Now, with better weather, it's battle rifle time. One of my favorites. Actually they are all my favorite you just "love the one your with".
A FAZ Enfield Rifle No.4 Mk2 born in 1949 and FTR'd in 1954. From IMA I got the spike bayonet and a web sling they kindly found stamped 1949.
A really nice rifle to shoot.
I would like to see some others.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

For more consistent sear engagement the MK2s trigger pivot was moved from the trigger guard to the receiver. More importantly the chambers of post WWII SMLEs were not reamed over size so they give reloaders good brass life. The last few years, about 1955 to 1956 they shipped with a clip point blade bayonet. I do not know about 1949. It's to bad they didn't make a handle the blade could be attached to so it would double as a camping knife.

"love the one you're with." Yes indeed. The only incurable disease you risk is hearing loss.

Nice rifle.

There was a time I was heavily into No4s and had one from each of the makers, including POF. Great rifles with a lot of history.

Have winnowed down the collection. Now only have a 43 Long Branch (New Zealand marked and looks like it sat out the war there as it is in pristine condition) and another Long Branch that was a "Greek Issue."
The Greeks took very good care of their rifles.

The NZ marked Long Branch:

Nice. That closest I have to that is a No5. They other is a SMLE

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Nice looking old girl there. Just recently picked up my first Enfield after years of looking at them on and off . ( Sorry, need to takes pics yet.) Mine is a 1964' Ishapore 2A version though. The 7.62 NATO cambering appealed to me since I already stock supplies for and reload for 308. I've since developed some pretty nice (and economical ) reduced power loads using 4895 to feed it and couldn't be happier with my choice.

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Dave

This is how they were cleaned - hot, soapy water down the pipe.

Hanno, that's a neat deal. Did you make the funnel?

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

No, those funnels were purpose made for issue to the troops.

When I shot a lot of corrosive .303 ammo, I used to take one of those and a Thermos of hot soapy water to the range with me. I know there are simpler ways, I liked doing it the way the troops did.

M1, back in the 1970's, I used a "sporterized" No. 4 to hunt white-tails here in Georgia. My do everything, go everywhere, rifle that sometimes rode in the squad car. Black Panther killers were stalking cops back then. Georgia boys sometimes improvised when shotguns and M-1 carbines were scarce. All of us had a long arm supporting our sidearm during those turbulent times. Mine was the No. 4 with spare 10-round magazine at the ready.

David

Mine is a 1914 22lr training rifle that I purchased back in 67 thru the mail.History is written all over the rifle,from it's patched stock,to all the queens markings,and stamps. Great shooter. My mind can not visualize how many lives have handled this rifle my son calls Old Bess.

Always had a soft spot for No. 4's , mine was bought in 1968 , 1942 , Birmingham Small Arms manufacture. Used very little. I got it to "sporterize" , but being a procrastinator of sorts , just never got around to doing it , pulled out it of closet , cleaned it up, rubbed some tung oil on the wood and decided that it didn't need any of my unprofessional gun wrecking . A new bullet mould and some Unique and Red Dot powders for loading up ammo and she's back in action.

I only wish I had a working camera....I can't post any photo's right now , darn it !

Gary

Is the OP's rifle polycoated? Looks awfully shiny.

That's a VERY early Mk2 with a 1949 build date. Some sources even claim an overlap between the last Mk1 and the first Mk2 serials, but I've never seen proof.

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Release the Kraken

Highly jealous of your NZ marked rifle.

I picked up another No.4 just yesterday. Built at Longbranch as a No.4 Mk1* in 1943 and reworked at Fazakerley in 1953 as a No.4 Mk1/3. Been after one of these for a while. They used new Mk2 wood during the rebuild. My No.4 Mk1/2 had the original wood modified to Mk2 spec.

No pictures as we are getting an early monsoon here. It has "LDS" over "20" painted on the buttstock, maybe from time in the Mormon army.

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Release the Kraken

Mine's a '52 Faz. Wonder if it served in Korea or against Mau-Mau terrorists. Has a rack number and is in really nice condition. They took care of it.

Family member has an as new one that came wrapped in paper, in cosmoline, which was a bear to remove. One of the last ones from 1955, with a lighter wood stock.

Were those light stocks birch?

My first No. 4 was a Savage/Stevens. Got it for Christmas when I was a young teen. I was already studying British small arms, as well as guns generally. And I was reading true war accounts, looking for photos of the arms used.

I think I got the No. 4 MK I* .303 for Christmas the same year I got a Webley MK VI revolver. My first two real guns, other than a single-shot .410. I was 13, and the L-marked (long) stock didn't fit me as well as it did until I'd grown a little.

I had several of those war reserve Mk2s (bought them still in the wrap). Those were the days!

The wood is beech.

There was a Bowie style knife bayonet with a pivoting butt. Don't know how well it worked. I think the wider blade socket bayonet replaced the spike one, at least partially.

South Africa had a more dagger bladed socket bayonet. I've seen it and the one with the pivoting butt only in photos. We have a member there who owns an ex-Navy No. 4. Maybe he'll see this and picture the bayonet, if he has that.

That spike bayonet must have received a lot of derision and doubt from the troops.

[QUOTE=LVSteve;139079361]Is the OP's rifle polycoated? Looks awfully shiny.

I would like to say it's ren wax, but your correct. After the M1A got me back to iron sights I just grabbed this one. My entry to the milsurps disease. I had to move the front sight a smidge, and it's a good shooter.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

Yes, the very cool No 7 Mk1/L bayonets, used on the No 4 rifle and the Sten.

When I downsized, I sold a couple of them and alas, didn't keep any pictures. They had the swivel butt, blued blades and reddish bakelite grips. Very neat bayonets.

There are some nice images of the No 7 Mk1/L on Bing but I don't want to violate any copyright policy by posting them here.

I love the 303 Enfields but never got too interested in any of them past the No1MkIII. the earlier the better for me.

I did have a #4 sniper rig many many years ago and foolishly sold it. Two #5 carbines came and went .
My brother still has a sporterized LongBranch#4 he bought in the mid 60's for something like $8.

I did own 3 of the 2A1 model Ishapore 7.62 rifles and regret not keeping one of those.
The first one cost something like $77 and change from SOG,,thing was like brand new and with a rust blued metal finish too. Maybe because they are a No1 variation is why I liked them.
I put a No1 butt stock on one of them to give it the old style drop.


Enfields are addicting and there are enough different variations to please most everyone.

Great minds think alike. Just so happens I also have a FAZ from 1949 in a blond stock. Have had it for over 20 some odd years. The other #4 I have is a 1942 Long Branch #4MKI* that may be a Parker Hale sporter as it has a ramp front sight but they kept the milled back sight. BBL cut down to 22" as well as the forearm. Two groove barrel. Don't remember if the FAZ went through FTR or what year. Frank

Question for you enfield experts, i have a sporterized #4 mk2 1942 Savage 2 groove bbl enfield. the fired brass comes out looking like weatherby shouldered brass. i was wondering if it mite be an epps chamber? i can say that with factory loads it shoots terrible, but with once fired,neck sized brass it shoots terrific, if you need photos of the fired brass ill post a new thread. any info would be great.

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This will not make sense to most here. I think you're referring to a rechambered rifle by Canadian gunsmith Elwood (?) Epps. That's a capitalized last name. He may indeed have developed Improved or similar .303 wildcats. Maybe our Canadian members know. Haven't seen that name in a few decades. It does sound as if something like that is affecting your rifle.

A 1942 Savage-made rifle is a No. 4 MK I*. The Mk. 2 dates from 1949.

Some wartime chambers are a little "loose." Have a gunsmith check your chamber for specs. You may have a generous chamber to ensure firing dirty ammo or you may have a wildcat cartridge based on the .303. Most US gunsmiths will not be familiar with Canadian and Australian .303 wildcats. But it sure sounds like you have a chamber milled out to use a wildcat with added powder capacity. The radiused Weatherby chamber/shoulder is distinctive. A new thread with pics of the brass would indeed help to assess the matter.

Your stock has nice lines. Is it synthetic? Who made it?

Thank you Texas Star. yup, synthetic stock, stock came on the gun when i got it. here are a couple photos of the cartridge compared to factory 303, any help will be well appreciated i also have a new thread on this "conundrum" that i just started earlier this morn.

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IIRC, a lot of US commercial ammo is rather short in the shoulder area. Remington ammo is a culprit in this respect. That would probably lead to the effects you are seeing.

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Release the Kraken

The British Enfield Rifle has "always" had a place in my home, in the early days of my life as a hunter, and my early cop years as a squad car rifle. That was a Number 4, as wording I used to distinquish it from the SMLE Model, my favorite Enfield Rifle Model. From time to time, when I can stomach tv news, I still catch a view of an Arab handling/carrying an Enfield Rifle. Most of the time, the distinctive profile of the Enfield Rifle, catches my eye when viewing news video from the Middle East.

The Enfield Rifle, with close companion .380 Enfield No. 2, are family members long-standing at the Abney home. Besides my on-duty service revolvers, these are my home defense arms and sometimes roadside insurance. It is so great to find Enfield friends here!

David

I can remember multiple posts on Enfield forums of people who reload talking about keeping the spent brass separate for each Enfield you shoot as the chambers were always "generous" in the shoulder area.




The first centerfire rifle I pulled a trigger on was a No4MK2 and we kept a empty paint can jumping until we ran out of ammo. I own two now of which my favorite is a all original Savage. I think Savage stamped their "S" on every part except the screws.

My Longbranch updated to Mk2 standard.

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Release the Kraken

I have one of the so called "Irish find" No4 MKII manufactured in 1955. I bought it about 25 years ago and it was still in it's original mummy wrap and cosmoline with matching blade bayonet.

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No. 5 Mk. 1 is as close as I have. Would love to have No. 4 to go with it

And I would like a No.5.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

My pics in post #1 disappeared, so I reposted them as thumbnails.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

Proper kit for the buttstock:

Yay Enfields. I have that disease too. 3 number 1mk3s, all BSA's, all 1916. One is marked for the 2nd military district of Australia. I have a pristine 1950 longbranch, (Last year for them) and one of the "mummy wrapped" number 4 mk2 Fazakerly guns. The gun store had unwrapped it, so I got the first ever shot. Recently I picked up a number 2A1 in 7.62, but have not shot that yet.

One just like this just sold on Gunbroker for north of a $G.

I also have a No 4 "Mummy Wrap". Absolutely new and unfired out side of the Factory when I got it. Shoots extremely well. Also have 2 of the No 1 Mk3Trainers. One NZ marked and the other has the prettiest wood I have ever seen on an issue rifle. Have a love for these rifles, lugged one around while doing my "National Service" in NZ while playing Soldier.

I only have three in .303. First is a MLE Mk I*. It was first issued to Canada who transfered 10,000 of them to New Zealand in 1914. I got some 215 gr RN bullets from Woodleigh (not cheap) for it.

Second is a Mk III*, which didn't have a good barrel. I got a new barrel, even had the original wax on the threads, and had Brian Dick, the SMLE guru, rebarrel it. As you can see, it also wears a Parrker Hale aperture sight.

The third is a Ross Mk II, which Canada transfered to the US when we entered WW I and were short of rifles. I think they were only used for drill. Its bore is not perfect.

I regret to say that none of them are particularly accurate. I've played with various loads and bullets with no better results. It must run in the family; my father, who trained on the Springfield, carred an SMLE Mk III* in combat in WW I. His diary notes, at one point;"Went to the rifle range today. Shot a pretty good score considering I was shooting a Lee Enfield".

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Ha, and to think I paid less than a hundred bucks for it still in the wrap.

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I like that you describe it as a "so-called" Irish rifle. The generally accepted truth is that the UF 55 series were built for the RAF and few, if any, were ever issued. The nearest they got to Ireland was at least the width of the Irish Sea.

I have a rifle that sits in the range of the Irish rifle contract, and it was definitely issued and used judging by the state of the wood and the cupro-nickel fouling in it.

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Release the Kraken

That's what I do when I shoot Combloc ammo through one of my Mosins. Except that the funnel is a plastic transmission funnel from an automotive parts store.