Enfield No4 GROOVED Rear Handguard

[usabaker]

Hi All Enfield People.

As I have been looking at Enfield No4 Mk1 rifles I've noticed that some come with grooved rear handguards and some don't. Is this specific to a manufacturer or year?

Thanks Bill

Information

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[22SqnRAE]

As I have been looking at Enfield No4 Mk1 rifles I've noticed that some come with grooved rear handguards and some don't. Is this specific to a manufacturer or year?

Bill,

Welcome to the confusing and consistently inconsistent world of the Lee Enfield Service rifle.

A short and accurate answer to your question is "No."

But (...there is always a 'but' with Lee Enfields...) you'll usually find grooved handguards on the North American produced rifles more so than on English made rifles.

With the common logistics, sharing of parts in North America during production, and extensive servicing, you'll find grooves on all manufacturer's rifles.

I have a BSA Shirley No. 4 Mk 1/2 FTR by Fazakerley in 56 with both Brit and Canadian timber. So stocks did get used as is, where is, as required.

Just another little idiosyncrasy. Makes it really interesting to keep getting surprised by 'standards.'

[usabaker]

22SqnRAE,

Thanks for the information! I was wondering why I keep seeing so many variations. I am looking at a number of No4 Mk1* made by Savage and noted that some had the grooved handguard and some do not. I one I liked the best did not have a grooved handguard and the handguard was a darker color than the rest of the rifle. It looks like it was packed away after its time in the military and allot of the dings and stuff match to the lower but was confused with the handguard differenceb even though It's still covered in cosmoline (allot-lot-lot of cosmoline) and obvious its not been messed with for a very long time.

Thanks again!

[Mk VII]

You can find grooved ones even on postwar reconditioned rifles. Just one of those things.

[browningautorifle]

I one I liked the best did not have a grooved handguard and the handguard was a darker color than the rest of the rifle.

It was probably Walnut and the Savage was likely Birch...

[usabaker]

It was probably Walnut and the Savage was likely Birch...

Jim, Interesting!.. So if I was to buy this rifle and the handgurad is "Walnut and the Savage was likely Birch" if it would be a good idea to find a matching grooved birch handguard to put on the rifle. Tough call for me because I love battle rifles that show it.

[Peter Laidler]

Reality check time chaps........... If the rifle has been there and done it and been through an Army workshop then you can be rest assured that we didn't care what type of handguard went onto it so long as it a) fitted properly b) was serviceable c) reasonably well colour matched and d) went out, back into the line on time. No real Armourer that I have even known, since 1963 has EVER looked o see who made a part he replaced. We really didn't worry too much about the collectors market then. They might now - but I doubt it!

[browningautorifle]

we didn't care what type of handguard went onto it so long as it (c) reasonably well colour matched and

In this case it was what there was, so it wears a grooved Walnut over Birch...You won't find a grooved Birch as far as I know.

[Mk VII]

Brigadier Barlow (I think), says somewhere that his bunch of shooting team rifles were all colours and varieties of wood without regard to what they looked like, as long the bedding stayed put.

[usabaker]

Reality check time chaps...........

Hi Peter, I don't think anyone was questioning this or did I miss a post? I was just thinking it might be kind of nice to put back on the rilfe what it came with from the factory, if indeed it did come with a grooved handguard. But, i'm kind of torn in doing so since this is the way they rifle was retired after serving.

---------- Post added at 03:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:32 PM ----------

You won't find a grooved Birch as far as I know.

Jim, Is that because they dodn't make grooved birch or they are just hard to find?