Which: Eddystone M1917 or Enfield No4 Mk1?

[lysanderxiii]

Oh, and one last thing . . .

If the Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield (SMLE) became Rifle, No. 1 and the No. 4 was the Number 4, what happened to #2 and #3?

The Pattern '14 became Rifle No. 3

.22 LR conversions of SMLEs for training became No. 2s.

 

[GBExpat]

The Irish rifles that were 'new-in-bag' were all No. 4, Mk 2.

That is obviously a Mk 1. ...

<shaking my head> OK ... I copied the image and enlarged it and it still looks like it could be a Mk2 to me.

Rockrivr1, which is it?

 

[GooseGestapo]

Looks to me to be a Mk1.

Per original posters question:

For target competition, range toy, or collectors purposes, get the P14/17.

For combat/battle rifle, give me the #4Mk1/2. With stripper clips, and practice, you can lay down some ferocious fire with a Mk4.
Mine is a '43 Fazerkerly, with the machined vernier sight, "F" stamped but I put it on the rifle. Had a L-two aperture rear sight after a post war rebuild. It has a near new barrel, and is VERY accurate. (~2moa).
At a recent vintage military rifle match (bolt action only) I wore out the competition. Several Swiss and '03's, but if you don't get the rounds off into the scoring rings, it doesn't matter HOW ACCURATE your rifle is. 10rds in the black for a 92, beats 2 zero's for a 88!

Re: the long chambers. Less for "crud tolerance" than for mitigating high pressures from tropical heat, or heated firearm from high rate of fire.
Note how the .17HMR rim fire is designed to blow the neck foward to reduce initial chamber pressures, and ease bolt opening resistance.

 

[Ignition Override]

lysanderxiii: True, the Mk. 2 series has a trigger attached to the frame. Out of the various #4s I've seen at gun shows (the non-"sporterized") since '08, none of them had the blondish wood color, or stain.

All four of my #4/Mk. 1s have the darker color wood and/or finish.
Of my two "Jungle Carbine" #5s, one has the light-colored wood. Beech?

 

[lysanderxiii]

lysanderxiii: True, the Mk. 2 series has a trigger attached to the frame. Out of the various #4s I've seen at gun shows (the non-"sporterized") since '08, none of them had the blondish wood color, or stain.

All four of my #4/Mk. 1s have the darker color wood and/or finish.
Of my two "Jungle Carbine" #5s, one has the light-colored wood. Beech?

Of the two that I had, and the three sets of replacement wood That has passed through my hands, three were blond.

An 1950ish FTR, and two sets of wood.

Anything that was FTR'd around 1949 or later probably got blond wood. Canadian FTRs got a darker wood.

 

[GBExpat]

lysanderxiii: True, the Mk. 2 series has a trigger attached to the frame. Out of the various #4s I've seen at gun shows (the non-"sporterized") since '08, none of them had the blondish wood color, or stain.

All four of my #4/Mk. 1s have the darker color wood and/or finish.
Of my two "Jungle Carbine" #5s, one has the light-colored wood. Beech?

If the light colored wood has the "eyes" (spalting) is is probably beech.

None of my ~10-12 Nº4s feature a blond wood-set, all are dark.

In my kit I have a Nº4Mk1 replacement wood-set in blonde beech. Very pretty ... looks like the images of the 2 blondes in this Thread.