New guy here, with Lee-Enfield N0. 4 Mk 2

[CINDERS]

All the young guys want is black semi-auto rifles. The bolt action guys are all old farts

Yes you may be right frederick but lets just see how good some of those S.A's are in 100+ years given what some of the SMLE's and Mausers have been through not that you and I will be around, besides the plastic fantastics have to many bells and whistles on them now days gotta have an instruction manual an inch thick to drive them..........with all the attachments?

[browningautorifle]

lets just see how good some of those S.A's are in 100+ years

Remember when the black semi auto was designed and hit the field...was now 50+ years... The battles they've been through and places they've been cannot be considered nothing. The examples of the bolt guns that have ACTUALLY SEEN BATTLE are more rare than one might believe. Most that we have now are just the ones carried and used day to day... I think the little black rifle's acquitting it's self nicely.

[CINDERS]

How many do you reckon came back from conflicts BAR I guess the attrition rate in WWI for a weapon would be horrendous something sticking said a 303 had a 2 week life span on the Western front probably a bit longer than their human user., I realize the little black rifle is going well by the number of people who copied them.

[browningautorifle]

the attrition rate in WWI for a weapon would be horrendous

There was a paragraph in one of my regimental history books once to the effect of "I awoke and dug myself out, crawled around and found a rifle that worked. I used it until it broke and then found another one"... That was always pointed to me. I always wondered what he meant by "Broke"? As far as I know, he was speaking of the #1 mk3.

[Frederick303]

When I say old fart I put myself in that category, these days I prefer to shoot a well tuned center-bedded Maltby No 4 MKI or a well regulated K31 or even a 1938 Special Target M1903 to what passes for a NM AR16 these days. The current rules allow fro a complete "Pimp my rifle" configuration with commercial optics and nonstandard adjustable stocks. Truly barf worthy.

But lay down with any of the old rifles and it is a throwback to a long gone world.

[browningautorifle]

When I say old fart I put myself in that category

I'm worse, I like them all.

[Brian Dick]

Me too Jim.

[browningautorifle]

Call it a failing...

[Frederick303]

Ahhhhhhh....I like "rifles of color" as well, earned my High master XTC card and Presidents 100 tab with NM AR15A2 configuration. You could spend more but two vendors sold competition ready rifles (Armalite and Rock River) for between 850 and 900 dollars at the US Nationals. Rifles good enough to compete head to head against any of the offering for 1200 dollars and up.

But that is in the past: 2016 and on you can shoot non-issue optics such as below:

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/...fixed-45-x-24/

You can use adjustable stocks like so, a pattern never used by any military:

Magpul UBR Stock 7-Position Collapsible AR-15 Synthetic

So a sport, as artificial as it was but one where one could compete with a 900 dollar rifle that looked just like the issue rifle with no equipment inferiority, now allows the use of 2,000 optics, with 260 dollar stocks, non standard float tubes and several hundred dollar super-duper scope mounts like so:

Rock River Arms: NEW! LAR-15 NM A4 CMP Rifles (2016)

So what modern US service rifle competition has become is kind of a farce. It is now a limited class that really does favor deep pockets and equipment centric wankers, firing a course of fire with shooting equipment that is more ISSU related than military. I never would have though I would say it, but three gun with all its crap is actually more practical and relevant now.

It is on that basis that I say it is more fun to shoot the old rifles. Be it the k31 in the Einzelwettschiessen, the M1903 in the NMC or the No4 at simulated 1948 tin hat targets course of fire, archaic as they are there is a connection to precision service rifle shooting the at the modern stuff has lost.

[flintlock28]

I've decided to keep the rifle as is, and attend the upcoming Oaks, PA Gun show, in early October. There I will look for another No. 4 Mk 2 in really nice shape. There are 1700 Tables at that show, so hopefully I'll come across a nice model for shooting. It's difficult with the rifle sitting in it's box only 10 feet away from me....Like the proverbial Siren it's calling out to me...


"Take me out of the box; degrease me, clean me up, and take me to the range"

"I want to feel those Copper bullets slide down my Barrel,,,please, please"

Must resist the Siren's song.