Enfield No. 4 sniper in Vietnam

[stan61]

I noticed an interesting photo recently in a book I own called Special Forces at War, Illustrated History, Southeast Asia 1957-1975, By Shelby L. Stanton. On page 65 it shows a photo of Major David E. Shepherd Jr. holding an "Enfield Mark IV sniper rifle" while accompanying a Special Forces led "Ruff-Puff" patrol near Ben Luc in An Long Province 1964.
The rest of the men in the photo have U.S. M-1 or M-2 carbines.
Major Shepherd is listed as" a U.S. Operations Mission provincial representative and former commander of the Special Forces Training Group at Fort Bragg."
In the photo it looks like a scoped No.4T. It's hard to make out, but it looks like the more rounded .303 magazine on the rifle rather than the squared off 7.62 version.
It would be interesting to learn more of it's history in that war and how he came to be carrying it on patrol. Perhaps it came the route of the Australians in Vietnam as the book states a close relationship with them and U.S. Army Special Forces in that conflict.

Information

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[Thunderbox]

UK left behind large quantities of arms - especially Brens, No4s and Stens - in Indo-China after they occupied the area at the end of WW2. Quite possibly specialist weapons such as 4(T)s were still sitting around in South Vietnamese depots in the 60s. Perhaps 4(T)s were procured off the British, along with the numbers of Sten MkIIS that were used by US agencies.

[stan61]

It is amazing the variety of arms that were employed in SE Asia. French, Japanese, British, Swedish K's, U.S., as well as all the later Sino-Soviet and other Warsaw Pact countries models!

[Thunderbox]

Often reposted, but this photo has to take the "Enfields in Vietnam" prize........:

[me2]

Wow! Wonder what the final resting place for that old V turned out to be. Inglorious end for an aristocratic rifle.

[browningautorifle]

Would that ever be a nice vet bringback!

[Surpmil]

Interesting how the bolt handle appears to be bent forward. Comrade VC has not studied the sight settings apparently. But yes, where the H did they get that? And in such good nick to judge by the woodwork.

[Peter Laidler]

It doesn't look to me like it's actually got a back sight. The VC had thousands of LB and Savage No4's and Inglis Brens. In 1969 I had a 1963 FTR'd Inglis No1 Mk1 chinese marked Browning from them whose route to them was unknown. By 1969 it was unusual to see anything but Soviet/Chinese weaponry.

As a matter of interest, and it made the papers at the time, but the biggest weapon captured up until 1968 was a British made MOBAT anti - tank gun

[Thunderbox]

Interesting how the bolt handle appears to be bent forward. Comrade VC has not studied the sight settings apparently. But yes, where the H did they get that? And in such good nick to judge by the woodwork.

I think he has just fired a round, and the bolt has popped open in good old SMLE style. Being a No1 MkV, the rearsight has also self-adjusted itself forward! Interesting that the VC? shooter does actually appear to be taking aim properly through the sights; he's obviously a bit more aux fait with firearms than some of the Africans and Arabs I've tried to train in the past....

Rifles does appear to be in very good condition.

[bearhunter]

It looks like it may have been one of the transition pieces to the No4 Rifles. It would indeed be interesting to get it up close and personal to inspect.
I never had anything to do with Viet Nam other than to steam past it on the way back home. If the No1 and No4 rifles they had as well as everything else that was left behind by occupiers, was taken care of in the same manner of the stuff left behind in Africa, I would be extremely surprised if any of it survived. Unsupplied, irregular rebel forces have to use what they can get their hands on. Cleaning supplies are seldom part of the plunder. Those rifles got hidden in pits, without any protection from moisture amongst other places. I saw them in Africa where they were thrown into swamp muck and pulled out when needed. Cleaning or lubricating them, never entered their minds. Often as not, the ammunition, corrosive, went into hiding right beside the rifle. I suspect, the VC followed similar procedures and the attrition rate of their firearms was extremely high. Almost every Vietnam vet bring back I've ever seen was in atrocious condition. It's hard to say if they got that way before or after capture.
Maybe a few people with Vietnam relics could shed some more light on this.