My first enfield

[glp70]

I went and filled out all the paper work yesterday on a no.4 mk1 long branch that I found on Auction Arms for a good buy. It has wooden hunting stock instead of the miltary one. Other than that, it has maching numbers. The gunsmith I bought it from sent it disassembled for some odd reason. looking for some advice on how to get it back to it's orginal shape.

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[louthepou]

Hi Glp,

Congrats on getting a Lee Enfield!

My quick advices:
1. Read a lot about restoring Enfields; tons of info out there (in this excellent web site first of course)
2. Once you feel you still want to go at it (it's a lot of fun, but more work than one would think at first glance), shop for parts; you're in the States, that does make it easier.
3. Keep the questions coming; the first few refurb jobs I did, I had at least one question for every step I took...

Cheers!

Lou

[Kansas Volunteer]

Could you describe the hunting stock on your rifle in a little more detail? My bag is to convert baddly bubbaed L-Es into sporters, using good sporting style stocks when I can find them. I'm also interested in the ways Enfields were sporterized; what sorts of stocks were used and that sort of thing.

[glp70]

I'll post some pictures later once I get them taken.

[glp70]

I tried to post pictures but for some reason I'm not being allowed to.

[louthepou]

[glp70]

Thanks for posting the link. I couldn't get it to work.

[louthepou]

No problem glp.

From what I can see, you have a sporterized No4. The front sight looks like it could be from "Parker Hale" (so a rifle that was modified not by Bubba in his basement but by a company and then sold by a store), but I could be wrong. Any marking on the front sight?

The barrel was shortened when the rifle was sporterized (which means you couldn't switch the rifle back to its military configuration without changing the barrel - not worth it imho).

If the bore is nice, you can consider that rifle as a great shooter. I do have a similar one, that I decided to scope, since it was not going to return to a full military look... And it was, too, my first Enfield!

lou

[glp70]

It's a Long Branch no4 mk1 made in 1945 by the markings on the gun. I was afraid it wouldn't be cost effective to restore it. But it shoots great so it will make a great hunting rifle. And the stock is the prettiest wood I've seen on a gun in a long time.