Welcome Home Shoot For No 4 T A1038

Hi all, thought I would share this with the forum.

Back in April I saw a very nice Enfield No 4 Mk 1 T on a U.S. auction site which ended up being discussed here on the forum at length and was well received. Having had so many positive things being said about it, it made me sit up and take notice! This led me to buying the rifle and after a lengthy import process I recently took receipt.

A1038 started life in 1933 as a trials rifle and then was later selected to be configured to sniper. I'm presuming she served a hard life through the war years in full trials trim, at the end of which receiving an FTR bringing her up to full production rifle specification, retaining the mag cutoff. Again, its a presumption but the general condition would suggest A1038 went into post war storage and most likely sold to surplus in the sixties as one of probably a thousand rifles. The buyer I would imagine was a dealer such as Interarms or suchlike which is when A1038's journey to the U.S. took place.

Amazingly the rifle appears to be untouched and in the same condition as the day it was sold to surplus out of the military. Lets bear in mind now the rifle was stripped into pieces by the auction house and shipped across the States, reassembled and then delivered to Brian Dick in SC, who in turn shipped across the Atlantic to the UK where the rifle was handed across the counter to me and yesterday A1038 went back to the range firing its first round of ammunition on British soil, probably in seventy years. Also poignantly my journey to Bisley ranges takes me past Enfield. What a journey she has been on only to come full circle to where things began for A1038 eighty one years ago as a trials rifle.

Knowing what I did of the rifle back to the auction house and then nothing beyond that I expected to have some zeroing to do, however after a quick bore scope which looked ok I cracked on with a test shot.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...d811207f-1.jpg
I was absolutely amazed. The impact of the first cold shot at 300 yards fell just below the V bull. The rifle delivered every round in or next to the V bull all morning.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...61c20272-1.jpg
What a testament to the engineering of the day and the skills of the armourers who made this technology work!!
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...950b5442-1.jpg

chosenman: So I guess it's safe to say "it holds it's zero"! Amazing. That also looks like a tremendous range you're using.

Ridolpho

I'd say that's a military range...

Welcome to Bisley!

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Originally Posted by Ridolpho

chosenman: So I guess it's safe to say "it holds it's zero"! Amazing. That also looks like a tremendous range you're using.

Ridolpho

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The old war dog made of wood and steel hasn't stood down yet!

Ridolpho, the range is the hallowed ground of Bisley. The particular range in the photo is Century range which extends back to 600 yards.

The rifle is but half the equation, the ammo and the user...

With some searching an original bolt could probably be found in the UK; but obviously the refit was done properly.

Rifle, ammo & user...........?

Shouldn't that be 'but a third of the equation' Rob? (Truly & earnestly sorry, but the pedant in me couldn't help it!);)

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Originally Posted by Surpmil

The rifle is but half the equation, the ammo and the user...

With some searching an original bolt could probably be found in the UK; but obviously the refit was done properly.

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I like to think I'm a half decent shot, Her Majesty spent a considerable amount of tax payers money to have me trained. The ammunition is Target Master loaded by HPS Target Rifles Ltd, so decent quality ammunition, however a competent shooter and good ammunition requires a well built weapon to deliver the accuracy.

I would suggest the well fitting replacement bolt was maybe done as part of the FTR. Maybe Roger would be able to expand on that.

Thanks Steve. I'm not familiar with the rifle in detail as I know some forummers are. It is probably going to be practically impossible to know for sure if the bolt is an ordnance replacement or the work of a competent civvy gunsmith, although it seems to have been done well if the groups are anything to go by. If the rifle has a uniform finish (including the bolt) & that is suncorite then it may point towards ordnance work, as would of course FTR markings. It's only an observation but I also think that most civvies are more reticent when renumbering bolts - they *****-foot about at it, with resultant shallow stamps. The military don't seem to be troubled by such niceties & belt the numbers in. But again, I'm speaking in generalities.....there are always going to be exceptions.

It's a lovely rifle regardless & I'd certainly give it house room.

ATB.

When I examined it, I had no reason to think the bolt was replaced by anyone other than the MoD when it went through FTR. Leave it alone. It is what it is and right as rain.