Ranger 303 rifles

[Sunray]

"...the original 303 Ranger rifles..." Those are just Long Branch No. 4 Mk I* Lee-Enfields.
"...if you can purchase the older rifles?..." The CF hasn't released any surplus firearms for eons. Government won't let 'em. Literally thousands of perfectly serviceable No. 4's , No. 7's, C1A1/C2's, Inglis BHP's and Sterling SMG's were chopped, years ago. Some of the C1A1's and BHP's were brand spankin' new too. I've heard unconfirmed stores of there being 500,000 C1A1 rifles in storage. And all the BHP's I ever saw in Militia use were in horrible condition. Finish being worn off, primarily.
Was talking with a Reg Force guy I knew, years ago, who told me he witnessed C1A1's(might have been Lee-Enfields. It was years ago.) being run over with a Leopard tank on CFB Borden.
Gunparts, Stateside, got some parts, but the majority of the stuff was destroyed by government order.

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[Lee Enfield]

"...the original 303 Ranger rifles..." Those are just Long Branch No. 4 Mk I* Lee-Enfields.
"...if you can purchase the older rifles?..." The CF hasn't released any surplus firearms for eons. Government won't let 'em. Literally thousands of perfectly serviceable No. 4's , No. 7's, C1A1/C2's, Inglis BHP's and Sterling SMG's were chopped, years ago. Some of the C1A1's and BHP's were brand spankin' new too. I've heard unconfirmed stores of there being 500,000 C1A1 rifles in storage. And all the BHP's I ever saw in Militia use were in horrible condition. Finish being worn off, primarily.
Was talking with a Reg Force guy I knew, years ago, who told me he witnessed C1A1's(might have been Lee-Enfields. It was years ago.) being run over with a Leopard tank on CFB Borden.
Gunparts, Stateside, got some parts, but the majority of the stuff was destroyed by government order.

Well, being as they only manufactured about 88,000 C1/C1A1/C2/C2A1 rifles i question anyones ability to store 500,000 of them...

[stencollector]

A quantity of the no4 rifles are being sent to Colt Canada for deactivation. They will be made available to CF museums. Not sure if any live ones are being offered,as crazy as that sounds.

[303carbine]

The reason I ask is because I met a Canadian Ranger that has his No4Mk11 Enfield, he is willing to sell to me with all the accompanying paperwork and pics of him with the rifle.
He already has his new C19, I hope to get pics soon as he gets back up north, i hope to get the rifle about a week later.

[mrclark303]

The reason I ask is because I met a Canadian Ranger that has his No4Mk11 Enfield, he is willing to sell to me with all the accompanying paperwork and pics of him with the rifle.
He already has his new C19, I hope to get pics soon as he gets back up north, i hope to get the rifle about a week later.

Enfield Mk2 you say ... sounds fishy to me, I thought they only had Long Branch No4's issued?

---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------

Let me set the record straight.......
Rangers are not able to buy their old service rifle, they are being "gifted" them as long as he/she wants to keep it. They must have a valid firearms licence or else "no dice". Our patrol here in Dawson went thru this exercise about 4 months . Out of 33 Rangers..... they all were interested in keeping their Lee Enfield, mind you there were a few that had neglected to have in their possesion a up to date firearms licence (expired) or it was in the process of being renewed. There seems to be a small grace period for those in that situation. Those who could not produce a current valid licence......their Enfield Rifles were taken away (but with the possibility of being gifted them at a later date once a valid licence is produced) but at the same time receiving the new C19. Those who were still in limbo meaning their fingerprints and paperwork (not firearms licence) was not up to date did not receive the new C19 and retained their Lee Enfield as their service weapon till that was squared away.....when paperwork and fingerprints are up to date they will be issued the C19 and will be gifted the Lee Enfield as long as they have a valid firearms licence
Hope this clarifies .

Many thanks for the clarification, will the gifted rifles be allowed to be sold on at some point Bros?

[browningautorifle]

I met a Canadian Ranger that has his No4Mk11 Enfield, he is willing to sell to me

I wouldn't eat that one...

Let me set the record straight.......
Rangers are not able to buy their old service rifle, they are being "gifted" them as long as he/she wants to keep it. They must have a valid firearms licence or else "no dice". Our patrol here in Dawson went thru this exercise about 4 months . Out of 33 Rangers..... they all were interested in keeping their Lee Enfield, mind you there were a few that had neglected to have in their possesion a up to date firearms licence (expired) or it was in the process of being renewed. There seems to be a small grace period for those in that situation. Those who could not produce a current valid licence......their Enfield Rifles were taken away (but with the possibility of being gifted them at a later date once a valid licence is produced)

Thank you Bros, that makes it clear for them. I knew the Gummt' wouldn't sell them to the public...

will the gifted rifles be allowed to be sold on at some point Bros?

Once they own it and all dies down I should think it will be like any #4. Be wary of those that smell gold and stab you with a "Story" about "This is a REAL "Ranger" rifle"... So pay me HUGE...

You need to understand the lack of care most of those rifles received. Many were issued new and turned to junk by the next year's camp. Every damage you could possibly mention.

[stencollector]

Enfield Mk2 you say ... sounds fishy to me, I thought they only had Long Branch No4's issued?[COLOR="black"]

As Englishman.ca mentions, we bought several thousand no4mk2 in the late 90s to supplement the existing stocks of rifles. I heard form a weapons tech friend in Edmonton around 2005 that they were doing in inspections on several thousand more rifles which he indicated to be of Indian manufacture, however when I talked with the LCMM on this subject a few years ago he did not know about them. One of the two is mistaken.

I remember when I first got into the regular force in the early 80s, about 300 no4s came from base supply over to us at base maintenance for destruction. The bolts came over about a year or two later for the same fate.

[bros]

Again to set the record straight........................
Anyone with a valid firearms licence can purchase a Ranger Rifle as long as it was a gifted rifle and acquired while the Ranger possessed a valid firearms licence. The "Crown" no longer owns it once the gifting process is completed and the rifle is treated as any other in "private possession".
Canadian Ranger rifles are by no means limited to just Longbranch manufacture...my Ranger rifle is a Faz No4 MK2 and I have seen others in our patrol that are the same while most still are Longbranch. I have examined all.......sorry no rare 1941 dated Longbranch rifles...the earliest I examined was a 1942.
I believe our gov't funneled a lot of their Enfield war stock no4"s in the early days to the Mujahideen in Afganistan and subsequently had to buy No4's from abroad to fill the gaps created by themselves........hence my Faz no4 mk2!!!! It is US import marked on the front of the barrel so it's been around the block a time or two.
Go figure.....Longbranch manufactured in excess of 900,000 rifles and as a Canadian Ranger I'm issued a English made Enfield that was probably purchased by the Canadian gov't from a surplus arms dealer in the US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No complaints from me about owning a Faz No4 MK2 though.....it's an accurate beauty, all matching and it will remain with me...sorry it's not for sale!!!

[browningautorifle]

Again to set the record straight.

No, that's understood.

The difference is the ones held still in stock of wherever...worshop, stores... The ones the rangers have will go wherever but they comprise a smaller number than the holdings. The ones in hands of the gov't will not come available...

[303carbine]

If I do get the Ranger rifle, I will be glad to have another Enfield with a good background.
One of the biggest moose I ever shot was with an all original No1MK111 that looked like it had been dragged across the desert by a camel, the bore was good and it shot and functioned perfectly.
When all other rifles have frozen shut and fail to fire, my 303 will do as it was designed, to function under all conditions.
I never met an original 303 I didn't like...............