.22 Enfield's Part 5

[Lance]

Rifle No. 7 Mk I

Per the literature this rifle was created for the RAF in 1948 using conversions of No. 4 Mk I rifles. My example has no visible previous markings on the receiver and I have not seen an example that had part or any of its original receiver markings. I would guess that maybe spare receivers that were never assembled into No.4’s were used for the No. 7. Anyone out there have one with original markings??

This rifle, like the missing .22 No. 5 Trials rifle, had a new bolt head design making it unique to just its series of rifles. It also makes it a pain to find certain parts to keep these girls going. It is also the only series of .22 Enfield Rifles that came with a factory 5 round magazine. Many incomplete rifles were imported into North America by Springfield Sporters missing the critical bolt and ejector parts.

My example is unusual as it has been fitted with a PH5D rear sight and a tunnel forsight. Someone also in his wisdom custom fit the forend and bedded it with fiberglass. Why oh why?????

These rifle’s were originally fitted with tubed barrels but some have been noted with solid barrels also

As Arm .22 LR

A unique Belgium conversion of No.4 Mk I rifles to .22 status in 1948. As Belgium was equipped with the No. 4 rifle a trainer was needed, these rifles were fitted with a spring loaded loading platform similar to the earlier .22 MLM Mk I* and unique spring loaded extractor that slides into a groove in the modified bolt head. Also of interest is the ground and remarked Mk II rear sight and the large tubing of the barrel (sorry poor pic, the crown is not the tube but look careful at the outer ).

Quantity converted is unknown, estimated at less than 1,000. This example was a 1943 Maltby Mk I before being converted.

Information

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[Lance]

Rifle No. 8 Mk I

A special rifle with the only factory adjustable trigger and with another unique, to the type, bolt head system. This rifle was produced BSA Shirley and Fazakerly using surplus No. 5 and No. 4 receivers. A very common rifle, they were well used and are mostly found today in less than perfect condition.

This rifle can be found with its factory calibrated rear sight especially made for this rifle or with a Parker Hale fine adjustment rear sight and its special broad forend designed for better grip.

A pretty common rifle that does not command the value it should. My example is one of the 2000ish BSA produced rifles under New Zealand contract, made with a No. 4 style receiver and fit with standard factory sights.

.22 RF N. 9 Mk I, previous known as the Rifle No. 9 Mk I

Modified by Parker Hale in the late 1950’s to early 1960 for the Royal Navy it is a rebuilt No. 4 rifle of varying original mark design fitted with a tubed barrel and standard milled rear sight with a 25 YDS mark on the left side. Unlike the previous British post war .22 rifles is assembled using mostly standard parts similar to the C No. 7.

This rifle is fairly uncommon but surprisingly not extremely popular from what I have observed, maybe due to its plain appearance?

My example is a conversion of a No. 4 Mk 2 and is one of the last 150 assembled.

This is the end for me, anyone with later .22's please pick this up, hope you enjoyed it.

[Alan de Enfield]

Rifle No. 7 Mk I

Per the literature this rifle was created for the RAF in 1948 using conversions of No. 4 Mk I rifles. My example has no visible previous markings on the receiver and I have not seen an example that had part or any of its original receiver markings. I would guess that maybe spare receivers that were never assembled into No.4’s were used for the No. 7. Anyone out there have one with original markings??
.

Mine is a Mk1 action, totally scrubbed, there are some 'possible' markings on the right hand side Butt socket which with a little imagination could be
a broad arrow
a small crown (part of a proof mark ?)
letters R C

I know No4s are normally marked on the left hand side of the butt socket or on the left hand side of the action so I cannot imagine what these marks are / were.

The only other markings are :
Left hand side of action "BNP" and No7 Mk1
Rear sight F (Fazakerly)
Left hand side rear of action (near the cocking piece) a 'star' and ???
Butt marked "N over 49 over /|\" (Broad arrow) (N49 = H Morris Glasgow)
Action and bolt marked with serial number
Butt trap door marked "M607"
Safety marked "M47C" (BSA)
Metal band on top of front handguard marked "M813"

[Strangely Brown]

Interesting TR foresight Lance; you occasionally see "covered" No 4 foresights and also tunnel foresights set into foresights protectors, but that is the first "open" tunnel type that I have encountered.

Brindles Engineering did some prototypes where they simply covered the No 4 foresight but they were never produced as a commercial proposition.

[Lance]

Unfortunately there are no markings on the tunnel forsight as it is a great piece of work. A little light causes the brass dot "glow" making it very enjoyable to plink in the back yard.... Damn ground hogs.....

[No4Mk1(T)]

Lance My No8Mk1 is also one of the NZ contract BSA rifles. It has a lower serial number and a much higher rack number than yours and uses the No5 action. Here in Canada No8’s are few and far between and when they come up for sale command a premium. I have yet to see a Faz. on the open market here. Doesn’t mean much I guess but I will say the few I have seen available were all NZ marked BSA’s.

[Alan de Enfield]

The only No8 I've seen for sale in the UK was a BSA on a No5 action, PH tunnel foresight. Serial No DA143.
It made £720 at auction (8th September 2009)

How come when Fazakerly made 15,000 and BSA made only 2,000 all we ever see are the bSA ones ?

[No4Mk1(T)]

How come when Fazakerly made 15,000 and BSA made only 2,000 all we ever see are the bSA ones ?

My guess:
New Zealand sold off their rifles and they were all BSA's well the Faz. Examples were used within Briton and not sold to the public.

[Peter Laidler]

Because BSA only made the No8 on cotract to the UK Government, it marketed and sold the No8's to NZ in contravention of the patent rights. Naughty, I know! That's why they had a special serial nukber batch. So said, to keep their books correct but the Ministry of Supply suggested that it was to cover their tracks with their underhand deal

From this, can we assume that the BSA private sales and NZ purchases were all BSA guns? I feel so. This was well known among Armourers and was first told to me by ASM 'Jock' Annandale when I was a young Armourer at the Base Ordnance Depot Workshop at Ngaruawahia in NZ where we had a load of No8's with odd-ball serial numbers but otherwise identical to our UK spec No8's.

There were a few reasons why BSA sold them off privately..........

We still have a load of No8's in the UK Military system but many now have re-numbers using the UE66Axxxx or the SA89Axxxx numbers

[5thBatt]

NZDF sold off 285 No8s earlier this year, some were A prefix Fazakerley No8s.
From that auction i picked up 2 BSA No8s both with the same serial number DA156