can anyone tell me exactly what my rifle is?

[srjg3432]

Hi guys, I am wondering in anyone can tell me exactly what my rifle is.

I bought it in the UK several years ago as an L39.
But it doesn't have L39 engraved onto the receiver.

It is stamped

NO4 7.62 CONV
D69 A190

A190 is the serial number, and the mag is stamped with the serial number also.

The bottom of the reciever is milled to take the 7.62 mag
The part number of the mag is CR141A then what looks like 65

Now it is identical to an L39 a friend of mine owns, but the reciever isn't stamped L39.

Its a no4 Mk2 reciever

It is fitted with PH5E4 sights.

all the books I have seen mention the L39 and the Envoy, but nothing with just 7.62 conv stamped onto it.


Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers
Steve

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.

[Thunderbox]

Hi guys, I am wondering in anyone can tell me exactly what my rifle is.

I bought it in the UK several years ago as an L39.
But it doesn't have L39 engraved onto the receiver.

It is stamped

NO4 7.62 CONV
D69 A190

A190 is the serial number, and the mag is stamped with the serial number also.

The bottom of the reciever is milled to take the 7.62 mag
The part number of the mag is CR141A then what looks like 65

Now it is identical to an L39 a friend of mine owns, but the reciever isn't stamped L39.

Its a no4 Mk2 reciever

It is fitted with PH5E4 sights.

all the books I have seen mention the L39 and the Envoy, but nothing with just 7.62 conv stamped onto it.


Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers
Steve

The story about the "7.62mm CONV" rifles is not yet completely clear.

Early versions of the rifle can be in any shape - including L8-style converted No4s - and have different forms of model designation engraving on the side. These rifles seem to be early factory attempts at creating a conversion.

From 1969, the "7.62mm CONV" of the pattern that you have appears. These rifles are identical to L39A1s in specification, although many seem to have No8 butts as standard instead of the L39's No4 butt. The serial numbers are of the same "Axxxx" format as the L39s and, in all the rifles I have seen, I have never seen the same number on an L39 and a 7.62mm CONV - by which I mean that I suspect that both types of rifle share the same number sequence and were probably built in alternating "blocks" of rifles. The implication of that is that there may not be 1,280(?) L39s in existence, but rather 1,280 minus however many 7.62mm CONVs are out there.

I think that the "7.62mm CONV" are simply L39A1 rifles made for commercial sale to non-military organisations, or military organisations that do not receive rifles through the normal MoD supply chain (Peter Laidler might correct me, but Sea Cadets and others do not receive MoD weapons). Perhaps these rifles were created in the expectation that UK service target shooting (including civilian clubs) would be centred around the L39? There does not seem to exist any commercial sales literature (as in the Envoy & Enforcer), so presumably "7.62mm CONV" were released as MoD surplus sales.

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[srjg3432]

Thanks Thunderbox for you input here. Now I have a clearer idea of exactly what my rifle is.

Cheers
Steve

[limpetmine]

I would volunteer to gather serial numbers for the No. 4 conversion and the L-39's, if people would send me their numbers. I'll start with the 2 I know of.

[bradtx]

Steve, I came across a similar rifle. Enfield dedicated funds were low as I'd just bought my L42A1 so while I flitted my time away trying to figure out what it was and where it fit into the L-E scheme of things, I lost out on it. In retrospect I should've followed gut instincts and worked out the details later!

I agree with Thunderbox that it's likely commercial as I feel anything under the MoD umbrella would have a L designation. My guesses at the time was a pre Envoy example, more distant a pre Enforcer or more remotely yet, may've been headed to Fultons to become a Palma Match rifle.

Congrats on the rifle.

Brad

[Mk VII]

My club owns BK16674 and D27074A, and one other that I can't recall.

[Alan de Enfield]

Maybe this will help :

Click the link : Body