My three Enfields

[Bill Hollinger]

Guys, I'm not a huge Enfield guy at all. The #4 with the sling was given to me by an old Britt who claims he carried it while in the service. No import stamps and he is a pretty straight shooter so I believe him. It is all matching to include the magazine and what I have been told is the original finish. It is dated 1943 on the grip band. The other two I bought along with a very early Remington Wing Master 870 shotgun, an H&R Trooper .410, a sporterized model 99 Arisaka and a 100% original Standard Products M1 carbine. I got all for $500.00 so I don't think I did too bad. This was two years ago.

The other #4 has no markings on the grip band and a very small import stamp on the left side of the receiver.

I think the #1? is .308 because it has a 1968 date on the grip band and says 7.62mm also. I know next to nothing about these Enfields so please educate me. What can you tell me about them? What do you think? TIA

Information

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[Bill Hollinger]

Also, is the magazine for the .308 different than the .303?

[Beerhunter]

It's a nice story about the No4 but highly unlikely. The only way that he could have taken it with him was to have stolen it. I's not saying that he didn't steal it but my experience of the British Army is that we look after firearms quite well and so he would have to be pretty determined and risk a term of imprisonment. (We don't do a slap on the back of your legs for nicking guns on this side of the pound.)

I reckon that although he may have carried a No4 - he didn't carry that No4.

[Amatikulu]

The second enfield down is a No.4 mk 2 - you can see the beech stock and the cross screw in the fore end just before the butt socket. Probably made at Fazakerley in the 1950's.

Bill take a look at the left side receiver wall as the markings were electropencilled there. The rear face of the bolt handle will also have a serial number probably starting with PF.....

The bottom one is a rifle made at the Ishapore Arsenal in India in the 1960's specifically for the 7.62mm x 51 NATO cartridge. It does have a different style of magazine and holds 12 rounds IIRC.

[Bill Hollinger]

Neil, here is what is on the right side of the receiver:

No4, MK2 (F)
8/49PF124,661 (the PF is in a box)

On the top of the bolt:

A33
B9A3

And on the back of the bolt:

PF124,661 (the PF is in a box)

[Amatikulu]

Bill,

With a Lee Enfield, the left and right is determined with the butt towards you and the muzzle pointing away from you, so I'm surmizing that the markings are on the left side of the receiver as I've never heard or seen of them being on the right.

No4, MK2 (F) 8/49 PF124,661

The markings translate as I expected as:

No.4 MK2 - model designation
(F) - made at Fazakerley
8/49 - date of manufacture August 1949
PF 124661 is the serial number and it matched on the bolt handle!

You have an authentic post war rifle that should be great fun to shoot.

[Bill Hollinger]

Yes they are on the left. I don't know why I said right???

[bradtx]

Bill, I tried to blow up the pic of the 1943 No.4, but it went blurry. If the s/n starts with a '1' it was manufactured at Maltby. Though nice, I don't think it's original.

The Ishapore is either a '2A' or a '2A1' in 7.62. First time I recall seeing the re enforcing screw in either of the two models. Although generally cosmetically challenged (yours looks better than many I've seen, BTW), Ishapore makes a fine rifle.

Brad

[Amatikulu]

If the Ishapore is dated 1968 - it's a 2A1 as that's all they made in '68

[Bill Hollinger]

Is it posible that a rifle like this went through a rebuild at one time? The magazine has the matching serial number but it is obvious that a prior number was XXed out and the matching number applied. Was it originally electropinciled also? Also, on the "left" side of the receiver, why does it show two N04 MKI stamps??? Shouldn't the serial number be behind one of them? Years ago I was told it was original with the original finish. I had my doubts at the time but because I know next to zero about these rifles I'm in the dark. Thanks

Here are some close up shots: