Interesting No4 rifle

The history would seem to include having the three holes for the rear pad filled in with weld. Presumably the front holes as well, but that's not clear from the photo. Whoever did it could have at least found a MkI cocking piece for the poor old thing.

The linished butt socket usually indicates some time in India's sunny clime, so perhaps it was stripped of the pads out there and some enterprising soul in the UK thought to "improve" things by filling in the holes and hot-tank bluing it.

We all see the modified non-original backsight, magazine etc. Would have been better off with a coat of Suncorite IMHO.

Its amazing how many rare rifles (particularly No4Ts) that they seem to get hold of that have never existed before they got them

Mismatched wood, numbered to a different rifle.

Different finish on different metal parts.



Interestingly, the last two Trials No4s I've come across "in the wild" were both built up as 7.62mm target rifles. I get the feeling that, long ago, in the 1970s, some UK gunsmith deliberately selected Trials receivers, maybe because of the overall quality of finish and dimension - i.e. in the same way Whittaker used 4(T)s because of perceived qualities. I wonder if this rifle has been rebuilt from such a receiver?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gil9713

Is this it??:

F1810 ENFIELD NO4 MK1 TRIALS RIFLE .303

Gil

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Yes, that's the one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thunderbox

Mismatched wood, numbered to a different rifle.

Different finish on different metal parts.



Interestingly, the last two Trials No4s I've come across "in the wild" were both built up as 7.62mm target rifles. I get the feeling that, long ago, in the 1970s, some UK gunsmith deliberately selected Trials receivers, maybe because of the overall quality of finish and dimension - i.e. in the same way Whittaker used 4(T)s because of perceived qualities. I wonder if this rifle has been rebuilt from such a receiver?

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I believe it. I had one that got that treatment at Fultons in the 60s or 70s, it was a not a (T) conversion either.