren't as accurate because of rushed production, being bombed, etc. but in my experience they only cut their corners on fit and finish - the performance is on par with post-war Canadian and Savage produced guns.

You owe it to yourself to own at least one. They are sturdy, comfortable and a joy to shoot - and best of all soaked in history.

[Andrew Wyatt]

What I really, really want is a Lithgow; one of the Aussie rifles with the snazzy looks of the SMLE but the groovy ladder sight of the No.4...

I don't think the aussies made any like that; all of those i've seen were number1 mk fives, and were of english make.

[Tamara]

Okay, it's a No.1 Mk. V I want, then. ;)

[max popenker]

Okay, it's a No.1 Mk. V I want, then.

Tamara, if i remember correctly, the No.1 Mk.V was a developmental model between No.1 Mk.III and the No.4, made during late 1920s or early 1930s. Very few were made in UK, maybe several thousands. I beleieve that these are strictly collector items by now, unlike surpulus No.1 Mk.III or No.4s.

[Tamara]

Yeah, I saw one at the last show for something like three-and-a-half, but held off, mistakenly thinking that a Lithgow was the same thing, but cheaper. D'oh! :(

[MuzzleBlast]

http://www.pyramid.net/sia/Enf-ScoutFolder.jpg
He should have left the SMLE front end on this. That would have been interesting.
http://www.pyramid.net/sia/

Has anyone seen the No4 MKI's that AIM has?
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/New_Rifles_.html
Not bad price, if they are in any reasonable condition.

[RepublicanMan]

215-249-1790
Donleys Gun Shop in PA

He has a few Enfields (no I don't know what models or what prices he's asking although I do know that one's a sweet looking carbine style with a really cool looking compensator or something of the sort on the end of it) that I'm sure are reasonably priced and that he can and would ship to your FFL should you choose to purchase from him. Give him a call for more info, tell him Ray told you about them and he might actually give you a discount.

[Futo Inu]

Muzzleblast, doesn't look like aim surplus has ANY Enfields there (least not anymore), thought that TULA-TOZ 78 .22lr looks interesting...

Swingset, is that a modern manufacture reproduction stock put on that No. 4 or an original? Sure is nice....

[swingset]

Fotu...the stock on my No4 Fazakerly is original. That rifle is one of the post war No4mk2's that were contract rifles for both the Irish and British government. Mine is a 1955. They were put into stores and never issued, sealed in the wrappers until the mid-90's when they came into the US on the surplus market.

Back then, for about $250-$300 you could get a brand spankin new No4 gun. Nowadays they can be had for $350 and up if you look hard enough.

[scbair]

Where did you get the folding stock for the SMLE in your pic??? I have a sporterized (16.5" bbl) No. 4, and that stock would be perfect for a "truck gun." If it was designed for a different rifle, which model, and could it be adapted to a No. 4?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Ray

[Futo Inu]

Hey Destructo - could I buy and put a Mk2 style sight on my No.4 Mk1? The rear peep is pretty huge...

[Andrew Wyatt]

the milled, click edjustable sights are available through numrich.

however, they seem to be jungle carbine sights.

[Mike Irwin]

I got a No. 1 Mk III last year, and want to get a No. 4, too.

[Oleg Volk]

http://www.olegvolk.net/newphotos/tn4/oleg-smle4mk1_s.jpg
I, too, prefer two-aperture flipper to the slow micrometer sight...

I have not been able to get anything even remotely approaching P1914 accuracy from the no4 Enfield...but it is certainly a handy rifle.

[Destructo6]

Futo, yeah, it shouldn't be a problem. You'd probably have to sight the weapon in after the switch, but it should fit fine, since I changed to the micrometer style, then back.

[Dollar Bill]

The Enfields are one of the great battle rifles of a bygone era. What is the old quote, and I forget where it is from but it goes something like this: During WW 1 the Americans brought a great target rifle, the Germans a great hunting rifle, but the British brought a BATTLE rifle.

I had a pristine No. 5 with all matching numbers and brought into the country before import markings had to be stamped all over it. I am still kicking myself for letting that one go. I didn't find the recoil of the No. 5 to be that bad but that little narrow hard rubber pad on the butt did not help any.

Swingset: I like your Enfields. Those No4, MkII's were coming into the country in arsenal wrap a few years ago. that one looks great. Your No. 1, Mk III is an early one with a magazine cut off and windage adjustable rear sight which makes me guess around 1916??

Great rifles. Every one who enjoys military history should get one. Please leave it as issued as those are the ones getting harder to find.

[greyhound]

The magazine design on the Enfield looks very similar to the Mosin Nagant.
Am I hallucinating?

(good grief, I don't even have the M-N yet, and I want a SMLE!:D )

[Andrew Wyatt]

they're completely different. SMLE's use detachable magazines.

[Destructo6]

Yeah, and the SMLE doesn't have the interrupter setup the Nagant uses.

[swingset]

Swingset: I like your Enfields. Those No4, MkII's were coming into the country in arsenal wrap a few years ago. that one looks great. Your No. 1, Mk III is an early one with a magazine cut off and windage adjustable rear sight which makes me guess around 1916??

Good guess. It's a 1917 BSA. In 1916 the Brits adopted the No1mkIII*, which eliminated the cut-off.

While I love the No1's for their history and somewhat faster action, I prefer the No4's for shooting. This is my favorite Enfield, obviously it's quite a shooter:

http://home.alltel.net/swingset/Gallery_Guns/images/No4mk1T_BSA_1944.jpg
1944 BSA No4mk1T.

This one is another of my faves:

http://home.alltel.net/swingset/Gallery_Guns/images/No1mk3_Lithgow_1919.jpg
This one's a 1919 Lithgow No1 in its original Queensland Maple and 2nd MD marked, with a pristine bore. It has the most crisp, light trigger I've ever felt on an issue Enfield.

[MolonLabe416]

BTL Ltd is a good source, though a bit higher than some, he's very knowledgabe and has a good inventory.

I recommend a No 4 Mk II if you plan to shoot it a lot. The Mk I rifles have the trigger pinned to the trigger guard. It's impossible to get a consistent trigger press. Plenty fine for "minute of battle", but why not go with the better trigger.

If you go with the ladder back sight, be sure to get a machined one, not a stamped one. The stamped one has a very sharp lever on the right side which is perfectly placed to cut your hand when rapidly operating the bolt. The simple L flip is another option, but I dislike the asthetics, though it gets the job done. If you find a rifle you like, but it's not the sight you prefer, don't worry. There a plenty of original sights around from varous sources and they are easy to swap out.

A No 4 was my first center fire rifle. They are outstanding and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[MeekandMild]

I had a Lee Enfield Mk 1 about 35 years ago. Right about the minute of battle accuracy. I think an Uzi would be as accurate and a Mini 14 beats the doo-wappa out of one. It is long gone and entirely unlamented.

[Brian Maffei]

swingset, gorgeous rifles! :eek:





Must...save...money for No4T.

[Dave Markowitz]

I have not been able to get anything even remotely approaching P1914 accuracy from the no4 Enfield...but it is certainly a handy rifle.

Oleg,

If you get a good No.4 and use good ammo you can get very good accuracy. My No.4 Mk.I can keep them in the black of an SR-1 target offhand at 100 yards. And my unissued No.4 Mk.II is right about MOA with 150 grain handloads.

[swingset]

I had a Lee Enfield Mk 1 about 35 years ago. Right about the minute of battle accuracy. I think an Uzi would be as accurate and a Mini 14 beats the doo-wappa out of one. It is long gone and entirely unlamented.

An UZI or Mini 14? Ok, I'll give you that some of the No1's can be squirrelly, but if tuned correctly (The way the brit armorers recommended and few of us do), I'd bet my life's savings I could outshoot a stock Mini14 or Uzi at 100 yards, and beyond that, It's not even worth betting on, the .303 out of a SMLE at long distance is legendary. The Bisley shooters used the No1 action for 50 years to dominate that competition - for a reason.

Me thinks you got a lemon, don't condemn the design tho.

[Bill Hook]

Where's a good place to find one of these other than BDL?

I've been cruising the 'net, looking at many of the C&R dealers and can find a few, usually beat. BDL has a so-so selection right now.

I'm hoping to find a specialist in British/Commonwealth weapons. Someone with a website is preferred, if just so I can see lists and pictures.

[Futo Inu]

Swingset, the only milsurps I've ever seen that equal the beauty of that enfield were the 2 matching rifles I saw at the Wannamacher show couple weeks back. They were 100th anniversary commemorative Swiss K31s in perfect condition, in .22lr, with gold accents, including the commemorative plates, with a little circular laminated tag showing their impressive test group. $1,550 each. I stood there slack-jawed for a good 10 minutes, wondering if I had seen a liquor store on the way in I could knock off for $1,500, before moving on. :)

[Bill Hook]

You can buy one of those commemoratives from Swissdagger in Switzerland linked from the swiss rifle forum.

[swingset]

Swingset, the only milsurps I've ever seen that equal the beauty of that enfield were the 2 matching rifles I saw at the Wannamacher show couple weeks back. They were 100th anniversary commemorative Swiss K31s in perfect condition, in .22lr, with gold accents, including the commemorative plates, with a little circular laminated tag showing their impressive test group. $1,550 each.

I've seen those before. Gorgeous. I saw a mint, looking to be unfired Zfk55 (the Sniper variant of the K-31) at the last OGCA show. Absolutely mint.

For the low low price of $5500!:what:

I'm very lucky, I have found some great looking Enfields lately. I have some friends who are high-end collectors and sometimes the deals trickle down to me.

[Bill Hook]

Anyone interested in a unissued(?) 1941 Lithgow #1mkIII*?

It is $375, and it isn't mine and this isn't a pitch. I figure that someone would like this gun. PM me, but I may give the info out to the guys who are w/o first, so they can get a good rifle, rather than to guys like Swingset (no offense intended), who already have a good collection.


Correction:

It is a John Jovino parts gun and worth about half of what is asked. I got, what I believe to be the real deal. Guy has another probable real one, with cracked stock, for $200.

[miketv]

I kinda have a thing for Enfields also, they kinda grow on ya.....

http://photobucket.com/albums/0603/miketv/28015440.jpg

Cheers,

Mike

[Gewehr98]

But I still have my 1917 Enfield Lock SMLE NoIMkIII*, it just looks, so, "Trench Warfare" after all those years:

http://mauser98.com/1917lebench.jpg

And a 1941 Lithgow, dressed in Slazenger's finest coachwood, wearing a vintage Weaver K4:

http://mauser98.com/lithgowscope.jpg

BTW, Tamara, the rifle you're pining after is third from the left in Miketv's post above, a between war "Trials Rifle". I like his Charger Loading Lee Enfield (CLLE) to the right of that one, it predated the SMLE, with it's charger bridge on the receiver, by a few years.

[CZ52GUY]

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data/500/19164enfield_after_new_stock_and_fore_end-med.jpg

I inherited mine and put the ATI stuff on it to get it functioning...interested in good on-line sources for SMLE gear.

I love shooting mine. There is just something special about the feel of it when it goes bang.

Thanks in advance,

CZ52'

[MeekandMild]

Me thinks you got a lemon, don't condemn the design tho. Its barrel was pretty rough, looked like a washed out gravel road with HUGE milling marks and it had a whole lot of trigger creep. It cost, to my best recollection, $24.95, which in 2003 dollars would be about $250 ???

I suspect the match grade rifles had some pretty good gunsmithing work done on them before they were used in contests.

[Robert Farrar]

Hi Gents,
Found a #4MkII from '54 at a show several years back.
Not a lot of history but brand new. Hosed the cosmoline out
and what a nice riffle!
Not bad for ~180 wrapped, twined, greased :-) It took a while to clean up
but a very nice shooter.
Bob

[Bill Hook]

Worth double that now, or so.

[Willard]

MikeTV, I want the third one from the left......No1 MkV, right? Sweet!

I've got a 1943 Fazakerly with the micrometer rear site, I shoot it in matches against semiautos and beat about half of them. Enfields are f-a-s-t fast. One friend of mine shot a 100 yard 3/4" group from the bench with 1949 RG Mk7 and a 1944 Canadian N04 Mk1. Several others and I witnessed this, and he framed the target :^)

I am currntly looking for a sporterized N04 to make a scout type rifle out of. They are my favorite bolt guns, bar none.

[scbair]

Saw a sales flyer from Rose's Dept. Store (they sold mil surplus rifles in those days; probably 6-8 years ago). No. 4 Enfields for $49.95. I wanted one as a source for spare parts for a sporterized 1943-vintage model that my son "adopted" as a deer rifle (synthetic sporter stock, scope mount installed by gunsmith, barrel shortened to 22" with a Parker-Hale ramp front sight).

I got to the counter at Rose's and asked to purchase an Enfield; clerk said, "I'll get it from the storeroom; we only have two left." A guy who had walked up right after I did told the clerk to bring 'em both, as he wanted one. The clerk returned & opened both cartons. Mine turned out to be in excellent condition, manufactured by Long Branch Arsenal in 1951. :D

The other customer got the "character-filled" veteran I thought I'd find; battered, used & abused.

The look on my son's face was priceless when I told him I might someday need to cannibalize "his" Enfield for spare parts for "mine." :neener:

By the way, if MuzzleBlast sees this, I STILL want to know some specifics re: the folding stock on the rifle in his pic. :confused:

[jrhead75]

Barely managed to talk myself out of buying the slightly overpriced Russian SKS at the local gun shop last Thursday, and decided on a whim to brave the traffic and visit a somewhat less local G/S. Glad I did, because I stumbled across a '54 Fazakerly No4MkII, Irish contract, all matching including bayo and wood, in really nice albeit "used" condition for $199. They had just taken it in on consignment that day.

Needless to say, she followed me home, and we have a play date at the range tomorrow.

[0007]

My dealer down here has a several Mk4's with different style rear sights in his racks. He also has a "real" Mk 5 carbine. Prices run from $150 for the Mk 4's to $450 for the Mk 5. He's also got a chopped stock sporterized # 4. I bought one of the 4's with the screw-style micrometer sight. Had a "PF" 54 stamp and a new serial number on the receiver.

Saw a Long Branch 1941 at a show last week. Handled it several times with the thought of buying it until I finally saw the big "DP" stamped on the bolt and the receiver...

[DamnedDirtyApe]

I finally saw the big "DP" stamped on the bolt and the receiver...

What's "DP" stand for?

I'm the proud new owner of a Long Branch 1943 NO4 Mk1* with the flip up war-expedient rear sight. It is a tack driver - two to three inches @ 100yds with the nasty bandolier ammo.

I have a particular passion for Long Branches - that's suburban Toronto - my home town.

[diyj98]

"DP" stands for "drill purpose". This means the rifle or at least the part in question if the rifle is made up of mixed parts was found unsatisfactory for normal use and regulated to nonfiring duty such as drill or parade use. I personally wouldn't fire any rifle marked "DP".

[Beetle Bailey]

My buddy's first rifle was a Garand parade rifle. He bought it because of the way it looked (it looks great and is fully operational) and didn't know much about rifles at the time. The front sight was bent crooked and the barrel was a worn out pitted mess, but everything else was fine. He rebarreled it and put on a new match front sight and now has a great shooter and great looker.

[Bill Hook]

I got my 1941 Lithgow #1MkIII* today in nearly unissued shape (thanks to being FTR'd), all for $275.



http://www.vicsgunsandknives.com/lith3.jpg

http://www.vicsgunsandknives.com/lith4.jpg

[MuzzleBlast]

SCBAIR:
By the way, if MuzzleBlast sees this, I STILL want to know some specifics re: the folding stock on the rifle in his picNot my picture, actually. It is from the website at the link in my post. Lost of other very interesting Enfield conversions on the site.

[Beetle Bailey]

Bill Hook, that's a really nice No. 1 Mk III*. All the No. 1's I see in the shops around here look like they've been in a war or two :rolleyes: . Congrats!

[jrhead75]

Bill Hook, that's a beauty! I've got a 1918 Lithgow on the way from Brian Dick. Looking forward to getting it.

All the No. 1's I see in the shops around here look like they've been in a war or two They very likely have. ;)

[Bill Hook]

Some of the screws were buggered, but GPC had more, most of which look only slightly better.

There's also a small crack near one of the brass reinforcing pins in the coachwood behind the stripper clip bridge in the forestock, but I tend to think that it is "as-issued." Some really thin cyanoacrylate from a model store will make sure it stays a small crack. I went around the back of the forestock with more CA to add a little reinforcement where the wood was split to add pins and reinforcement plates, since coachwood is a little weak.

Thanks for the compliments.

[Freedom in theSkies]

As for longevity of the rifle, the Inuit Rangers on the Canadian Arctic are issued these rifles as standard issue, "one each for the use of".
There are reportedly thousands of these fine rifles in the Canadian Forces War Reserve. There is still a class for the Enfield at the annual marksmanship competition (CDN version of Camp Perry) at the Connaught Range in Ontario, Canada each summer. They do quite well!

I got mine (No.4 Mk1 Savage Mfg.) as a surplus back in 1990. All numbers match and it was refurbished in England in '46. New barrel too.
Shoots very well and has all the original accessories and cloth pieces including an action cover.
Part with it? Never! It is the perfect piece of history and has the battle scars to prove it.

[Willard]

I paid $85- for mine in the mid 80's at a Woolworths.

Picked up and finished a Scout Enfield-1944 BSA that had been sporterized in the fifties by Santa Fe, added a buttplate, scout scope mount, and QD studs. Sweet and fast rifle.

[foghornl]

I'm not even close to being 'up-to-speed' on the Enfield series, so someone please enlighten me as to how I can determine which Number and Mark a particular rifle is.

My local Dunham's Sporting Goods had some, complete with the "wire-wrapped forend for grenade launching", but the ad didn't say which series they were.

[Stoker]

If you find a nice one, buy it. They aren't making any more and they are becoming scarce. A very ordinary No4 is £250 to 300 here in the UK.

I imported a really nice No4 Mk2 from Brian Dick (BDL Ltd) - with tax and shipping it cost me £500 and I was glad to pay it, because it is a beautiful rifle and I love shooting it. Also, as has been remarked it is the definitive bolt action service rifle. Rear bolt locking lugs, ten round magazine and cock on closing are such good ideas.

It is also the first rifle my wife has ever fired (last Sunday) and she thought it was great too.

Try Parallax Bill's Enfield site, Richard's Lee Enfield forum, Jay Currah's site and Steve Redgwell's site for a wealth of information about these rifles.

[BamBam-31]

The wire-wrapped are No. 1 Mk. III's, usually with shot out barrels (which is why they were selected to become the grenade launching rifles in the first place). I'd stay away from them if you're looking for a shooter.

The quick and easy way to tell the difference between the earlier No. 1 Mk. III from the later No. 4 Mk. I is by looking at the muzzle end. The No. 1's stock goes all the way to the end and covers up the entire barrel. Look at the pics at the top of the page, those are No. 1's. The No. 4's stock stops a couple inches short of the muzzle, so you can see the barrel peeking through.