Buying a restored sporter

[Siilver Fox]

I'm thinking about buying a restored 1942 BSA No.4 Mk1. I am using the word restored quite loosely in that I get the feeling the guy doesn't know a lot about the process, but just found wood and bands online and put them on there. Is there anything I could look for when I check it out to indicate poor fitting?

Information

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[Ridolpho]

Silver Fox: With the gun still assembled, screws tight, you can check for up-pressure on the barrel at the forend tip. With the handguards off look for barrel centralized in the channel, and no visible movement of action body in forend when you hold forend tip and lift up on barrel- if it moves too much then front triggerguard screw bushing may be too long (ie not getting a clamp on the wood). The barrel should be floating between barrel shank and the short bearing segment near the tip. Then disassemble it and see how the "draws" are fitting against the sear lugs. It should be snug and take some moderate force to pull the forend away from the action at the rear (never pull the front of the forend down away from barrel). With the forend off look for signs of equal contact on each side of the draws. If the forend is loose repairs will be necessary. These are what I would do but the best advice would be for you to study every related thread on this forum you can find as well as some of the armourers instructions which are available in the library. You're right about the questionable work in some "restorations". A true restoration would be a forend fit by a qualified and practiced armourer. For us amateurs it's a tedious, finnicky process. I bought a No. 4 a few months ago that looked OK externally but, upon disassembly, found that the draws didn't even contact the lugs- the body was hanging up on certain spots and it must have been pounded together with a hammer! Restoration.........

Ridolpho

[WarPig1976]

I find it more enjoyable to yank clumps of my chest hair out then try to bed an Enfield properly,,, just say'n....

[TCS-5]

One thing to be aware of... a sporterized No4 usually had the barrel cut to ~22" from my experience. Maybe not so with this one just be aware that a No4 should have a 25" barrel.

And I don't know about ripping chunks of chest hair out (I don't have any...grass don't grow on a play ground she told me It just takes some time to float and bed the No4... If you have the patience. One step at a time...

[Siilver Fox]

Thanks for your input. It may be best for me to save up for a bit and buy an original. May take awhile since the prices on them here in Canada have skyrocketed.