Enfield MkIV* .22

[Brit plumber]

I've just bought this cheep .22 MKIV, its the fist I've come across.

It was just a basket case of bits but it was cheep.

My questions are, what is needed to make this orignal? I've read the post on the .22s and i've got Skenertons book but i'm still unsure if it should have a special auxilary sight, empty mag etc. Its also been rebarreled to .303 at some point, probably by a civvy owner i guess.




As you can see, most of the screws, the rear sight guard, the bolt head, the magazine and the butt are missing, should i rebuild to .303 or .22 spec?

---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 AM ----------

Oh, I also meant to ask if it was normal for a BSA 1917 action to have a cut off slot, but covered by the stock.

ATB, Chris.

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[bigduke6]

Cheap is always best, I would go for the .22 rebuild, as this was the last stage in its life.

I dont know what the selection process at that time was, for the conversion of rifles, I would guess to convert it from .303 there was a reason other than a worn barrel etc, and was possibly a stage before DP ?

[Peter Laidler]

Before you leap BP, can yoou still get .22" No2 barrels?

[smlemk111]

Hi very nice, as Peter said the hard bit to get will be an original .22 barell, I have never seen one for sale. I own 10 different models of Lee enfield .22 conversions and am always looking for rifles and parts. I live in Portland Oregon and understand that the availability of barrels might be very different in Britain I am also aware the pressure parts like barrels and bolts etc. are on some kind of prescribed list that requies some kind of paper work in Britain. Numrich arms in the US sells boltheads for the .22 No2 mkIV trainers for about $13 with the firing pin about $10 but I usualy make my own firing pins out of drill rod. If you need a bolt head and or firing pin sent over let me know. The rest of the parts should be redily availiable where you are. The original sights were sometimes marked with a scribed line and stamped 25yd in very small letters but not all were so marked. I also collect the no drill and tap receive sights for the Enfields and a Parker Hale 5A Or an Austrailian Central, Rawson, Mews, Lane, etc are nice aditions for acurate shooting. Alan Abramson

[Peter Laidler]

A lot of Cadet Forces had these No2 rifles but I never saw a new/spare barrel. The good thing is that when we wrote them off, they'd get new or certainly as new/FTR'd No8 rifles as replacements

[Brit plumber]

Unfortunatly this on is a Deac, theres no chance of geting a .22 barrel for it, I was just going to leave the .303 barrel on but try and make it as close to .22 spec as I can. The hardest thing would be finding a bolt head of any sort for it as it needs the face grinding to an angle. I'll just keep an eye open, you never know!

Besides I need to find a good SMLE butt to at least make it look correct. plenty of No.4s but no SMLE butts really.

ATB, Chris.

[RobD]

I reckon Phil Rose would have an SMLE butt for you, maybe other bits you need, too. PM me for his details. Rob

[tbonesmith]

No1 .22 barrel turn up here when you search. The last ones I got near were from good condition down the scale for $150 for the good ones. I missed out by a few hours though. They also turn up on cut down sporters like the last one I got.
BTW of all the ones I've seen, the firing pin is a modified original, cut back to the flat where the unscrewing lugs are.
Also I'd thought that these would be the easiest to turn down from other .22 barrels. You can pick up old .22 barrels for next to nothing, either on a rifle or unbreeched, usually in very good nick. Then profile, thread and chamber, and if you duff it you get another one (If you could be bothered).