Black painted enfields

[sdh1911]

I'm not the sharpest tac in the board when it come to some things, This being obvious when it comes to Enfields. I have a few nice examples and often look in the dealers racks to add another to the collection, only to find Enfields being painted Black "Gloss", go figure! Why would someone take a perfectly good rifle and paint it black, gloss no less. sometimes the prices are pretty cheap and sometimes not. Should I start looking at them harder? And if so, What do I look for?? Maybee take the paint off??? While I'm at it, what's with the funny wire wrap on the front of the older Mk3's. I've seen this done on some pretty old guns, in one case I saw one with the magazine cut off, I think it was a 1917 dated gun. I just can't figure it out. I know my Brit relatives have been known to do some pretty strange stuff, but wiring a gun or painting it with house paint, hum-SDH

Information

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[Stevo]

The Brits used a black, paint-like finish called "Suncorite" for a while. Other nations, like India used paint as well.

The wire wrap seen on No 1's is reinforcing for use as a grenade launching rifle.

[sdh1911]

Might I find some nice bluing under the black coatings? Thanks very much-SDH

[Stevo]

I must admit I don't know what's under the Suncorite on Brit rifles that were originally finished with it. But you may find blueing under FTR'd rifles that had the Suncorite applied when refinished. That would depend on their original finish.

[tiriaq]

I think that rifles that were originally finished in Suncorite were Parked first. Many arms made during WW2, most FTRs, and all No. 4 Mk. IIs were Suncorite finished. This includes Brens, some Stens, pistols. As far as I know, the Brits are still using it, or something very much like it. If Suncorite is removed from a FTR, there may be original finish underneath, but it may also be worn. Suncorite is a legitimate original finish, so removing it may well detract from as-issued condition.
Wire wrapped SMLEs were intended to be extensively used for launching 36M grenades, fitted with a gas check, from the cup discharger. Any SMLE could be fitted with a discharger, and on active service might be; the wire wrapped rifles may have been intended more for training purposes. Launching grenades places a lot of stress on the rifle, and there was a slight risk of barrel failure, which is why the forends were wire wrapped. In use, the soldier assumed a kneeling position, and the rifle was supported unside down at about 45 degrees, ideally with the butt against a sandbag. Hands were to be kept clear of metal parts, trigger was pressed with the thumb. There was a shutter on the cup to bleed off gas, to control range. A blank cartridge was used. The bomb was started into the cup far enough that the lever was held in place, the pin was pulled, and the bomb seated all the way. The manual describes interesting drills to unload a bomb without firing, and what to do in the event that the grenade is not launched, but the lever is released. Interestingly, the 1936 manual has all the drills for grenade launching, the 1942 edition doesn't mention it. Grenades were rifle launched extensively during WW1.

[Claven2]

Most suncorited rifles are praked underneath. The suncorite IS the correct finish. Suncorite might also have been sometimes applied over a blued finish during FTR. Again, on a brit FTR, Suncorite is the correct finish after about 1943 or so.

[sdh1911]

Thank you, I guess now I'll have to be making some additions to the collection. Can't very well leave something out, just wouldn't be right. SDH