Service for L42A1, Enforcer, Envoy and L39A1 Owners.

[Buccaneer]

Hi Simon, I hope you had a good Christmas given the current circumstances, I need some help with an Enforcer, it is serial number 703 and it shows a build date of 1980. If genuine it must be towards the end of the production run. Was this rifle ever issued and if so who ended up with it?
The last question is could it have been converted to .22 during its Police service life as that is the configuration it is in now. It is complete with its Pecar Berlin scope, Bipod and 5E4 sight but the barrel has been changed for a No4 barrel which still retains its bayonet lugs, I must admit that the thought of a Police marksman making a bayonet charge did make me smile.
We both know that strange Enfields do crop up from time to time but I can't find any reference to a .22 conversion for the Enforcer, it does seem a strange thing to do even for training purposes as it is now only a single shot and as a bunnie basher it would be some what over the top. Any information would be greatly appreciated, it's what makes all this collecting lark worth while. Take care all the very best. Paul

[Gil Boyd]

Hi Paul,
In Steve's absence I can tell you that Enforcer serila number 703 has NO allocation listed on the official lists so I can't help you I'm afraid and you appear to have more info that is recorded.
I can tell you the last entry of rifle 697 went to Thailand, then nothing recorded until 712 again sent to Thailand, so in short the gap of 14 is blank, hope that makes sense.
Gil

[Buccaneer]

Hi Paul,
In Steve's absence I can tell you that Enforcer serila number 703 has NO allocation listed on the official lists so I can't help you I'm afraid and you appear to have more info that is recorded.
I can tell you the last entry of rifle 697 went to Thailand, then nothing recorded until 712 again sent to Thailand, so in short the gap of 14 is blank, hope that makes sense.
Gil

Many thanks for the information Gil, I will let you know if I can find out any more about it, have a great New Year, all the best. Paul

[Daan Kemp]

Interesting that 14 number gap. Leads to speculation.

[Gil Boyd]

Daan,
I am sure there is a very good reason for it, probably never completed fully, who knows??

[Roger Payne]

Charnwood Ordnance bought up from British Aerospace the remaining incomplete Enforcers, & as might be expected they are those with the highest serial numbers. I just wonder if this was a 'spare' body that someone has decided to complete to their own preferences after the event. DT & I bought a number of incomplete 7.62mm barrelled actions, bodies & sundry other parts from Charnwood, so others may well have done the same.

[Roy W]

Charnwood Ordnance bought up from British Aerospace the remaining incomplete Enforcers, & as might be expected they are those with the highest serial numbers. I just wonder if this was a 'spare' body that someone has decided to complete to their own preferences after the event. DT & I bought a number of incomplete 7.62mm barrelled actions, bodies & sundry other parts from Charnwood, so others may well have done the same.

I understand that the 'Barbican Armoury' in Durham also had a quantity of Enforcer actions, barrels, woodwork etc. I believe these may be the people that made the .22LR versions

[Buccaneer]

Charnwood Ordnance bought up from British Aerospace the remaining incomplete Enforcers, & as might be expected they are those with the highest serial numbers. I just wonder if this was a 'spare' body that someone has decided to complete to their own preferences after the event. DT & I bought a number of incomplete 7.62mm barrelled actions, bodies & sundry other parts from Charnwood, so others may well have done the same.

I suppose this begs the question that if an Enforcer was assembled with all of the correct parts but not during the production run and not issued to a police force would it still be an Enforcer?????

[Gloworm]

I suppose this begs the question that if an Enforcer was assembled with all of the correct parts but not during the production run and not issued to a police force would it still be an Enforcer?????

I remember reading or watching a report on the lightweight E Type Jaguar factory built cars that were billed as being the cars that were produced to fill the final slots of an original order that were at the time still outstanding.
One of the classic race circuits had deemed them as ineligible as they were ‘copies’

[Gil Boyd]

Paul,
My personal view, as an ex Police Officer would be yes it would, as long as ALL the anticedent parts were intended and marked accordingly by the manufacturer as an Enfield Enforcer originally under that one serial number, to ensure it was recorded legally and correct.
All the respective parts would have been sold to a Section 5 dealer and therefore built to the same standard such as Charnwood IMHO!