New Purchase...Help With Identification

[mdrim13]

Hey guys,

Although this is not my first enfield, it is the firs No. 4 (I came here for help with my first one as well). I purchased this today at my local gun shop. For the price I couldnt pass it up. It came with a sling and two boxes of ammo. The sling is marked M.E.Co 1913. The ammo is original british ammo in new unopened boxes of 32 rounds. The box was stamped (K17 7 51). I know the rifle is a No.4MkI and was manufactured in 1942 but really know nothing else(including manufacturer) I have included multiple pictures below of all three items.

I guess the questions I had were as follows:

General info on the rifle
Manufacturer of the Rifle
Info on the sling
Info on the ammo

Thanks to all who give imput

-Matt
(ps i know the rifle is dirty......just bought it today and havent had time to clean it up yet)

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[hammonje]

Ammo is British Mark 7 174 gr ball ammo. Accurate, berdan-primed, and corrosive. I believe the rifle is a Maltby. Experts will chime in.

[Mohawk]

Sling May be a reproduction. Have seen many on Ebay marked as such. That being said..Nice rifle. Looks to be a Maltby. How is the bore? I fell into some of the same ammo also 2 gunshows ago. Have not fired any, but it is corrosive. Nice find an all items..Cheers, Peter

[mdrim13]

Peter,

The bore looked good at the gun shop with the exception of two small pits. When i ran a patch through it showed that they were not pits at all, just some crud in the bore. It is bright and shiney...cant wait to see how it shoots.

I was wondering if the sling was a reprobecause of the condition. It just seems to good of shape to be 100 years old.

[Beerhunter]

Made by the Royal Ordnance Factory , Maltby.

As has been said the Ammunition is Mk.VII ball made by Kynoch in 1951. It is Cordite loaded with corrosive Berdan primers.

[Mohawk]

Nice on the Bore. The 1912 I picked up last week was the same way. 20 Patches and some Blue Wonder Later, Nice bright and shiny. I like the Privi Partizan 176 grain ammo in mine. Seems to chrono to original specs and is accurate, Non Corrosive, and Reloadable. Have fun on the range. #4's are the best shooter of the lot of Enfields, in My opinion...

[hammonje]

I concur on the accuracy of the 174 gr Prvi Partizan ammuntion. I got mine from Wideners and Aim Surplus. Fell into 720 rounds of Greek HXP 69. Boxer-primed as well and as good as their M2 ball. I really enjoy my No4s.

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Nice rifle there, mdrim, but the sling is indeed a fake. That stamp appears to be the most commonly encountered WWI forgery. Fake slings with WWII dates are springing up like weeds lately-Ebay is full of them and it seems every third table at the gun shows has a pile. Sometimes they're advertised as repro's, sometimes not. Green and blue are available but the most numerous may be this khaki with a '44 date.

[mdrim13]

I really do like the Prvi Partizan ammo as well. The gunshop where the rifle was purchased carries their full line. At $15 its cheaper than most high quality comercial loads and shoots great. although i do not reload it is easily reloadable from what i understand.

[Mohawk]

Very easy to reload, and I dare say that the brass is 200% better than the crappy stuff Remington was putting out before they discontinued making .303..Have a ball firing that #4..Reminds me to go to the ammo store and pick up 2 more boxes..Cheers, Peter