newest piece to the collection

I managed to get an all matching 1950 C No4 Mk1* for $275 over the weekend. I've been trying to look up info on this rifle but few sites offer that good of info on it so I figured I'd come back here. How scarce are these rifles? It's the first I've seen in person for a very long time and this one looks like it saw little use at all. From what I can tell all of the parts appear blued but I'm not real sure that is the case (the pics will help). Any help and info I can get on this rifle would be greatly appreciated.

Poor beat up baby, I don't have much time for No.4's, but I sure feel sorry for this one.

sure it's got some dings and dents from its past before me but that just adds charcter to an already interesting rifle. For the most part the stock is in very good shape aside from some dings and dents here and there. There is some managable rust pockets on it that I plan to try and clean up as best I can without messing with the finish.

burb1989: Don't often see rust like that here in the dusty plains. Rifle seems to have a variety of metal finishes but the action body almost appears to have the greenish colour of many parkerized (and refurbed) Springfield O3A3's. If it isn't bluing renoving the rust without affecting the finish may be tough (I'm speculating based on what I did to a Pakistani No. 4 with grey parkerizing). I'd love to see some photos after you work on the rust. Is the bore good?

Ridolpho

This rifle is a perfect candidate for Electrolysis rust removal. Some good treads on how to do it...

To answer the question on the bore it is pretty crisp and looks like a good bore to shoot. I took it apart earlier and found that the metal underneath all the wood was very clean of rust so I think the rust is confined to the trigger guard and to the safety lever, where I have observed the most noticable rust. If a nylon brush and some solvent carefully applied can't fix the rust pockets then I will probably resort to an electrolysis bath.

I think its a neat rifle! I love the patina and dents and dings... I have one like that myself but mine has been through 2 wars! Lol. you know it has history when theyre like that...so I love it. And as far as the finish on the receiver it does look odd but id just try some coarse steel wool and oil...keep it simple

Yours is definitely a combination of blued and phosphated finishes. "Greenish" is phosphated. "Black" is blued. You can do a detailed breakdown in your post #116 in the sticky thread:

Do you have a 1950 Long Branch?

Just refer to Post #1 for the details.


I would not go crazy removing the rust. It almost always looks worse under the camera flash. Start with oil and an old toothbrush. Sometimes "rust" turns out to be petrified oil, but probably not this time.

For some reason the magazines usually look the worst on these rifles. Must have been that way from the start, as they are usually late production.

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I have one like that myself but mine has been through 2 wars! Lol. you know it has history when theyre like that...so I love it.

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I love it too! I have a '42 Long Branch that I posted on here a while back that probably saw 2 wars but who knows really. I knew when I saw this rifle I just had to have it and I bought it without knowing how hard it is to come by a '50 Long Branch, especially in Mississippi. I think, knowing what rifles all the experienced collectors in my area that I know have, I could have the only '50 Long Branch among them. It's cool to have a Korean War enfield that I know saw action somewhere. Plus the guy I bought it from took really good care of it and shot it almost regularly so I know it functions and has no headspace problems (it has a 0 bolt head too).

After I figure out how to post pics...I'll post oics of my beat to heck no4 mk1* its also a 1942 longbranch. Everything on the rifle is nice and in tact...has the micrometer sight, no cracks in stock, headspace is fine as well as everything with the bolt, has a nice and shiny 2 groove barrel. Mine is actually a DP rifle...but nothing is cut out or deactivated...gun is all matching including bolt and stock except for the magazine...im in missouri and i gave 210 rds of .223 surplus ammo and $110. headspace is perfect and everything locks up nice. I had a certified gunsmith check it out he said it was fine and shot it for me. I myself have put 10 rds through it. Its a fine shooter.

my '42 was a present from my uncle who had bought it sporterized sometime in the 60's and hunted with it for years before he just couldn't go out anymore. I desporterized it and it looks fantastic. Everything was parkerized on the rifle and it had its full length barrel so all I had to do was buy a stock set and a few parts and $270 later I had a keeper for a first gen mk1*.

Hi Burb,
Bloke I love all 303's each one has its quirks but a proven weapon through countless wars and conflicts rumour has it in the trenches in WWI when they jammed through mud & gunk the ol boys used to pull out the ol boys and leak on the action to wash the crud out true or false cannot say but a clogged 303 can be got going allot quicker than the Mauser actioned weapon anyway they are both good weapons in their own rite.
Now to your rifle all the screw heads look schmiko and not messed with, the rust is not a real issue except where it has pitted not much there to do, to clean the rust off use this method as taught to me by a WWII armourer WD 40 or RP 7 what ever you have and get this STAINLESS STEEL WOOL do not use the ordinary type nor the stainless soap impregnated ones.
Spray the SS wool and the area to be cleaned up with the lubricant and scrub away and it removes the rust without damaging the bluing, if you want try it on a blued area where you wont see it and there you go I have done this to some of my 303's and it does work, if you use the ordinary steel wool then you will wreck the blueing make no mistakes about that.
I use 70% raw linseed oil with 30% Mineral Turps mix on the stock (stipped from the rifle) apply librally and let soak 24 hours wipe off repeat again wipe off then finish with bees wax you can use fine steel wool (not stainless) on the stock to smooth it, steam the dents if you wish some wear and tear is ok unless it looks like a tiger shark has gnawed on it.
Word of warning with pure raw linseed oil and rags donot leave soaked rags scrunched up tightly as it can spontanously combust after a period of time so I have been told!!

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to clean the rust off use this method as taught to me by a WWII armourer WD 40 or RP 7 what ever you have and get this STAINLESS STEEL WOOL do not use the ordinary type nor the stainless soap impregnated ones.
Spray the SS wool and the area to be cleaned up with the lubricant and scrub away and it removes the rust without damaging the bluing, if you want try it on a blued area where you wont see it and there you go I have done this to some of my 303's and it does work, if you use the ordinary steel wool then you will wreck the blueing make no mistakes about that.
I use 70% raw linseed oil with 30% Mineral Turps mix on the stock (stipped from the rifle) apply librally and let soak 24 hours wipe off repeat again wipe off then finish with bees wax you can use fine steel wool (not stainless) on the stock to smooth it, steam the dents if you wish some wear and tear is ok unless it looks like a tiger shark has gnawed on it.
Word of warning with pure raw linseed oil and rags donot leave soaked rags scrunched up tightly as it can spontanously combust after a period of time so I have been told!!

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I'll have to try that. Thanks for the info! By the way does anyone know about these CNo4's? I've been trying to look up info on them but all I can find is that they were made for the Korean War and some were issued to the Mounties but other than that I'm clueless.

Hi Burb try Charles R Stratton book on the 4 & 5's ISBN 1882391241 or Skennertons the Lee Enfield Story according to Strattons book your rifle serial 93L5380 = Manufacturer - Longbranch and the 935,830th rifle made by them.

Thanks! I do need to order Skennerton's book along with the book on japanese rifles since those are the main rifles in my collection that I can afford.