Info need on No4 Mk1 Skeleton shortened

[Bathurst72]

Hi, I have just acquired a No4 Mk1* which has been shortened sectioned. My No1 Mk3 variants have the bolt head sectioned. On this No4 the bolt head is not sectioned, missing the extractor as well, it does not have the same patina as the rest and the bolt head is NOS.

Knowing that most are different from each other, would they have sectioned the bolt head or not??????

Or, the bolt head has been replaced at some stage as the original sectioned one has been lost.

cheers

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

The bolt heads weren't sectioned on the original official issue skeletonised No4 actions although some might argue that they were! (they weren't) There was no need to section that part because you could see or easily understand what was happening to the striker via the slot on the left hand side of the body and corresponding slot in the bolt.

The extractor should be present so that the class can see and understand the principle of primary extraction - that you cannot override.

I always maintain that EVERY collection of Enfields should have one of these skeletonised rifles and one of the DP L59 rifles in it to be called a collection. Not least because numerically speaking, the L59 was the true '..... last of the line' and while not as rare as the L42, still a rare bird with only 3000 having been authorised for conversion

[Alan de Enfield]

Mine (apparently was 'recovered' from the Parker Hale factory after closure) has a sectioned bolt head.

[Peter Laidler]

I realised that there were some around with sectioned bolt heads that's why my reply was worded as it was. The '...original official issue skeletonised No4 actions' didn't have sectioned bolt heads according to the spec. I would assume that P-H did what their customer required but List at Dagenham did the 50's WD contract.

Looking at that photo............ Jeeeees, how did they continue as long as they did. I bet it wasn't an ISO1991 registered Co with a workshop/store like that

[Alan de Enfield]

Looking at that photo............ Jeeeees, how did they continue as long as they did. I bet it wasn't an ISO1991 registered Co with a workshop/store like that

That was part of the 'booty' that was left after PH closed the doors. "Industrial Archaeologists" broke in and found a 'lot of stuff' that shouldn't have been there.

You may find some of the pics on this link of interest (a forum for Urban Industrial weirdo's)

Report - - Parker Rifles The Gun Factory Birmingham 2010 | 28DaysLater.co.uk

"....pulled up to this site to see 6 police officers talking to the squatter next door and checking this building was secure sat in my car for 2 hours till they left then had a look the front is barred up and secure and the back is hard to get at so i walked along brums main railway to the back of the building and jumped a fence ......."






There are many other pictures and threads on this and other sites showing the PH factory.

[browningautorifle]

We've seen these sad pics before. I understand all this is long gone anyway.

[Beerhunter]

Are you sure that was not the A J Parker site, rather than Parker-Hale Alan. Those pictures look awfully like those taken of that site. (Armoury Works, Birmingham)

[Alan de Enfield]

Are you sure that was not the A J Parker site, rather than Parker-Hale Alan. Those pictures look awfully like those taken of that site. (Armoury Works, Birmingham)

I think you are correct - I'd just got PH in my head.

[RobD]

At least the Brylcream pot was still in place (penultimate picture).
Thank heavens they didn't allow themselves go to the dogs and let down British prestige.

[Hal O'Peridol]

My No4 skeletonized rifle, serial SKN2729 does not have the bolt head sectioned.

My No1MkIII one does have the bolt head sectioned, but it is one of those imported by JJovino, a Lithgow rifle.

It is my understanding that the Australian sectioned rifles are all pretty much different from each other, done as an apprentice project. There were general guidelines, but everyone of the Aussie rifles are essentially a one of.

That's what I heard years ago, not sureif still considered to be true, or if more info has come to light.