A couple things I have never seen on a No4 Mk1 before. Help needed.

[Guy JR]

I picked f few millsurps from a guy in my hunt camp last weekend. This 1943 english No4 Mk1 has a bolt cocking knob with no serrations and all metal is partialy covered with some old grean paint. I have read that the green paint was applyed after the war for anti rust protection and that the cocking knob was very rare because most were replaced because they werent safe. Do any experts here know more about this rifle? Should I leave the green paint? Whatever the case I got a good deal at $50.[/IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

Information

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[Alan de Enfield]

The smooth sided cocking piece was a wartime expedient to reduce cost / speed up manufacture.Whilst not 'rare' there are not a lot about as the were replaced during FTR / refurbishment.

Worth keeping either on or off the rifle.

[krinko]

The thing you need to find out about, is whether the cocking piece has a half-cock bent or not----some do, but if yours doesn't, it would be best to replace it.
I, too, have a green painted Maltby----and no idea when, or where, or why green paint was applied. This is much more than the regular anti-corrosion paint, which was below the woodline, mostly. It looks like some kind of attempt at camouflage.
-----krinko

[jmoore]

Don't replace it whether ot not it has the half cock notch. Especially if the bolt is numbered to the rifle and there's no FTR marks.

I'd just give it a gentle cleaning and a good oiling of the metal and wood- linseed oil on the wood; "raw" (as opposed to "boiled") if you can find it. It's an "experienced" rifle, but that's fine with me! No way I'd attempt to "improve" or "restore" it if seems to be reasonably matching.

The green coloured paint is consistant in colour and texture w/ other British rifles that were painted in service (that I've seen). Tan is the other common colour.

The cocking piece is really most appropriate to a rifle of this vintage, and as stated they were mostly removed post-WWII.

The more I look, the more I like the rifle- the most out of place thing on it is the fancy "Singer" Mk.I rear sight. I'd expect a two position Mk.II version.

[RJW NZ]

Green paint on enfields, especially under the wood line, was well known in the pacific theater to combat humidity caused corrosion, that rifle has been there, done that.
It's pretty neat, like the grass and seeds that fell out of my ishapore. I tried burning them but it didn't smell right, right.

[Peter Laidler]

Painting them below the wood line was an approved method of preserving the steel. It also applied to Brens, Boys etc but strangely, not pistols!

[krinko]

Found the photos of my Green Maltby.
Very similar to the one in this thread.










Still has the Mk2 backsight.

-----krinko

[Edward Horton]

Note: Normally issued Enfield Rifles were torn completely down once per year for inspection, including complete disassembly of the bolt. Painting the rifles was a method of eliminating the yearly tear down and inspection in wartime conditions.

When the Enfield was painted it went into the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" category and eliminated the yearly tear down inspection. ALL Enfields were painted even the rifles in north Africa.
"The painting will be carried out in ALL stations at HOME and ABROAD"

Would "home" in England be considered a hot tropical jungle?

Below dated November 27, 1940

[jmoore]

the contents of Mr Horton's post ought to be taken as a clue. I think that a rifle in it's "original WWII paint" (obscure warbirds humor) is more apt to be the "time capsule" that collectors of WWII gear fanatasize about (me included). After the war, maintainance and inspection returned to levels more in line w/ pre-war standards or were updated (in this case) per the EMERs.

That's what makes the rifles above rather more interesting to me- for whatever reasons they seem to have escaped the massive post war overhaul programs. Originality trumps "pretty"!

Contrarian viewpoints welcomed!

[krinko]

Whoever painted my Maltby didn't have a copy of the manual.
The green paint was applied to exposed metal only and as you can see from the front-end photo, it was painted with the front band in place.
As I supposed earlier, this has more to do with camouflage than rust prevention.






-----krinko