Need help with first lee enfield. Green painted 1944 longbranch.

[CanadianAR]

Ah, yes.... Good question Pat. The ZF mark is on the butt so that it is there for all to see. And taking C-AS's good but backhanded swipe example of the car and the tyres. I'd invite you to go to any big Base Workshop disposal yard where the vehicles are lined up for scrap or disposal.

Didn't mean anything by making such a low end comparison, just illustrating how easy it is to change that component.

How would a ZF marked rifle escape repair or destruction?

[CanadianAR]

Pictured below is the only issue I could find with receiver. Not sure if this would earn it a ZF, it is irreparable receiver damage and it can jam if cycled to quick.

The guide that opens up to rotate the bolt head has some damage on both sides.

[Peter Laidler]

A ZF rifle would escape repair or destruction by being sold off into the commercial trade at Government auction. Your low-end comparison wasn't really low end as such because it was a classic example of what we were getting at and answered Pat's question too.

The fractured bolthead catch slot wouldn't in itself be a cause to ZF the rifle because the repair was a simple one to build up with weld and re-machine the slot. But to be honest, that's a pretty vicious bit of breaking away at both ends and if I was the examiner, I'd add on the work sheet/job card words to the effect '............ repair bolthead track if you/welding shop can and if time permits. Otherwise BER rifle for ZF at Base' So that is really on the edge of being scrapped. But that's only my opinion. Maybe others will chime-in and offer opinions as to what they'd consider as acceptable

As BRian at BDL says, there were many other faults that would ZF a rifle. Another classic was a worn body that allowed the sear to extend into the bolt-way and drag against the lower/left locking lug as the bolt moved back and forth.

[Cantom]

Wow...I was thinking about that bolt head notch on the 1* rifles and your pic does show the issue very well. That is pretty bad. People have complained before about the receivers getting damaged there such that a rifleman working the bolt rapidly in combat could have the bolt head keep popping up out of the track, which would be not so good. IMHO that is at least the major issue with the rifle.
As much as I prefer our Canadian made Long Branch rifles, I have to admit that the No4MkI system with button to depress is a better setup and this is why.

If it were me who had bought it...would I want to keep the rifle? I think not.

[Brian Dick]

I recently had a Long Branch No.4Mk.1* rifle in the shop here that had been rebarreled by a well meaning but misinformed owner. It's obvious he used a steel bar through the magazine well of the body to unbreech it and in the process twisted the body ever so slightly. When I checked the bolt function and headspace the bolthead would pop up religiously through the disassembly slot which is undamaged. It's junk now unfortunately. A Canadian ownership marked rifle too which is a bit of a rarity. He learned the hard way about "tinkering".

[Homer]

I agree with jmoore on the paint. It's a nice example of it that we don't see around my part of the world so I would take it in for sure.

[D-BOMB]

Have you spoken with John at Martsar about it? I would see if he would take it back.

[CanadianAR]

Ive emailed him but have not received a response yet. He hasnt been online cgn this week either so I figure hes maybe on vacay.

[Brian Dick]

Unless you paid an extravagant price, I'd hang on to it. I've had hundreds of No.4's over the years and I can count on one hand the green painted ones from Asian service. So what if it's ZF'd. That's just a part of the history and character of the rifle. Maybe it won't be your favorite shooter but it's certainly got a place in a collection. One of my favorite No.4T's has a huge splotch of yellow paint and a big ZF painted on the buttstock. I was warned nicely by a knowledgeable gent we all know and love when he examined and told me why it's ZF that there'd be an *** kicking in store if i ever removed that history with a bit of paint stripper!

[Ridolpho]

I, too, would keep this as an interesting piece even if not comfortable with shooting it. If you're at all like other Lee Enfield collectors you'll rapidly have many more rifles than you can hope to regularly shoot! There are several on-line sellers of collectable guns here in Canada and mail order purchases are extremely easy. Needless to say, none of these folks can warranty their rifles as "shootable". Many of them present very useful photo collections of their items which help make a decision and the ones I buy from will gladly answer questions about specific mechanical issues but- I never, never ask them if it is shootable. That's for me to decide once I've received it (in the big red Canada Post truck). Good reference manuals and, of course, the collected wisdom of experts on this forum will help. What we don't want is for any of these sellers to stop selling do to unreasonable expectations of mechanical condition.

Ridolpho