No.5Mk1 finish

[Howard]

what finish is suppose to be on the no.5? Mine is shellac or has a shine to it. It looks good but is that original?
Another question, I have a No.4Mk.1 that has the bolt handle drilled out, was that a No.5 bolt to begin?

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[louthepou]

As far as I know, linseed oil should go on all Enfields. Shellac... well it's not for Enfields. Russian rifles sure, but not LE...

And not to worry too much, some No4's had the hollowed bolt as well (not sure which manufacture / date / reason though!).

Lou

[Amatikulu]

I have handled quite a few No.5 Mark 1 rifles that came from Malaysia/Singapore and most of them had a varnish finish to the wood. My suspicion is that this was the practice of these countries after British rule ended but have no documented proof of this

[Howard]

Thanks, to Louthepou and Amatikulu for the response to my question. I have a lit to learn about these old rifles.