Where are all the parts?

[RJW NZ]

When the British motorcycles were fading away, (BSA< Triumph and Norton in the early 70's) there has always been here in NZ one or two or three bike shops I could go to for parts, either they'd be on the shelf, or they knew of equivelant parts or some machine shop that made them. Despite each only having a small loyal following, keeping raries like a Vincent or Brough on the road for example has somehow always been possible.
So the question is are there repositories of enfield parts in the UK, and on the same topic someone must have gathered up all the tooling and inventory, new, used and old of all the Parker Hale stuff?
Any idea who to go to for parker hale sight screws and parts? It's hard to believe that everything has just gone.
Perhaps the gun arena just works differently than motorcycles.

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.

[Peter Laidler]

Things of the Lee Enfiield era were a whole lot easier to replicate now. So people can easily repro parts. Modern CNC machines have seen to that. In the past, if I've needed to make something, I make two or three, on tha basis that if I need one, then so does someone else. So the sale of the other two parts will subsidise my bit! It's a bit like keeping a Spitfire going. But just try it with a Phantom!

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

If you can afford to own a Spitfire you don't worry about the cost of parts.

I have only seen one privately owned F4, and while it is airworthy, they don't fly it because of the cost of insurance.

[Mk VII]

David Little (Sporting Guns) bought a lot of the remaining sight parts, and unfinished in-the-white parts. I bought some off him some years ago.
Other people have quantities of parts but they tend to keep them to build up complete guns.

[goo]

privately owned phantom. got a little over 1200 hours in the old grey ghost. ( sadly, i logged two more take off than i did landings).
...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/...a96f3d.jpg?v=0
...
over mt fuji,'69.
...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/...g?v=1223587431
...
i'm flying out of mcas iwakuni on dec 7th 1969. i figgered it would be cool, so i key the mic and transmit over the uhf,

"hiroshima tower, this is the enola gaye. requesting permission for a second pass, over."
...
next thing i know, i'm on my way to vietnam


see link
...
F-4 air to air

[PrinzEugen]

AJ Parker closed down in Birmingham a couple of years ago (just before enfield bits started to rocket I suppose) - who knows where all the stuff went? There was tons of it there, though, I am told.

[Sunray]

"...they don't fly it because of the cost of insurance..." Don't imagine filling the gas tank(JP4?) would be inexpensive either.
"...Parker Hale sight screws and parts?..." Try Gunparts, but Parker Hale has been out of the rifle business for a very long time.
"...are there repositories of Enfield parts in the UK..." Nope. Sold off or destroyed long ago. The CF destroyed all the No. 4, No. 7's and C1A1's Army Cadets used, long ago too. CF Army Cadets shoot nothing but air rifles now. Air and Sea Cadets were told they couldn't shoot centre fire over 25 years ago. CO's who knew each other, of course, arranged joint exercises.

[Enfieldlock]

My sources tell me the Army is insisting on destroying about 50 No8 rifles despite pleas to save them.

[englishman_ca]

The CF destroyed all the No. 4, No. 7's and C1A1's Army Cadets used, long ago too. CF Army Cadets shoot nothing but air rifles now. Air and Sea Cadets were told they couldn't shoot centre fire over 25 years ago. CO's who knew each other, of course, arranged joint exercises.

Sunray,

You will be happy to hear that Canadian Army Cadets do infact still use the No.7 Lee Enfield Rifle and that the shooting program is alive and well. We have four minty 1944 dated Long Branches in the lockup at our Corps and we put about a thousand rounds through each a year. We also are active in the biathlon program, we shoot the Anschutz .22RF with the No.7 as standby for the left handed shooters (all our Anschutz are RH).

I work the ranges at Blackdown Cadet Summer Training Camp and run the marksmanship program. Yes, the cadets do shoot an air rifle, a Daisey .177, but they are very accurate and our top shooters can put five rounds into a cloverleaf grouping the size of the end of a pencil at 10 meters . All the basic marksmanship principals apply, the air rifles allow for training at the home corps enabling cadets to shoot indoors any time of the year.

Blackdown also holds about 300 No.4 rifles and 100 5.56cal Diemarco C7s. Sea cadets can shoot the C7 only at a Summer Camp, but you are correct about air cadets, for whatever reason, they are not allowed to shoot C7 at all. Army cadets can shoot the C7 at camp or with their affiliated reg force or militia regiment.

In Ottawa they hold thousands of No.7s in stores, still in cosmoline.

The No4 is currently the standard issue rifle for the Canadian Rangers. Even though it might be considered obscolete by modern standards as a battle rifle, it the only one that has been found to hold up to the northern Canadian environment and the hard use that they are put through. Valcartier Industies still makes Mk.8 ammo for the Cdn govt (IVI headstamp).

The Mk.I Magazine Lee Enfield was introduced to Canadian service in 1896, so that gives the basic design remarkable duration.

So be assured, the Lee Enfield is still in active Canadian service and will be for some time.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Ms Parker had FIVE WHAREHOUSES of bits. Plus a timber room at the old location in Brum. I have no doubt that many dealers bought the bits.

Her motto? "It's a hard business and I'm only a woman"
She would have made Saddam crap in his pants!

Dealt with her personaly only once. But I got a L39A clone from her through another dealer. Identical to the government version except for the markings and the nicer condition. And a Long lee with aiming tube, so I can shoot .22 or .303 just by changing bolts.