My NIB Enfield Sporter

[kurra_hunter]

Here is my "new in box" Enfield. The guy who sold it to me said he got it from this old man a couple weeks before I bought it who had the original box from when he bought it years ago and never fired it. It is a sporterised No. 4 Mk 1* from Savage stamped U.S. Property and was sporterised by Century Arms Lt'd. It is the most beautiful Enfield sporter I have seen, certainly the best condition I have ever seen any Enfield in as well...nicest wood I've seen on an Enfield and in unfired NIB condition to boot... I haven't seen many Enfields like this around-looks like a brand new rifle to me, definitely looks unfired with it's shiny bore and I don't think it was handled much at all either..

All in all I'm a happy camper...It weighs 8.2 lbs and is my favorite new hunting rifle! Just got to get a leather sling for it now...The last Enfield I hunted with was an old beater No. 1 Mk III* sporter, had great success with it and loved that rifle, but it did have a worn out barrel and I always wanted a "new" Enfield to hunt with..I like the sporters better for hunting than the full-stock SMLES as well...

Here's the photos>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36968538@N04/4654559016/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36968538@N04/4654510488/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36968538@N04/4654489994/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36968538@N04/4653868921/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36968538@N04/4653866259/

 

[adobewalls]

My first deer rifle many many moons ago was a sporterized .303 that looked something similar to yours. I always thought the rifle had just been "bubba'd" by someone.

I bought that gun for less than $20 bucks if I remember correctly (back around '74 or '75). It was long since traded or sold away, but over the years since, I sure wish I had kept it.

 

[DougW]

Pretty rifle. Have fun with it. Should be very accurate.

 

[1KPerDay]

That's cool. I've a soft spot for "sportorized" (sic) SMLEs.

 

[madcratebuilder]

A lot of Enfield collectors get upset about sported LE's, they seem to forget that fifty years ago there were hundreds of thousands of these on the surplus market, you could buy on for $10. Cutting the barrel and fore-end was an affordable way for the average working man to have a good deer rifle for little investment. I bought my first LE in early 63 and lusted over a custom stock and new blue job. I was lucky just to get a receiver sight on it. Hunted with that until I went in the service in 67. Sure wish I had that rifle.

 

[BruceB]

Well, it's not really "new in the box", since the production of #4 Enfields ended over fifty years ago. You DO have a very nice rifle capable of handling most big game in North America, and there are no flies on either the rifle or its cartridge.

Century Arms has a, shall we say, "spotty" reputation as to the quality of its products, BUT all that's been done to yours is the shortening of the barrel and installation of a ramp front sight. Even Century would be hard-pressed to screw that up!

At the age of 16, back in 1959, ALL I wanted for Christmas was a sporterized #4 Enfield....and my folks came through! It was virtually identical to yours, converted by Parker Hale in Britain. I literally wore that rifle out, and enjoyed it immensely. You have a great rifle, and I wish you as much joy as I received from mine. Don't fall into the common belief that you just HAVE to mount a scope on it. Big-game animals don't need magnification for clean kills at reasonable ranges, and your rifle has one of the best aperture sights ever made for hunting.

 

[shootr]

Way to go! That's a beaut and you should have a great time with it.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Kurra Hunter

My reaction, too! You got yourself a beaut there! Nice oil finish on the stock; I like that.

All the Smellies have 'way too much wood on 'em for a sporting purpose, IMHO.

And now, the next obvious question: How's she shoot?? Pls get back to us with a range report, and pix of targets.

Nice, nice rifle!