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Legacy Member
About a third of the SMLEs I had are marked on the left side with the Naval issue "N".
The No4s have no such mark, I thought it was the Canadians that supplied the Enfield's to the Italians, all the No4s I had from this batch have been Long Branch versions with 2 - groove barrels.
Several of the No4s only had handling marks and appeared unfired apart from proof.
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05-26-2014 02:43 PM
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It could well have been specifically the Canadians Simon. I suspect they probably went Navy to Navy & it may well have been that they came from RCN stores.
I only bought a couple of the No4's, but found exactly the same as you - we looked through about 50 & they were all 2 groove LB rifles. In fact this is why I only bought two of them - we all know that a good 2 grove barrel will shoot as well as a good 5 groover, but to all of my potential customers 5 is bigger than 2 so it must be better......
ATB
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Thank You to Roger Payne For This Useful Post:
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Advisory Panel
You made me chuckle Rog!
Funny; I've been shooting No.4's for 30 plus years and I usually reach for a favorite old former Canadian
Army issue, '42 date Long Branch with post war Parkerized finish as FTR'd at CAL in the 50's or 60's with the dreaded 2 groove barrel!! I use it as a control because it's perfect!!!
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Thank You to Brian Dick For This Useful Post:
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Legacy Member
Has anyone ever established if there's notable accuracy differences between two and 6 groove barrels? As far as I know there aren't, but then I'm very much in the "Wandering Zero on the Jungle Carbine was a myth" camp too.
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Advisory Panel
If you search through older threads here, you'll find Peter Laidler
has spoken at length about both of these stories. Others too...it's all here.
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Ah.......but you didn't use a No5 during a short fleeting gun battle Colonel. When both you and the rifle got very hot.........
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Legacy Member
Ah.......but you didn't use a No5 during a short fleeting gun battle Colonel. When both you and the rifle got very hot.........
Admittedly this is true. The closest I've gotten to that is rapid fire events in service rifle competitions and I maintain any accuracy issues will have more do to with me and the fact I'm trying to throw rounds downrange as fast as I can work the bolt than they will with a wandering zero,
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Advisory Panel
It could well have been specifically the Canadians Simon. I suspect they probably went Navy to Navy & it may well have been that they came from RCN stores.
I only bought a couple of the No4's, but found exactly the same as you - we looked through about 50 & they were all 2 groove LB rifles. In fact this is why I only bought two of them - we all know that a good 2 grove barrel will shoot as well as a good 5 groover, but to all of my potential customers 5 is bigger than 2 so it must be better......
ATB
Appears to have been a navy to navy transfer...
RCNAD = Royal Canadian
Navy Arms Depot St. Hubert Quebec and Dartmouth Nova Scotia
Enfield Rifles FROM ITALIAN NAVY
EUROARMS - ENFIELD RIFLES FROM ITALIAN NAVY
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/a-Enf-4_cassa_1.jpg
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/Enf-4-test_03.jpg
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/a-Enf-4_exam_1.jpg
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/a-Enf-4_exam_4.jpg
I like the barred out "DP" rifles
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/Enf-DP_01.jpg
http://www.euroarms.net/EFD/enfIMG/Enf-DP_02.jpg
Last edited by Lee Enfield; 05-30-2014 at 01:32 PM.
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Advisory Panel
At least the Italian
distributor went to the trouble of sorting out the the bolts and returning them to the correct rifles; kudos to them for that.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Edward Bernays, 1928
Much changes, much remains the same. 
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