Strange Enforcer

[Brian Dick]

Many of the late serial number rifles in the 600-700 range were assembled from parts swapped directly to Charnwood Ordnance by Enfield when the Pattern Room was moved from Enfield to Nottingham. They are easy to distinguish as they have no serial numbers on the bolts but are otherwise assembled from new condition original parts. There were Savage Mk.1/3 receivers used including the last documented one produced, serial number 767 so it's perfectly feasible that some Long Branch Mk.1/3 receivers were also used.

[Gil Boyd]

Warren,
Agreed, but the rifle by virtue of its pure pedigree and the selection process it has undergone, will make it a sort after item in my view in the next 12 months, as I have been watching the price climb slowly but sensibly in comparison to the L42A1. The numbers available set the price in my book.................Lets see what happens?

[Alan de Enfield]

..........so it's perfectly feasible that some Long Branch Mk.1/3 receivers were also used.

Sort of like this one ?
I found this one in a Gun Shop "back room" - the guy had purchased the gun shop and when he moved in and took an inventory he found enough parts in a 'back room' to build more than a dozen Enforcers. These were ex Enfield 'sell offs' that the original shopowner had purchased at auction against Charnwood,

This action now resides back in Canada.



A lot of people insist that the Enforcers were built on new, specially selected actions - they were not !!!

The more you investigate the Enforcer story the more you begin to wonder !!!!

[Brian Dick]

Yes Sir. Exactly like that one. I imported a few of the Charnwood builds from CS Military Collectables in the 90's and early 2000's. I was happy to have them as built by anyone since I'd never seen one before!

---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

I see it's got a 19T proofed bolt installed. Does it have a matching serial number to the body?

[Alan de Enfield]

I see it's got a 19T proofed bolt installed. Does it have a matching serial number to the body?

I don't remember - it was a couple of years ago, Maybe the new Canadian owner will comment ( he does call in here from time to time)

[Gil Boyd]

Alan,
More surprising because 706 was forecast but on paper never built or attributed to an end user.
Very odd!!!

[Alan de Enfield]

Alan,
More surprising because 706 was forecast but on paper never built or attributed to an end user.
Very odd!!!

All 767 actions and other parts were manufactured and/or purchased but some number (50+ ?) were just never assembled, many of these 'parts' were purchased by Charnwood, and others, to be assembled and sold as 'new' Enforcers. Some such as 706 sat in 'back rooms' and were not assembled. The parts were sold off piecemeal to anyone wanting a specific Enforcer part, butt, handguard, barrel etc etc.

Are they Enforcers if they were not assembled by Parker Hale and Enfield, you'll have to decide for yourself !!

[Gil Boyd]

So in all these years of searching for the HOLY GRAIL, there could possibly have been more than one, or was it that Jesus had a load of spares...............thats what that sounds like, and it does make a bit of a mockery of it all. (no offence intended)

But in answer to your question, one has to assume a manufacturing standard was reached by Enfield under contract to get these 767 out on the ground, and that's what they did.
One also has to surmise, that 767 weren't just set aside and when they got to the bottom of the pile, thought job done.
Yes there probably would have been spare selected 4T actions laying around, but unstamped, because if my job was to stamp 767, that's what they would have got. No more no less.
It appears to me all 767 were not required and thats why there are so many gaps of unissued rifles in the lists, but their actions still lurk out there somewhere!!!
Feel your book sequel being written already..........the search for the lost actions!!

Someone will know that those unfinished but stamped actions were sold off as spares surely?? Maybe not, but I count and reckon 124 recorded to be made, but in fact werenever made up by Enfield, could that be right?

[Alan de Enfield]

but I count and reckon 124 recorded to be made, but in fact werenever made up by Enfield, could that be right?

Possibly but my research shows 134 not assembled by Enfied / Parker Hale

[Gil Boyd]

Alan,
Will this appear in your book on the subject as its quite an interesting point, as that makes it 633 legitimately built by Enfield /PH and issued from Donnington with the 134 out there somewhere, and whoever supplied the 767 total originally meant 767 stamped actions and numbered