Who's a fan of the Brit .303 No4 Mk1

[KDS]

I love my Enfield. It is a great shooter and goes to the range with me a lot. If you look around, many websites sell 303 for pretty cheap compared to a lot of other rifle calibers. I bit the bullet and bought 500 rounds and will start reloading the brass once I shoot it all.

 

[GD]

I have two - one scoped and the other in original condition. Both rifles are very accurate. The scoped one is one of my favorite hunting rifles. Got a deer at 275 yards two years ago.
As far as ammo is concerned, modern .303 hunting cartridges are not any more expensive than any other ammo. I still find surplus ammo at gunshows for around 30 cents per round. I have a good supply of surplus that I bought 5 years ago at 18 cents per round.

 

[aka108]

At one time I owned 7 No 4's. Sold off 5 of them, 4 of which were very inexpensive mixmaster. Kept two that were unissued 1955 production rifles that cost 90 bucks each when they first arrived over here. I shoot one and one has yet to be fired. Was lucky and over purchased HXP Greek 303 when it was about as cheap a 7,62X54 is today. They are great rifles but can beat up your sholder when fired off a bench.

 

[A Historian]

My second rifle was a mid-war produced No. 4 mk. 1. I bypass the expensive ammo problem by handloading my own ammunition. Despite everything going against it, I can still manage 2" groupings at 100 yards.

So nothing to complain about - unless you're a deer.

 

[Ignition Override]

You might say that.
After first contracting "Jungle Carbine fever", the main reason I bought a second Enfield (first #4) was to reduce wear on the #5.

Two #5s, three #4s now live here.

You might know that many 2-groove #4s have real problems with Boat Tail bullets at 100 yards. One of my 2's does good, the other keyholes really bad with those very common bullets.
Let's count our blessing that Enfields are not the chic rifle to own.

 

[DougW]

I love when madcratebuilder shows his rifles. Mine are good to fair, his are ALL very good. Especially the "T's"!

 

[Ignition Override]

DougW/madcratebuilder:

You guys, along with the Aussie moderator "Tikirocker", might be LE gurus for many of us who are novices.

 

[nathan]

Heres my take, Ill take a No 4 rifle first and foremost to a .30 30 lever rifle if both are layed on the table. Theres just something of how it feels and the micrometer rear sight is so cool. The recoil is mild and pretty accurate. But you have to shoot it to appreciate it.

 

[rondog]

Couple months ago I only had a No.5 carbine, but now I have a No.4 Mk.1, a nice no.1 Mk.3, and a sporterized No.1 Mk.3. Just had the No.4 and the intact No.1 out yesterday, put about 40 rds. through each. Couldn't hit diddly under 100 yds., but I was busting up large rocks on the hillside about 500 yds. away with ease. Haven't tried them on paper yet.

 

[dirtyjim]

Love the Lee Speed dirtyjim.

It is very high on my want list. I better snag one before they get any more expensive though.

prices are all over the place on them because they were available in so many different configurations.
i paid around 700 for mine about 3 years ago because it has two extra holes in the side of the receiver for a side mount and the engraving on the bottom of the magazine was completely wore off. without the extra holes and with a better condition magazine it would have easily been a $1500+ gun.

they do still show up on the auction sites from time to time and there is a nice one listed on guns international
http://www.gunsinternational.com/Woodward-Lee-Speed-303.cfm?gun_id=100152551

 

[earlthegoat2]

Yep, I kind of keep an eye on them on GB. There have been a few that have sold for around 1100-1400.

 

[dirtyjim]

there is a gunbroker seller by the name of FairFaxx that has been liquidating his collection over the past few years and he might still have a few of them left.
you mighy try emailing him through gunbroker, his guns are priced at market so you wont get a deal but you wont get taken

 

[leadcounsel]

So, for the .303 No4 Mk1 is $200 a good price?

 

[OhioChief]

I know this is clearly wrong thinking, but having some experience with british cars, I never wanted to trust my life to a british gun. I know, apples and rocks, but it's a mind set. However, I am a big fan of their beer, so maybe that should be my comparison.

 

[dirtyjim]

we cant compaire car to rifles, we all own yugo & russian rifles but no one in their right mind would own a yugo or russian car.

having a land rover as my only means of transportation for the last 7 or 8 years i will say that most bad experiences with british cars are due to lack of maintenance or not knowing what you were getting yourself into beforehand.
british cars are like supermodels, if they don't get what they want they throw a fit and nobody's happy.
why don't the british build computers? because they haven't figured out how to make them leak oil

 

[DougW]

leadcouncil, $200 these days is a good price.

 

[leadcounsel]

Thanks, it looks like I'm buying it for 200 and it comes with 50 rounds...

 

[madcratebuilder]

I know this is clearly wrong thinking, but having some experience with british cars, I never wanted to trust my life to a british gun.

I agree and fortunately LE's do not have electrical systems. Darth Lucas, the dark lord of electronics.

So, for the .303 No4 Mk1 is $200 a good price?

That's a good price. Be sure and check the head space. Bolt heads are marked 0-3. The higher number is normally a few thousandth longer but not always. If correcting head space you have to measure to be certain, a higher number can be shorter.

Here's a chart compiled by a brit collector showing the variations he recorded.

 

[bigedp51]

The problem is madcratebuilder doesn't put enough "detail" in his Enfield photos making his photos rather "dry" and without "true" meaning.



On top of this madcratebuilder doesn't have a Paul Hogan Magnum Roo Light for any of his Enfields.

 

[jolly roger]

Love my Longbranch 1950. I reload new Winchester brass with Speer 125 FMJ bullets. Shoot those plinking with 3031 to chamberform the brass. These shoot pretty decent btw. Then fired brass get the match treatment, primer flash deburr and clean, neck size only with Lee collet die, then load with Sierra 174 match bullets and a Federal match primer with an appropriate medium dose of RL15, same powder I shoot in my 700 Police 308. These "match" rounds will make the Longbranch sing. MOA is no issue when I do my part. Sometimes below...with irons.

 

[DougW]

bigedp51, I love the tactical light set up on the #4mk1!

 

[BrocLuno]

Like 'em all. Love that African provenance

 

[HoosierQ]

Sold all my commies to fund one. Totally over the Nagant thing...totally.

I don't care that ammo is more. All that 7.62x54R (or almost all) was corrosive, who needs that. SKS...well it's a lot of gun for the money that's for sure...and so is the Nagant of course. But the SKS is awkward, too heavy, and I hated that bayonet.

So now I have a nice new No. 4 that I literally picked 20 minutes ago. Pics later. I don't care that ammo is more expensive because I will not shoot hundreds of rounds through this thing in anything like short order.

 

[DougW]

HoosierQ, you now heve a disease that has no known cure. Enfielditis strikes down even the strongest!

Repeat after me....

ammo,......ammo,......need more ammo...........................

 

[shinz]

A no.5 was my first centre fire rifle, a No.4 not far behind it. I've had several others at times but those two will stay with me till I no longer care. What Doug says, its a disease.
Steve.