Unisuued No4 MK2 Enfields.

Calfed · Sep 23, 2019

A couple of years ago I grabbed these Enfields at an online auction. One still in the mummy wrap and the other out, but apparently unfired. They are consecutive serial numbers...UF A 15545 and 15546

This was the auction pic

And this is what I found when the rifles arrived

I have several other Unissued No4 MK2's, including my first No4, which I bought at a LGS years ago. I was cleaning out the safe sometime after I received my consecutive pair and noticed something about my old No4...UF A 15573-- only 27 numbers off my consecutive pair.

Maybe I'm easily amazed...but I'm somewhat amazed that these rifles, made within minutes of each other in merry olde England, less than a year after I was born , all ended up in the same safe, even though they were purchased many years apart and all the way across country from each other.

JayFramer · Sep 23, 2019

The Enfield’s Lee was a top shootsman’s piece for it’s day.

A tremdous rifle, suitable for the stopsman, huntist, warsman, and shootists of all.

k22fan · Sep 23, 2019

JayF has some interesting vocabulary.

When they were imported in the 1990s I bought one still in its cocoon for $169. Unfortunately I did not think to look at the length of its butt stock before buying it and had to buy a long butt stock before I could be happy with it. There were 3 lengths for both the basic WW I and WW II SMLEs. Those never issued 1950s No. 4s are the best SMLEs because they have tight chambers like we expect in modern sporting rifles. However, the generals should have thought ahead to our use and issued good deer skinning knives instead of pointy rods.

In case Jay hasn't already heard this, many used to say that Springfield 03s made the best target rifles, Mauser 98s or at least their actions made the best sporters and SMLEs were the best for battle. Nobody had much use for surplus Arisakas but they did have the strongest military bolt action and their chrome lined bores were a good idea for shooting corrosive ammo in monsoon rains.

I guess if I'd shot a buck with the rifle that some have called the best bolt action ever made for battle I would have been a huntist?

2152hq · Sep 23, 2019

There were quite a few unissued #4's that were made at Fazakerley(sp?) Arsenal in the early to mid 1950's that showed up on the surplus market a few yrs ago.
Still in their 'Mummy Wrap' they were a great deal.

The earlier production was ser# prefixed 'PF' . Most all of those were for Export to Commonwealth and Colonial locations. Included in that were the Irish Contract.
Some searching will get you the specific ser# range of that contract and the others in the PF series.

Later on (1954?) the Ser# prefix was changed to 'UF A,,,,'.
Most all of those went right to storage in the UK and never left the Country AFAIK.
A collector told me that on paper, those UF ser#'d rifles were logged as built for the RAF, went right to storage and were then
surplused later on.

Busy work perhaps for the ROF/Fazakerley at the time maybe?. Keep the factory running and all that.

Should have bought one of those back then but was too interested in the No1 rifles and earlier. Still am.

tndrfttom · Sep 23, 2019

2152hq said:
There were quite a few unissued #4's that were made at Fazakerley(sp?) Arsenal in the early to mid 1950's that showed up on the surplus market a few yrs ago.
Still in their 'Mummy Wrap' they were a great deal.

I ordered one "in the wrap" in January, 1994 from Century International. At the time they were $167.34 for a "Lee Enfield, No. 4 Mk. II; Unissued Condition with Blade Bayonet and Scabbard" including shipping.

I wish I had had the where-with-all to order several at that price! Those days are long-gone.

deadin · Sep 23, 2019

Here's one that may be even more recent than the above....

(It's my understanding that this batch of Drill Rifles were the last No.4's (L59A1's) produced by Enfield.

Calfed · Sep 23, 2019

2152hq said:
There were quite a few unissued #4's that were made at Fazakerley(sp?) Arsenal in the early to mid 1950's that showed up on the surplus market a few yrs ago.
Still in their 'Mummy Wrap' they were a great deal.

The earlier production was ser# prefixed 'PF' . Most all of those were for Export to Commonwealth and Colonial locations. Included in that were the Irish Contract.
Some searching will get you the specific ser# range of that contract and the others in the PF series.

Later on (1954?) the Ser# prefix was changed to 'UF A,,,,'.
Most all of those went right to storage in the UK and never left the Country AFAIK.
A collector told me that on paper, those UF ser#'d rifles were logged as built for the RAF, went right to storage and were then
surplused later on.

Busy work perhaps for the ROF/Fazakerley at the time maybe?. Keep the factory running and all that.

Should have bought one of those back then but was too interested in the No1 rifles and earlier. Still am.

Ive got several of the PF series rifles, in new condition, including one in the Irish contract serial range.

Calfed · Sep 23, 2019

tndrfttom said:
I ordered one "in the wrap" in January, 1994 from Century International. At the time they were $167.34 for a "Lee Enfield, No. 4 Mk. II; Unissued Condition with Blade Bayonet and Scabbard" including shipping.

I wish I had had the where-with-all to order several at that price! Those days are long-gone.

Do you still have that one?

One of my PF's came with a serial number matching bayonet.

LVSteve · Sep 23, 2019

My Irish sequence PF No4 Mk2 saw way more action than yours. I also have a PF series No4 Mk1 that must be real close to the changeover time.

My mummy wrap rifle remains in its mummy.

6GUNSONLY · Sep 23, 2019

My, those are beautiful. I have a very nice Jungle Carbine No. 5 Mk. 1. Would love to have one of those sweet No. 4s to go with it.

JayFramer · Sep 23, 2019

Just gorgeous.

You’d be a fool to shoot either one of those guns.

They deserve to be safe queens, new in wrapper bolt action serviceman’s rifles are extremely rare.

Faulkner · Sep 23, 2019

tndrfttom said:
I ordered one "in the wrap" in January, 1994 from Century International. At the time they were $167.34 for a "Lee Enfield, No. 4 Mk. II; Unissued Condition with Blade Bayonet and Scabbard" including shipping.

I wish I had had the where-with-all to order several at that price! Those days are long-gone.

I have one I ordered "in the wrap" in 1992, mine was $99.99 for a No4 MKII in unissued condition with the blade bayonet and scabbard. I remember it took me several evenings after work to get it unwrapped and cleaned up.

Mine is dated 1955 with a serial number A193XX

I fired five rounds through it to sight it in, it was already spot on. I've shot it twice more, once taking a nice 8 point whitetail buck and another time I took a whitetail doe. For the past 25 years it's either in my vault or in the rotation of rifles that get displayed over my fireplace mantle.

Texas Star · Sep 24, 2019

Faulkner said:
I have one I ordered "in the wrap" in 1992, mine was $99.99 for a No4 MKII in unissued condition with the blade bayonet and scabbard. I remember it took me several evenings after work to get it unwrapped and cleaned up.

Mine is dated 1955 with a serial number A193XX

I fired five rounds through it to sight it in, it was already spot on. I've shot it twice more, once taking a nice 8 point whitetail buck and another time I took a whitetail doe. For the past 25 years it's either in my vault or in the rotation of rifles that get displayed over my fireplace mantle.

Which .303 ammo did you use on those deer? I sort of like Winchester's version of the 180 grain load.

Faulkner · Sep 24, 2019

Texas Star said:
Which .303 ammo did you use on those deer? I sort of like Winchester's version of the 180 grain load.

I used Remington 180 grain Core Lokt.

CptCurl · Sep 24, 2019

Mine's not nearly as nice as what is shown in this thread, but I did have it to the range yesterday!

Curl

k22fan · Sep 24, 2019

If I agree to play all the fetch she wants for a week the dog will forgive me but I'll feel better if I correct my error above.

k22fan said:
[...] the generals should have thought ahead to our use and issued good deer skinning knives instead of pointy rods. [...]

Mine came with a blade, not a pointy rod. A blade with no handle is not something that I get out to look at very often.

None the less, the generals were inconsiderate. They should also have polished and blued the rifles as well as Model 27s for our collections. Since they didn't, I'll opine that to keep them original looking the stock pieces should not be sanded finer than 120 grit.

Calfed · Sep 24, 2019

Faulkner said:
I have one I ordered "in the wrap" in 1992, mine was $99.99 for a No4 MKII in unissued condition with the blade bayonet and scabbard. I remember it took me several evenings after work to get it unwrapped and cleaned up.

Mine is dated 1955 with a serial number A193XX

I fired five rounds through it to sight it in, it was already spot on. I've shot it twice more, once taking a nice 8 point whitetail buck and another time I took a whitetail doe. For the past 25 years it's either in my vault or in the rotation of rifles that get displayed over my fireplace mantle.

One of my PF's came with a numbers matching bayo...

Calfed · Sep 24, 2019

2152hq said:
Should have bought one of those back then but was too interested in the No1 rifles and earlier. Still am.

Nothing wrong with No.1's.

I've got a 1942 Lithgow

31FordA · Sep 24, 2019

Those are some outstanding Lee Enfields. I remember a dealer at the Valley Forge Pa gun show offering mummy wrapped #4 Mk2 rifles for $99 in late 1993/early 1994. Best deal in town, but I remember they seemed to sell pretty slow compared to SKS rifles at the same show. Guess the looming ban probably helped move those SKS. I didn’t buy either, I was too busy stockpiling USGI .30 Carbine mags still new in the wrap for $2.95 each.

I finally got a unfired Irish Contract #4Mk2 in 2004, but it cost me $400. It was so immaculate it never got used much, I had a beat up #4Mk1 that I actually shot. A few years ago I bought another #4Mk2 that had seen some use and that is what I shoot the most now. The #4Mk2 is the best of the Enfield family.

The Enfield is my favorite rifle. I currently have the two Mk2’s and a 1916 #1MkIII* that is a veteran of WWI and, after transfer to the Irish Free State, the Irish Civil War. I used to have a nice 1915 Lithgow #1MkIII, the 1944 #4Mk1, and a Ishapore 7.62 Jungle Carbine. Wish I still had the #1 and #4. The Ishspore was ok, but the novelty wore off quick.

My #4Mk1 is proof guns can be a good investment. A guy at the range really liked my beat up old Enfield and asked what I would take for it. I didn’t really want to sell it, so I said give me an offer. He offered $600. I told him he had a Enfield. I only paid $40 for it originally, and it more than paid for my second #4Mk2.

JohnRippert · Sep 24, 2019

I tend to shoot all my Enfields, No1MK3's No4's and No5's, almost identically. The groups at 100yd are always about 2inch wide by 3inch tall. It's kind of eerie. Enfields were the first "brand" I started collecting. I still have a few.

Unisuued No4 MK2 Enfields.

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