My new Enfield range rifle in 7.62mm NATO - an interesting conversion! (pictures)

[threeseven]

Thought you might like to see my (nearly - waiting for permit ) new rifle. It caught my eye in the gunstore initially when I thought for a brief second it was an L42 or an Enforcer and my heart exploded. Turns out it's some kind of commercial sporter model, probably a SportCo (Australian company) judging from the barrel. It's also possible it was assembled by someone somewhere from aftermarket parts, but either way it's a beautiful, competent and very professional conversion and should shoot like a dream.

It's built on a Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk II, and it appears to have had the following alterations made:

• Wood shortened and refinished
• SportCo heavy target barrel installed
• 4x40 telescopic sight and mount installed
• Metal parts reblued
• Rechambered for 7.62mm NATO
• Sterling 7.62 NATO magazine fitted
• No. 4 sniper cheekpiece installed
• Sniper sling swivel installed
• Rear flip-sight removed
• Central target sight mounting plate installed

I am considering removing the front sling swivel (no permanent alterations, of course) when I get my hands on it and attaching some QD swivels so I can mount my Harris bipod on it.

The finish on the wood is all matching, despite the impression given by my sub-par photography

It comes to the shoulder like it was made for me, the cheekpiece positioning and scope eye-relief is absolutely spot on. Normally I'm very much against the sporterization of military weapons, but I consider this on a different level than your average bubba with a hacksaw and a tube of cold-blue. This rifle has probably existed in it's current form for maybe 20 years, harking back to a time when sporterization was more acceptable, especially sporterizations of this calibre (pun intended).

I'm glad I now have an Enfield in a modern calibre to hunt with and keep my other Enfields company. I hope they don't pick on him in the safe!

 

[rbernie]

VERY, very tasty. Good find....

 

[rbernie]

By the way - what is the purpose of the plate covering the left side of the receiver and safety?

 

[threeseven]

Quote:

rbernie said: By the way - what is the purpose of the plate covering the left side of the receiver and safety?

That is a sight mounting plate made by Central, an Australian company. You can mount a variety of optical sights to it. I have one downstairs, let me try to find the image I have of one of the sights mounted to one of my Enfields...

EDIT: No luck, sorry

 

[P95Carry]

This is pretty much what I had hoped to have myself ... about eight of us here were in on a group buy for pretty much this rifle (from Oz) ... but unfortunately it seems they were not and are not gonna be made.... at least not for export.

I am and always have been an Enfield fan and would have liked this specification. Nearest I can get is my Ishapore in .308. I do tho have a MkIV which was already ''sporterized'' and actually find it a very good second deer rifle - still in .303 Brit of course.

That one of yours looks very nice - and hopefully will shoot well - no doubt you'll come back with your appraisal once been to range.

 

[threeseven]

Quote:

P95Carry: This is pretty much what I had hoped to have myself ... about eight of us here were in on a group buy for pretty much this rifle (from Oz) ... but unfortunately it seems they were not and are not gonna be made.... at least not for export.

I assume you are referring to the Australian International Arms M10 rifle, specifically the No. 4 Mk IV? I was aware their was a group buy planned, didn't know that it went south.

If you're an Enfield fan you might consider yourself lucky, though. Far from being sporterized tried and true Enfield actions, they are newly manufactured rifles with different wood and a different metal finish. They are quite unlike Enfields, actually They certainly are in current production here though, so I guess it was export problems that killed the deal. They also retail for nearly a thousand dollars here, which would put you just about 2/3rds of the way to a really nice sniper Enfield variant.

 

[P95Carry]

What I had budgeted toward the hoped for rifle - has gone, already!!! My SIG 226 soaked that up very easily.!!!

I think the price on ours was to have been in region of $650 USD.

 

[rbernie]

I do tho have a MkIV which was already ''sporterized'' and actually find it a very good second deer rifle - still in .303 Brit of course.

You mean like this?

 

[P95Carry]

Similar - but not as pretty as yours ... bit of a ''Plain Jane'', but shoots great.

 

[rbernie]

Who's scope mount did you use? I'm running a B-Square at the moment, but it took a bit of work to get it solidly mounted....

 

[P95Carry]

I am trying to remember - Brownells I think, almost for sure. It was approx $70 IIRC ... and makes good use of the stripper clip arch and rear sight mount point. The rear takes attachment at that point and the front has a sorta lock up - screw up cam arrangment .. bearing on the stripper arch - very solid. Might even have a pic somewhere.... if not - will take pics if you wish.

 

[rbernie]

That's sounds like the B-Square. The usual complaint with it is that the front screw just sorta jams into place on the inner wall of the receiver and doesn't really lock into anything. Under recoil, this can allow the the scope to rock up-n-down if the mount-to-receiver tolerances are on the opposite ends of the limit.

The fix is usually to swap mounts until you find one that's a REALLY TIGHT interference fit or D&T'ing a hole in the side of the receiver on the left side and using a longer screw to positively lock the front of the base to the receiver.

 

[blfuller]

A really nice mount for the Enfield is this mount:

Brownells carries it HERE

 

[P95Carry]

rbernie - you may be able to tell if mine is the B-Square from pic I have now taken .. to be honest I had not remembered it as such (useless memory!). I could probably find the page and page # in the Brownells catalog if I did some digging.

However - maybe I was lucky but fitting was a breeze and it is absolutely secure - been pleased with it from get go and still am. Does a great job.

 

[kaferhaus]

RBernie:


never in my life did I think I'd say this to anyone as I think the Enfield is about the most butt ugly conglomeration of steel and wood any sadist could come with and only a glutton for agony could ever want one....

THAT is one beautiful gun..

You my friend are to be commended!

 

[Coronach]

...I think the Enfield is about the most butt ugly conglomeration of steel and wood any sadist could come with and only a glutton for agony could ever want one...

Don't hold back, man. Tell us how you really feel.

Mike

 

[rbernie]

blfuller - that's a great scope mount; used to be called a Cad Technik and now is called the DAI. It sits up pretty high and needs a high comb on the stock to shoulder naturally, but it's a superb piece of work. It went out of circulation for more than a year, and only within the last couple/three months has it come back on the market under a new name.

P95carry - that's not a B-Square, that's the S&K. Another super mount that's very highly regarded. I've not seen one in the flesh - how does it lock the front into position? I wound up using the B-Square since it had the lowest mount position of the three, and just struggled thru making it work.

Kaferhaus - thank you. And yes, this rifle will really shoot 123gr .310 Speers or 125gr .311 Sierras into 1" five shot groups, hot or cold, until the barrel smokes. It takes a pretty slow powder like RE19 to get there, given the bore size/bullet size mismatch, but it works OK and gives me about 2850fps @ the muzzle in the bargain. It'll do 3/4" five shot groups with the Sierra 150 and Sierra 180, and I just got in some cast 215gr gas-checked bullets to try as pig loads. When I got it, the barrel had been cut down from the original military barrel and had a Lyman front sight silver-soldered on. Otherwise, the metalwork was/is pretty much as it came off the BSA line in Shirley. The stock is an old Fajen, and frankly it MAKES this rifle. I still need to bed the forearm and buttstock, but it hadn't been a real imperative yet so I'm being lazy and shooting it rather than futzing with it. I'm using a Huber trigger, and I can't say that I'm really happy with it. The CanWest trigger is supposed to be the bee's knees, but at $150 I'm still saving my pennies for that one. Aside from the glass, I have less than $250 into this Enfield.

I just picked up a Sightron that's probably gonna go on this rifle, unless my '95 Mauser steals it first. But that's another story....

Anyway, we're stealing this thread from threeseven, who just picked up a superb rifle that I'd give my left, er, eyeteeth to add to *my* safe...

 

[P95Carry]

rbernie - well not really ''stealing'' .. we are still on Enfields!

P95carry - that's not a B-Square, that's the S&K. ......... how does it lock the front into position?

Thx for ID'ing that - cos I was darned if I remembered! It is a nice mount . been on a while now.

The forward fixing? .......... hard to see real clear but ... if you imagine a ~ 1/4" thick plate, tapped and ''suspended'' by a bolt from the top section. This engages under the stripper arch, as I call it.... and you then tighten the bolt from above to draw it up real tight - cinches the whole forward part very well. In the pic you can see about a 1/4" of it just to right of the stripper arch.

I would certainly recommend this mount.