Savage No. 4 conversion to Grenade Rifle

Recently obtained this Grenade launching rifle. It is based on an Enfield No. 4 Action made by Savage in 1942, the bolt is originally matching numbers. Interesting details is the butt stock, which seems to be a No. 5 butt stock (for the rubber insert?), as well as reinforcement screw in front of trigger guard and wire wrapping. The magazine is painted red, the barrel seems to be cut down and an oversize threading has been placed on it on which an oversize grenade launching cup is sitting. This cup has something on the outside that may be slid if a nearby screw is moved. The threading on the rifle as well as the cup have matching numbers (which are off the rifle itself, just to have it mentioned).



Has anyone ever seen this type of conversion before? Where I bought it there were originally one or two boxes full of those, so they must had been a larger scale governmental conversion. I picked this one for being based on a Savage rifle. Also, is there any chance to tell if this one was for tear gas grenades or for grenades?

I've seen them before, on a No. 5 at the time, I think. Designed to launch Mills bombs (hand grenades) and maybe smoke grenades, IIRC.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Promo

a No. 5 butt stock (for the rubber insert?)

---

Not the softest pad imaginable...interesting combination.

I once saw a modern picture of this type of rifle/smoke grenade launcher being in use during a riot.
The picture was part of a news article that i sadly didn't read but from the look of the people it was probably somewhere in southeast Asia.
I also wasn't smart enough to save the picture and i was never able to find it again....

I also saw one for sale in the UK, a few years ago.

My thoughts say police / riot control usage.
I would suspect conversion in India (but just guessing) It does appear to have been done well.

Question, in pic 6, the muzzle attachment looks like it might reduce the bore. Is it fact, or just my imagination?
Does it have any modification to the chamber to stop 303 Mkvii from being fired?

India made some similar rifles, There were some almost identical ones (a LE cut down and with a grenade launcher fitted) made up for the movie 'Star Wars' and something similar was mounted on AFVs.

Can you fit a No.36M inside that?
It may well be a slight distortion on my laptop screen but it looks slimmer as to take smoke or CS cannisters.

It was the Jawas that used cut down, grenade launching Enfields as 'blasters'

In Episode IV, one of the scavenging Jawas of Tatooine incapacitates R2D2 with some sort of droid-stunning Taser. Look close though and you’ll see that the weapon is actually a sawed off .303 Lee-Enfield.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tatou

I also saw one for sale in the UKicon, a few years ago.

---

That was a good hint, searched and it seemed most of those I had seen were sold to the UK where they were deactivated and sold off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ColinA

Question, in pic 6, the muzzle attachment looks like it might reduce the bore. Is it fact, or just my imagination?

---

No. Seems to be the original barrel until the muzzle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ColinA

Does it have any modification to the chamber to stop 303 Mkvii from being fired?

---

Actually I never considered putting a normal round in that chamber, but I do not think it was modified at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Strangely Brown

Can you fit a No.36M inside that?

---

If you tell me what a No.36M is I could possibly tell you :)

The 36M is the hand grenade commonly seen in WWII war films. Also know as pineapple because of the segmented outside, and the Mills Bomb. Still in common use in the 70s and later.

Google finds this supplier with "identical" rifles.

Lee Enfield No4 Grenade Launcher Ww2 dated S/N AU136341 - Saracen Exports

Yes, indeed - seems to be the same. Except that mine was not killed for stupid deactivation :) .