Cadet .22 conversion of No4 rifle

[Flying10uk]

In the 1980s we were using .22 conversions of the No4 rifle for target practice in the Army Cadets. I remember that these rifles had the fore-end woodwork cut short similar to the No5 rifle and the foresight replaced. There was also a blanking plate over where the magazine would have been. Did these rifles have any form of official designation and were they converted to a standard pattern?

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[bigduke6]

Think your referring to the No 8

[browningautorifle]

I had two of those so far back no one knew what they were. I used it against the inter-company small bore shoots when the others were using C#7s. Always got exceptionally good scores and they never did wake up to why. Wish I had one now...two actually, I could sell one for big money and still have the other.

[Beerhunter]

Yep the N.8 but although based on No.4/5 component parts they were not conversions but rather built from the ground up as training rifles.

BTW our government is about to scrap the remaining rifles on charge and we (British shooters and collectors) will NOT be allowed to buy one. The government would rather waste taxpayers money!

NOW is the time to write to your MP. Stress that they are not "weapons of war" but rather single-shot .22 target rifles similar to those used in hundreds of small-bore clubs around the country with no problems whatsoever.

[Flying10uk]

Thanks for posting the picture, bigduke6, it looks familiar. I'm remembering back 35 years or so ago; I'm not certain about the rear sight but everything else looks just as I remember it. I remember there was a piece of metal brazed into the receiver where the magazine aperture would have been which you could see when the bolt was opened. This was, probably, what made me think that they were conversions of No4 rifles. I remember that they were lovely rifles to shoot and I always seemed to get reasonably good groupings with the rifles. Judging from what people have said over the last few years the U.K. government must have scrapped thousands and thousands of weapons, of historical interest, in recent years and got next to nothing for them in scrap metal value when they could have been sold to reputable dealers for a significant amount of money. Whoever thought up this ridiculous policy?

[bigduke6]

Without getting political totally agree, but I was recently in a room that belongs to the MOD that had a mixture of Sub Machine guns, Machine Guns, Assault rifles and around 100 pistols of various types......some stretch back to WW1, all destined for the chop I,m told, as the MOD are not the original owners of some of them and believe that by destroying them all, they will never fall in the hands of the criminal.

It seems today the main concern is if they did sell on to an appropriate dealer and such a weapon was used in an unlawful manner then it could and would come back to them so the chop is the only way to go.

[Res]

As has been said, sounds like a number 8 but with Enfield's you never know-some unit could have had conversions some her in the world.

I love my no8, its only second to my no9 in my affections-but the 8 is by far the better target rifle, would like to get a second to fit with ph target sights

[Beerhunter]

As has been said, sounds like a number 8 but with Enfield's you never know-some unit could have had conversions some her in the world.

I wonder where they would have got them?

[Peter Laidler]

The only No8 rifles currently being disposed of are those ready for scrap due to lack of spare parts or simply worn out as in the normal course of events. There are reasonable stockpiles of No8's for those units, school CCF's and Army/Navy/RAF Cadets who still use these rifles as part of their training systems. And there are plenty who still use them in their Country Life shooting competitions.

They are still maintained and while no spare parts are being manufactured new, they will be maintained while stocks of spare parts are available by cannibalisation and existing stockpiles of spares and rifles are held.

As informed today by the equipment manager. Thanks Taff!

[Beerhunter]

However Peter the MoD has/will be asking for tenders for a replacement for the No.8 in the near future. Hence the remaining stock will be up for grabs soon.