Parts foe lee enfields

Greeting all. I would like to get a couple really nice lee enfield #4 series, #3 bolt heads in nice shape. And while I'm on a roll here a few of the old style #1MKIII
cocking pieces that have the knurled flange on the back. I'm doing a sporter based of a #4 action and it will be a loose interpation of a lee speed sporter. There is no way no how that I will ever have the money to buy one in nice shape for what they are going for today. Although they are beautiful rifles they are way beyond my wallet$$$. And being new here on this site I do not know the rules about exporting these parts from canada to louisiana. So any help along those line would be appreciated also. The project rifle will have a barrel similar to the heavy barrel remington has on their varmint synthetic. Fairly heavy, with the breech end made larger so as to have enough metal for the threads on the #4 action. Caliber will be 375/303British. Barrel will have a 1x14 twist. And since I shoot cast bullets will be a cast bullet rifle. Thanking you in advance, Frank

Hi Frank,

I wonder if, technically, we can describe your project as "restoration" - maybe more a re-creation or replica?

If I recall correctly (far from being an expert on these), the Speed Sporter was a commercial-made sporter variation?

There have to be parts you require somewhere around. I don't like the idea of getting some good candidates for restoration get cannibalized for parts, but these said parts can be found on their own...

Well you could sorts kinda call it a recreation of sorts. It all started out with a lonely rather scruffy #4MKI receiver. This receiver has been sitting in the bottom of a large cardboard box for close to thirty years. The front hole in the receiver has been buggered up by Bubba. Now Bubba does get around. You see him mentioned here in the states, Canada, Australia, The Mother Country and various other places. See Bubba is never caught doing his work on any firearm. Its only after he's left is when other folks discover how much he's improved their firearms. And folks being what they are just admire the latest improvements he's made. Shorter barrels, cut down wood (saves weight you know) The sights are also bubba's in the hopes that the owner will finally get that monster whitetail he's been chasing for the last twenty years. Sometimes the improvements he's made on firing mechanism's is truely remarkable to behold. Like the famous "no-touch" trigger. You pick up your latest improved bubba'd rifle line up the sights and bam. One dead deer or whatever else you happened to be aiming at at the time.Well Bubba i'm not. This is a project thats been swirling around in my mind for quite some time. I need the bolts heads to get accurate headspace and the flanged cocking pieces will sort of give my project a somewhat classy look. Will still be using wood from a Longbranch enfield buttstock, forend from a indian drill rifle and a few other bits. With the cut down receiver (no charger bridge) tha sight line will be lower and a good trigger job and maybe a good set of competition sights should make it a very accurate rifle.The wood will be sanded down to 600 grit and many coats of GB Brother's lin-speed oil will be hand rubbed into the stock. Your fellow shooting brother across the border Frank

Thanks Frank, I better see where you're coming from with this project!

Side note, good work on a potential "Bubba's Biography". Could be a good book project, and think of how great it would be to have this book reviewed on Oprah's show. :D

Up here in Canada, basic Enfield parts usually can be found in a gunsmith's "parts box". In the States though, I'm not the most familiar. I did buy on a few (or numerous) occasions parts from four US sources - BDL ltd, Springfield Sporters, Numrich, and Sarco Inc. Some parts I can't import from the US to my place (receiver for example). I know there are many other milsurp places in the States, but not a lot of them want to sell to a Canadian customer. Hope this helps,

Lou

louthepou, I've been fooling around firearms for close to 40 years. And just when you think you've seen everything Bubba can do. Up pops another of his mystifying creations. You gotta give Bubba his due. Like sata clause on Christmas night. Down the chimney and back up with the milk and cookies. Bubba's just like that. Does his work and boom gone in a flash. Thought you'd get a chuckle out of the little missive at the beginning of my last post. well will keep looking and see what turns up. Thanks, Frank

I sure did laugh, especially the no touch trigger thing.

Let us know what you are able to find down south and where that takes you. Post pics of the process if you can :)

Lou

lou, At first I thought that maybe my ramblings about bubba might have come off as kind of sarcastic. But as I continued thinking and typing about bubba it actually came out better than I had hoped. Believe you me, in about 40 years of fooling around with firearms I could say that I've seen it all. Nope, nada, zip.
Bubba continues to suprise me. Bought a marlin 30-30 in really nice shape. Yep, bubba strikes again. Glued the scope mount screws, ring screws, barrel band screws. How do I know??. As my routine when getting a new firearm I always completely disassemble and clean it. Broke two screw bits before I got the rings,
mount screws, and the bbl band screw off. Fortunately no damage but there were a few choice words directed at bubba's ancestery. Thanks for the kind comments and will see what can be found. decent lee enfield bolt heads and the old style cocking pieces are kind of thin on the ground here in louisiana.
Frank

Might be a problem using the Mk.III cocking piece on the No.4. I have one of the early Savage round headed cocking pieces for a No.4, would that turn your crank? Do you have some rhino horn for a forend tip? That would look classy.

Bubba;
A scope base WELDED to the reciever ring of a carcano rifle?
I won't go into what else he did for fear of making folks vomit.:eek:

Oh, and I certainly did NOT buy the thing.

I once ran into an Arisaka 99 rechambered in .30-06, and had a Remington 700 type safety added (which functioned) though the original safety did not.

Oddly enough, the rifle was functional and not all that bad looking........certainly in the "weird" category though.....

BCLOGGER, sorry to have been so long away. Did manage to get two #3 bolt heads but no cocking piece. Gun shows here in louisiana very rarely have anyone selling lee enfield or other military rifle parts except U.S. military rifles and pistols. If the cocking piece you spoke about is still available I'm very much interested. Have a Happy New Year Frank

If you are rebarreling, wouldn't it be best to start w/ a "0" or "1" bolt head?

Got ahead of myself. The #3 boltheads from australia were for another #4 MKI*.
The serial number on the bolt and the receiver did not match and I did the spent primer trick on a new case and was not satisfied with the depth mike readings I got. Luckily I found another longer bolt and with the #3 bolt head installed headspace is much better. Thanks, Frank