A No4 Lee Enfield in 45 acp :)

Hi folks,

Thought I'd share this here. A guy in Canada made a run of barrels for the No4 action, chambered in .45ACP, and ordered magazine adapters from the US. I bought one kit, and in echange for some labor which this fellow did for me, I agreed to "dress up" his .45 No4. I'll work on mine later this year...

So here's the result; the barrel's final shape isn't done yet (the owner will do it), nor is the metal refinished, my responsibility just involved the wood. It was my first attempt at carving a cheek rest, which took longer than I'd hope (true fitting between it and the butt stock isn't regular shaped!)

Lou

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture074-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture076-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture078-1.jpg

Range report prhaps?

I wish I could try it at the range! This one, which doesn't belong to me, still has to get its extractor groove machined on the rear face of the barrel.

Meanwhile, my own .45acp No4 is far from ready. Too many jobs for other Lee Enfield enthusiasts to work on my own guns... :(

Hopefully this summer, I'll make the time for this project.

Lou

I now have got some work done on mine. Used a barrel I had on hand, which needs to have a Savage 110 type barrel nut made. Or, I could just use some thread locker until I get the nut made. That would enable test firing.

I built one years ago and they're great. I used a little fixed four scope and now you could use a red dot or something equal because of the shorter ranges acheived with .45. Just like a giant .22 rifle. I was loading a .4525 half jacket(.45 Colt) bullet with excellent results.

I did such a conversion on a Golden State Arms 03A3 about 20 years ago. Used an old Volunteer Arms 45 barrel. Of course the bolt head was not a problem, but without checking to be sure, I would figure you would have to reconfigure the 303 bolt head. Enlighten me on that issue, as I have a junker No4 floating around taking up space.

I just used the bolt head as is.

I,ve built 3 all work fine, first was based on a Rhineland arms kit, the other two I purchased the barrel blanks and chambered, threaded (had a locking ring similar to the savage) and profiled to suite, the mag adapters were from another builder of the kits but were double the price of the ones from rhineland.

Interest dropped over here as a company was producing De-Lisle carbine replicas, and also another company who produce AR15,s produced a 9mm version that was a blowback but the bolt was released by a lever.

I think I mentioned this in another associated thread and apparently, if you use a 7.62mm L39/42 extractor, the deeper claw pushes the spent case hard into the inner side of the body and the extra friction positively ejects the case

I got a kit a bit ago from Special Interest Arms and did the conversion on a rough No.4 I had. It went well and I really love the rifle. I load .45 Super for it, trying to get the most out of the strong action and longer barrel. The receiver was already D&T'd so it now also sports a cheap scope I had lying around. I modified the standard extractor, but I'm not really happy with it. Where might one find a 7.62mm L39/42 extractor?

Try Brian at BDL in SC

Will do, thanks.

Hello , i've got a Delise replica ( with originals selling for about $ 3000 US - it was a lot cheaper to get a repro built ) fully silenced, shoots well out to about 75 metres , the only problem is magazines--a complete pain to build / get built, so i've been trying to get a magazine adapter, but none of the US makers { SIA , Valkyrie , Rhineland } have replied to my e-mails, & they don't seem to have telephone numbers, so I don't even know if they're still in business.
any body any idea where i can get a magazine adapter ?
thanks
Al

I'm pretty sure Rhineland is gone, and SIA has been a bit in-and-out. I got the idea he was a part-time gun guy.

Armalon in the Uk were making Enfields in 45ACP:

Armalon - PC Gallery Rifles

Simon p , they don't reply to emails either( you would think that as i'm the same country there would see no problems supplying me ?? )-- tried phoning them three times so far, busy all three times

i'll keep trying
Al

Continuing the saga : finally spoke to someone at Armalon: polite but no joy--they don't do magazine adapters , have to rework the action totally
Just have to keep checking ebay {usa} and gunbrokers etc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jonnyc

I'm pretty sure Rhineland is gone, and SIA has been a bit in-and-out. I got the idea he was a part-time gun guy.

---

Rhineland still in business but not doing any conversion kits, more into stocks etc, SIA do runs of the kit when they get enough interest as far as I know, mag adapters are good, better mag release than Rhineland ones, but there is a nice guy I know who may do a run of a few here in the UK, but wont be untill a few months, but for anyone wanting to make one, you need to think outside the box, have a look at the 1911 frame without the grips not a lot there to hold a mag...

Bigduke: if you could supply more info re: mag adaptors i would be very greatfull, i thought about getting a cheap 1911 frame ( de-act or a good airsoft ) and getting a friend to knock up an insert { but there is still the hassle of height and angle, and the mag release cut out } -- but he is usually very busy and i wanted to do it the easier way.
but as i said earlier no bugger replies to my e-mails , not even to say no, and Armalon insist that there is way to have an insert, MUST be machined and converted.
so i will keep looking for made up adaptors ( the SIA one looks great )
Al

I haven't been following the thread too deeply but surely if it's a magazine adaptor you want - as in an adaptor to fit into the standard No4 housing that contains a .45ACP magazine, then it's a doddle...... no?

I/we don't know the position of the breech face, bolt configuration or exactly what you want/need but either way the mechanics of it are easy. Or am I missing something? Why don't you just do what engineering students learn early in their careers. Post a picture, pose the problem and ask for ideas?

peter.
i'll get a few photo's of made adaptors ( rhineland & SIA ) and stick them on here
the problem is the initial shape, same as a magazine, hollowed out at the correct angle { aprox 15 degrees ) and with the cut out for the magazine release at the correct height with 1911 magazine at the correct distance from the breech face
easy for an engineer, but i'm kack handed

i'll add 2 photo's for adaptors
one from Rhineland Arms & one from Special Interest Arms,
the thing that has annoyed me most about this, there is/ have been companies that make these things and they have never replied to emails / phone calls , i would happliy pay for them instead of the hassle to have it made up as a "one off " special

the 2 photo's
1) S.I.A adaptor
2) Rhineland Arms

alasdair,

Like Peter points out they are a simple thing to produce, once the Milling machine is back in action then, I can give you more info, when i mentioned the 1911, the basics of the mag channel in the frame is what I was getting at, if you make the front guide and rear and mount them in an a old No4 mag you have an adapter.
I have a drawing I produced to get them made, but like anything to get a hundred made is cheaper than 10, but I,m never going to sell 100 and in most cases they want the cash upfront, so its down to making a few myself, but am busy for the next few months.

bigduke
thanks for your reply, i'll keep searching and checking on here, i'll try and get someone i know interested in making one up, but he's always busy and i wouldn't want to take him away from { better } paying work to do a time consuming ( to set up anyway ) one off job

hello all, progress report: sort of, still no replies via business emails,but while on the SilencerTalk forum i managed to PM Richard from SIA who seems like a nice guy, just too busy, who said YES they sell the magazine adapters BUT he will be to busy for at least the next 2 weeks to make any
i wait with bated breath,
will let everybody know, if this all comes together i'll post some pictures ( if / when )
{ Bigduke , i'll be interested if you make a mag adapter up too }
thanks
al

Diversing a little, there was an article in the Lee Enfield Rifle Association (LERA) journal AKA Dispatches where someone converted his No4 to fire .32 ACP or .32 Long using a permanent chamber insert & mating a pistol mag to the standard No4 Mag.

thanks ,
i'll read it

Jeeees, are those magazines complicated or what..............? I made a 9mm No4 that fed from a standard L9/Browning magazine straight into the 9mm chamber. The 9mm magazine was simply fixed into the standard magazine.

I've leartned two very important phrases in my life as an Armourer. The first is if it ain't broke, don't fix it and the second should apply to perceived magazine problem. Keep it simple stupid

The same should apply to those who have a magazine-less No7 rifle............ You can look forever for the real McCoy or you can just fabricate a good working magazine by fixing a cheap off-the-shelf plastic .22" magazine into a standard magazine with plaster of paris. If you ain't got the geometry right the first or the second or the third time, just throw it in a bucket of water and do it again until you get it right

didn't realise the acticle wouldn't be online ( i'm not a member of LERA),but there is an interesting video on Youtube

---------- Post added at 11:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 PM ----------

on 32 acp adapters

Well I'm looking forward to working on my own complicated .45acp Lee Enfield. My gunsmith called me and he's done machining the grove for the extractor on the rear face of the barrel. Oh boy I can't wait to try it out. Not sure how I'll dress her up, though. Short version of a No4?

Lou

Local class three dealer had a sample of one he will begin marketing soon on display at a local gun show. No 4 action with a modified trigger guars assambly to accomadate a 1911 magazine. Nice looking setup.