My second try at owning an Enfield...

[Allred]

Sure hope it is more successful than my first try. I'm the one who bought a No. 4 Mk II that ended up being identified as having been marked "ZF", unsafe to shoot, and had to be returned to the seller (long story, not yet completely resolved) .

Hopefully my second attempt, a No. 4 Mk l, will be more successful. I purchased it from a reputable mil-surp dealer an just received it today. This evening I cleaned the barrel and bolt, along with the rest of the exterior. The bore appears in good condition shiny, with good sharp edged rifling. I can see no pitting or corrosion. The muzzle also appears to be in good shape. I'll have headspace checked, and if that is acceptable, test shoot it next week.

Only the importer's serial # MK416575 appears readily visible. I'll post a link to photos where that can be seen. The only other readable markings I can find are: "EA28091A" on the metal "wrist band".

There is, however, very faint remainders of what must have been the original serial numbers, that apparantly someone attempted (pretty successfully it seems) to have polished out. With the light just right, and a magnifying glass, I can just barely make out:

No. 4 MK 1 ?????6743

the missing numbers may be one of those below, it's very hard to tell:

?OF??
R305?
FUF??



More pictures at this link:

British Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 - RAllreds Photos

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[BushyFromOz]

Have you found any manufacturers marks on the hardware / barrel / receiver below the wood? I'm know very little about No4's, POF could be paki made.

[jona]

Most probably the letters are ROF/F for Royal Ordinance Factory/Fazakerley. That serial would make your rifle one of the rifles imported by Century Arms from Turkey

[Pablo]

Theres a no. 4 for sale online with seriel #MK413889 and its an import from turkey. Not sure if its a Faz though.

Nice rifle mate. Hope she shoots well for you.

[Allred]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am away from home for a few days for work. I'll be back in a few and will round up some factory ammo for test firing. Then if all goes well some .303 reloading dies will be in order soI can fuss with some custom loads. My objective is to shoot the Enfield in the local vintage military competitions, where Garands and Springfields or Mausers are a dime a dozen. Hardly see any Enfields. Hope I can at least hold my own against that type of competition!

One thing that might help, is it possible to swap the dual aperture rear sight for the graduated "ladder" type with single aperture, that appears to offer a more flexible adjustment, finer adjustment, for long range?

Thanks,



Allred
Riverton, Utah

[RJW NZ]

Well done with the purchase, she should do all the right things for you.
That would be a yes on the rear sight. I'd reccomend getting the price from springfield sporters and numrich in that order before you try ebay. Ebay prices on those sights have risen quite a bit over the last year and I think the best deals might be on othe rplaces. Make sure though, that you get the one with a wind up elevation adjustment, not the spring loaded catch type, you'll see what I mean i you look at a couple on ebay, type in enfield sight and you'll see a dozen or more.

For anything and everything enfield; Enfield Resource - 100 excellent links. 150 links to everything enfield.

And lastly accurizing tips for no4 mk1's;
1) the barrel is semi floating, so if you see that the top front handguard has slipped forward and is touching the front sight it will mess with your shooting, undo the mid band and slide it back. If you can slide it back and forth with hand pressure consider putting a couple of layers of post it paper underneath the band so it will grip more firmly. If any wood work is binding on the barrel/sight it could group to one side or shoot like a shotgun and not make small groups.
2) Make sure the big screw in front of the magazine is tight and binds the fore end firmly in place. (Don't go crazy and break the screw, just make sure its normally tight and firm) If this is loose apart from splitting the fore end into kindling your shots will string out vertically.
3) If you have a big long slot head screw driver make sure that the screw inside the butt stock is very tight. If this is loose your shots will go for long walks left and right. I use a square shank one and get an adjustable spanner or exact wrench onto the shank to do the turning.
Happy trails ...

[Allred]

Thanks to you who have replied with useful info about my No. 4 Mk 1. I haven't yet dis-assembled it to look for more markings, but did get a chance to shoot it at the range this afternoon.

Using Winchester factory loads, 180 grain Power Points (soft point) at 50 yards, shooting from a bench and sandbag, I got a 2" five shot group on the first target, and a 3" five shot group on the second. That might not be to impressive to some, but for me, with my old eyes, and iron sights, it's pretty good! I am pleased, and think with some tweaking, and more practice, I can do better.

Both groups centered about 3" to the right of point of aim. How do I go about making a minor windage correction? I assume it must be done with the front sight, but I am not familiar with the workings of same. Can anyone advise or point me to a source of sighting instructions?

Is there any provision for elevation adjustment other than the two aperature "flip" type sight on my rifle? (one aperature for 300 yards, the other for 600).

Finally, what is the weight diameter, and type of bullet, and velocity for which these sights are calibrated? Though I may want to experiment with a lighter bullet (I am not a hunter, just want an accurate target load), I imagine it would make sense to load close to the military issued cartridge.

Thanks in advance for suggestions!

And, RJW NZ, hope you and yours are free from earthquake harm

[Baal]

There is a tool available that hooks over the sight protector and allows you to adjust the front sight. See attached photo.

I've seen mention on this site of folks who make their own tool. Maybe someone will chime in with how to do that.

For elevation, you can change the mk2 rear sight to a mk1 style. Or if you want to keep the rear sight, you can try a different height front blade.

The Lee Enfield sights are calibrated for a 174 grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2440 ft/sec.