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rare Enfield
Found this rifle on the internet for sale and although information supplied, I am not sure if it is all the information?? no price mentioned but i am sure it will be expensive. love some feedback from the authorities in this area.
Calibre/Item: 303
Make: Enfield
Model: Prototype Simplified Experimental No.4-P14 303 1942
Scope: Peep sight
Barrel Length: 25" round, heavy
Serial No: DD(E)3096
Condition: Excellent
Comment: POA..Enfield Rifle 1 of 5 made. Simplified Rifle Drawing No. DD(E)3096; June, 1942 CSAD Production/July, 1942 Bisley Tests/Not Adopted; Capacity: Six Rounds .303 British
Nearly unique, prototype Lee-Enfield rifle...this incredibly rare gun was one of perhaps five or six designed and assembled by the Chief Superintendent of Armament Design(CSAD) in Cheshunt, London during June of 1942. An exceptional find for the WWII or Enfield enthusiast, this rifle was conceived as a result of the pressures put on British industry by German bombing, combined with British losses on the battlefield. Foreshadowing the 'last-ditch' weapons churned out by the Axis nations in the war's waning days, this weapon was intended to provide the MoD with a faster, cheaper alternative to the excellent but costly No.4 Mk.1. A pre-production weapon that was never adopted, the construction is both clean and professional, with clear weld marks joining the main components. The features include a 25" round, heavy barrel, distinctive, under-barrel mounted bayonet, simplified front sight protector, fixed 6-round box magazine, simplified action with modified bolt, 2-leaf peep sight, and half-length(12") fore stock. The rifle has an appearance reminiscent of the No.4, owing, primarily, to furniture sourced from that model, but it is functionally closer to the P14('Eddystone Enfield'). Major differences between the simplified and No.4 rifles include a redesigned cocking piece, simplified extractor, and Mauser-derived bolt release, as well as the former's six-round capacity, non-removable box magazine, the base of which forms the rifle's trigger guard. Parts sourced directly from the No.4 include the buttocket strap, modified forestock with 'P'-marked end cap, the altered magazine and floorplate, as well as the modified buttstock, sling swivels and buttplate.
Conceived at a time when Britain's strategic situation appeared dire, these prototypes preceded the victory at El Alamein and were designed well prior to America's full involvement in the war. Intended as an expediency measure, many of the parts are stamped, the receiver base was formed from a simple, rectangular piece of metal, and, as a prototype, the sole markings consist of a firing proof on the barrel, the '300/600' on the rear sight, '400' on the front sight, the maker's code 'P' on the front band, and a few Broad Arrows on parts sourced from No.4 stock. Apart from a likely trip to the Bisley range to grade the rifle's accuracy, this weapon was never issued, and spent the remainder of the war in the Enfield Pattern Room collection, to be apparently sold and imported prior to the Korean War. A true piece of Second World War history, this example-one of five known, with three residing in the Royal Armouries Collection, and one formerly in the famous Bob Faris Collection-is undoubtedly the rarest Enfield variant currently on the market. An investment-grade arm, this CSAD-designed 1942 Simplified Enfield would be an unparalleled highlight of the most advanced collection.
Condition
Excellent with no evidence of refinish or restoration. The barrel, receiver and small parts retain 95% factory blue with wear to the high edges, as well as rubs to the forward band. No rust or pitting are present on any metal components, and the soldered portions are still in-the-white. The markings, detailed above and pictured, are crisply-edged and unbuffed, with no serial numbers, import mark or post-1954 proofing. The furniture is in correspondingly excellent condition. Free of any markings, it displays handling marks, dings, and a few minor pressure dents, but is free of cracks, chips or repairs. Mechanically excellent, the action is lightening-quick and smooth. The bore rates as excellent plus-bright with unfaded rifling beneath lint, it shows no sign of use.
Provenance: The Lifetime Collection of Allan Cors; ex. RSAF Enfield Pattern Room
*An identical and skeletonized rifle may be seen on p.238 of "The Lee-Enfield Story" by Ian Skennerton :wave:
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Previous thread discussion here. ;)
1942 simplified Enfield prototype
Let's try to keep content in appropriate forums and not duplicate efforts.
Regards,
Doug
