Mk4 Question

Are there holes in the receiver ring? Is the barrel original (numbered) to the rifle? Could be someone drilled down through the receiver ring, either of this action or another your barrel was on before, and down into the chamber. Have you inspected the upper surface thereof?

Have you actually fired it, to see what happens? You're in so far, a few cartridges wouldn't cost much to find out.

I had that happen with Lithgow Mk III the story the armourer gave me an insect may have gone down the bore and carked it in the chamber and the acids etc ate a good chunk out of the chamber, at that stage I was not really that up to speed on getting weapons checked. (Maybe far fetched but still a story non the less)
After firing the weapon and having to belt the bolt handle on a strainer post to get it open revealed a 1/2" rut in the chamber and a nice mirror image bulge in the case but I learnt a few things,
Do not rely on the sales pitch the weapon is as good as the day it left the factory, always have the ol'girls get the once over from a gunsmith, this has proven a good ploy as a brand new rifle I brought an M-40 replica was sent back because it was a POS with a cracked stock split behind the mag well, chatter marks on the crown, chipped land, rust in the barrel and just lotsa probs so it pays to utilise your trusted gunsmith.
The SMLE extractors are fairly tough as proven by how the round was extracted utilising a strainer post.
They are a well made weapon as why it did not blow the bottom of the chamber out and possibly cause myself a serious injury is probably good fortune more than anything else. :dunno:

Can anyone recommend a good Enfield gunsmith?

Brian at BDL Ltd in SC. But Brian ain't a gunsmith, he's the man you want.......... An Armourer!

You guys are a wealth of information. Thanks so much