Advice for a college student looking to buy a No4. Mk1?

[lxvnrsw]

Hey guys,

I've been wanting to get a nice No4. Mk1. for quite some time (the one with the micrometer ladder rear sight.... I think). I'm looking to get a good shooter (not particularly interested in much else honestly, especially since I'm looking to not blow a ton of money) but accuracy/precision is key here and I might restore it a bit as an introductory gun smithing project (but don't worry guys, I'm not about to "bubba-ize" one of these beautiful rifles).

What should I look for in one of these rifles? Should I look at getting a different model/number instead? What's a good price to pay too, and anyone know where I can get one in Minnesota (near the twin cities)?

I'm also planning on reloading my own .303 ammo using a lee classic loader. Any pointers/direction there too?

I hope this isn't too many questions but I'm really curious to learn more about one of these great guns.

Thanks

Information

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[smellie]

**Ammo reloading pointers:
*keep your brass trimmed
*neck-size only
*lube the INSIDES of the necks (minimises case stretch)
*if you want accuracy, load to about 2250 ft per sec with a 180
*seat to the OAL of a Mark VII Ball round
*use the best brass you can obtain (my choice is Defence Industries, headstamp DI)
*Enfield rifling responds best to FLATbase bullets
*Sierra 180 Pro-Hunter works just fine

*SOME rifles will work well with the Hornady 150 Spire Point, but you seat it so the cannelure shows.

*I am running 37 to 38 grains of 4895 with the Sierra 180, 40 of 4064 with the Hornady 150. Both loads shoot better than I can, and that`s using a rest with sandbags.

**The Rifle:
*select your rifle for the condition of the bore, above anything else.

*Of the WW2 rifles, Long Branch (Canadian) were regarded as the best being made at that time. Savage made good ones also, some being commercial jobs (including the very early 6-groove barrels) for export to Britain, some being otensibly for the US Government..... and then Lend-Leased to Britain. These are the ones marked Ù.S. PROPERTY`on the left side of the action.

*The barrel should be free at the front of the fore-end and should press downward with a force of 4 to 6 pounds. If it doesn`t, you can fix it easily.

*The triggers on these rifles are simple and easy to adjust and they can be made VERY good, so don`t fret if the trigger isn`t perfect and the barrel is!

*There were SIX different rear sights for the Number 4 Rifle. That`s the bad part. The good part is that they interchange perfectly and it takes only minimal tools and 10 minutes to switch them.

*SOME rifles had the front-sight blade in a dovetail; it had to be drifted side to side to adjust it for the horizontal point of impact. SOME rifles (notably many of the Long Branch ones) had the front-sight blade in a special slit mounting,the blade clamped in by a special set-screw. You can make the special tool for adjusting this type of sight from a Phillips or a Robertson screwdriver: just grind off the tip and cut a narrow SLOT into the end of the thing. Works fine.

*Download a MANUAL for your rifle and learn it as if it were a textbook. Serious. Just about anything you will ever require is in there.

*Download a copy of SHOOT TO LIVE. This is a Canadian WW2 shooting instruction course in the form of an excellent book..... good enough book that it was used for many years after the Number 4 went out of style. The entire book is built around the Number 4 Rifle.

*If you need really detailed knowledge of the rifle, see and download Captain Laidler`s articles. I doubt there is ANYBODY who knows more about these rifles.

*You can do all your downloading right on this site. There is no other site that I know of which offers more information on these rifles.... and for free, at that!

Did I miss anything?

Oh, right: be sure to have fun!

And welcome to the club!
.

[Peter Laidler]

Advice from England.................

Pack some sandwiches and a flask of tea, get in your car and drive down to see Brian at BDL in SC. Spend an hour talking to him and let him take you slowly through what he's got in his stock. Pick the one you like and he recommends, THEN SHOOT IT on his range. Then clean it and he'll gauge it from tip to toe, before your very eyes.
Pack rifle into boot of car and drive home............, happy

[Brian Dick]

Thanks for that Peter. If life were only so simple! Of course, it wouldn't be the first time someone's done that. I'll take any excuse I can to go on the range. It gets me away from this stupid computer and all the paperwork I have to do!

Don't wait too long though. My supply of No.4's is starting to dwindle.

[lxvnrsw]

Well as much as I'd love to make a roadtrip down to SC, I fear that driving from Minnesota will result in me spending more money on gas than on the No. 4 altogether! It sounds like a long branch No. 4 is the way to go, and that 180 sierra bullets are the enfield's favorite.

I guess ultimately if I get a good price and a great rifle, I'd be more than happy to pay the shipping and transfer fee to have the rifle shipped to a FFL here in Minnesota. Although the offer of getting a hand picked, test fired, and gauged enfield is really enticing....

[Peter Laidler]

What'd be even better and worth the gas is having YOU select the rifle and having all the rest done in front of you, while you're there asking the questions. It's a whole lot better than someone telling you that he's already done it. Ever bought a car over the phone............?

[lxvnrsw]

Agreed, I would much prefer to be the one there asking questions and inspecting the rifle myself, but I feel saving the hundreds of dollars that it would cost me to drive down to SC is well worth the extra time researching for a good, trustworthy seller and the slight risk of getting a sub-par rifle. Although BDL does sound like quite the shop though....

[tlvaughn]

but I feel saving the hundreds of dollars that it would cost me to drive down to SC is well worth the extra time researching for a good, trustworthy seller

It is hard to find a better or more trustworthy seller than Brian.

It sounds like a long branch No. 4 is the way to go

Just so happens that Brian has a few of these for sale on his website.

[gsimmons]

bdlltd.com

[Brian Dick]

Be glad to hand pick one, patch the barrel, tighten up the screws and test fire it for you. I've got 10 wartime dated Long Branch No.4's left in stock.