Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.1

[etkjeep]

Hi, I've had a 1944 Lee-Enfield for many years and decided to do a little research. From what I can tell it's from BSA Shirley, and it specifically is marked No.4 Mk.1 on the side. But the stock is not under/over, so either it's been modified, or it's just not the usual build?

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From what I can tell, the crown with 7E on the receiver is the Lee-Enfield manufacturer mark? I don't see "Enfield" anywhere, and there are no markings on the stock. Are the rest all just inspection stamps?

Thanks,
ET

Information

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[Alan de Enfield]

Yup :

1944 BSA manufactured in the 'Shirley' factory (Birmingham)
Sold out of service into the UK Civilian gun market and Civilian proof tested (BNP mark = Birmingham Nitro Proof)
Imported into the USA prior to 1968 (ENGLAND = US Import marking)
At some time in its life it inherited a Fazakerley rear sight.

In either UK Civilian Ownership, or, US Civilian ownership the wood work was cut down & it was 'Sporterised'

Does the serial number on the back of the bolt handle match the serial number on the LH side of the body (action) / Butt socket ?

It would only show 'Enfield' if it was manufactured at RoF Enfield.

Basically - It is a 'Lee Enfield' designed rifle, Model No4 Mk1 built by BSA

You could de-bubbarise it & get it back into 'original trim' fairly easily if you wanted to.

[browningautorifle]

Yes, the butt has been sanded to death and reshaped...nothing left of the original.

[Singer B]

I would love to find one like that. I have the wood for it and just need a receiver/barrel group. You may want to check out Sarco.com and see of they still have their "war relic" No. 4's available. While the actions are pretty much unusable, the wood parts I received were pretty nice and a lot cheaper than buying a full set.

[etkjeep]

Yup :

1944 BSA manufactured in the 'Shirley' factory (Birmingham)
Sold out of service into the UK Civilian gun market and Civilian proof tested (BNP mark = Birmingham Nitro Proof)
Imported into the USA prior to 1968 (ENGLAND = US Import marking)
At some time in its life it inherited a Fazakerley rear sight.

In either UK Civilian Ownership, or, US Civilian ownership the wood work was cut down & it was 'Sporterised'

Does the serial number on the back of the bolt handle match the serial number on the LH side of the body (action) / Butt socket ?

It would only show 'Enfield' if it was manufactured at RoF Enfield.

Basically - It is a 'Lee Enfield' designed rifle, Model No4 Mk1 built by BSA

You could de-bubbarise it & get it back into 'original trim' fairly easily if you wanted to.

Cool, thanks!

I hadn't found much on specific sights as that seemed to match what I expected in terms of the markings, is the Fazakerley better? What would the original have looked like?

And yes, the bolt serial number is indeed matching.

I have no real desire to restore it, as it's a good piece of history and the stock is comfortable and it shoots quite well. It was a gift from my late mother's boyfriend circa 1990.

Regards,
Erik

[Roger Payne]

Hello. Fazakerley isn't better than BSA, or the other way round. It's just a different manufacturing plant, located in Liverpool in the UK. There were five different manufacturers of the No4 Lee Enfield during WW2; three in the UK, one in Canada, & one in the US. The US company contracted to produce them was the Savage Arms Co of Chicopee Falls, Mass., & the Canadian rifles were produced at a new government set up facility at Long Branch, a suburb of Toronto. In the UK Fazakerley & Maltby were both government ordnance factories, whilst BSA was a commerical manufacturer brought in, & was already producing the SMLE. Going back to the rear sight, the example fitted is quite acceptable on any No4, though in this case probably got fitted post war, as by then many of the simplified cruder wartime rear sights that had been approved to speed up production, were being replaced for the Mk1 rear sight as fitted to your rifle. Fazakerley was the biggest source of supply for such replacement parts.

If you ever do change your mind, as mentioned, your rifle would make a nice restoration project back to original military trim as the metalwork appears to be intact.

Nice rifle, enjoy regardless!

[Alan de Enfield]

I hadn't found much on specific sights as that seemed to match what I expected in terms of the markings, is the Fazakerley better? What would the original have looked like?

Fazakerley are 'no better' than BSA, and in some respects worse. Quality control was a very big problem at the Fazakerley factory and labour problems were rife.


In full military trim it would have looked like the 3rd or 4th from the top:

[Daan Kemp]

Interesting, you don't see LE with flush fit magazines, whether in military trim or sporterised.