Lee Enfield Barrel Maker

[longshooter99]

I have an Enfield No4 Mk1 that I'm looking at restoring. Supposedly, my great grandfather bought three of them back in the early 50's for $10 a piece. At one point in it's life, the barrel and forearm were cut short to sporterize it and the top hand guards done away with. The front sight was replaced a ramp-like sight with Parker Hale on the side. It actually looks some effort was put into sporterizing it.

Now, finding stocks and bands and the other metal odds and ends is a fairly easy task. The thing I'm wondering about is the barrel. Where would one go for a Lee Enfield barrel? Enfields are not super rare but they are not as common as Mausers are. Right now I'm in the planing stages so I'm open for any suggestions or ideas, I'm eager to learn anything and everything about old milsurps.

Thanks

 

[rondog]

I grieve for your fine Enfield's butchered barrel! Bad enough they suffer from massive use, corrosive primers, and Cordite propellants, but a hacksaw? How sad.

I suggest Liberty Tree Collectors first, then Springfield Sporters next. Just Google the names, you'll find the websites. Liberty Tree seems to have tons of Enfield parts, by some of the photos on their site. I personally would call them on the phone, I wouldn't trust a website to have ALL surplus parts listed.

I don't know of any makers of new barrels for Enfields, but that doesn't mean there isn't. There should be, I imagine there's a market for them.

 

[longshooter99]

Thanks Ron, I forgot got about Liberty Tree. I'll have to give them a call on Monday as they don't show any barrels on their webesite, but like you said they have so many parts I'd go crazy trying to keep a website up to date. As for my Enfield, the worst thing that happened to it was that it was stored under my grandparents staircase for 20+ years. I cleaned it up good enough to put some rounds through it but I need to spend a few more hours really scrubbing it.

 

[longshooter99]

Here are some pictures of it. Sorry for the size of the pics, I've never uploaded pics before and looks I need to play with it a little more, probably doesn't help that I took these with my cell phone. When I first started Learning about Enfields I almost thought it was a No5 Jungle Carbine until I found the barely legible No4 Mk1 stamped on the side. I also found some faint import marks the looks like No4 Mk 1/2. I remember reading about a Mk 1/2 but I forgot what it said. Looks like more internet digging for me

 

[Sprouticus]

Numrich has a supply of used barrels, for 70.90 each. You can take a chance and maybe get a nice one.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/486190.htm


OR


If you are a patient fellow.

I know that the folks at Criterion are working on a barrel for the No4 Mk1 right now.

Scroll to the bottom of their FAQ page.
You can send them your info and they will keep you in the loop.


http://criterionbarrels.com/support/faq

 

[Sprouticus]

I forgot to include this in my last post.

Removing and installing barrels on Lee Enfields can be tricky, make sure you do your homework.

If you have questions a good guy to talk to is Brian at BDL Ltd, he is a real expert in Enfields and he works on them as well.

http://www.bdlltd.com/About_Us.html

 

[Mk VII]

Looks Like a 'De Luxe' to me. The sight hood is gone, they frequently get removed or lost. Is the barrel shortened? (22"). Some people actively seek out/collect these P-H sporters



If you go down this route you will have way more in them than just buying another stock milspec one.

 

[longshooter99]

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it. Adding up the costs of the bits and pieces to "Restore" the rifle totals about $250, which could dang near be another rifle like you said. And thanks for the info on the De Luxe. All Grandma remembers is that her dad bought one for each of her brothers and so it definitely have been purchased like that.

 

[Scoped]

I would 100% spend that type of money to restore a war relic. The lee enfield is my favorite milisurp to date, and there are 4 that lean proudly in my safe.