New to me Lee-Enfield No 4 MK 1 1941

[oysterer]

A friend gave me this over the weekend.

Did some digging and looks like a 1941 Maltby made Enfield No 4 Mark 1. No import marks, maybe a bring back. It's a cool looking rifle, entirely different in its style than K98s, 1903s or M1s. Everything's is in the little details, kind of like steam punk with spring steel/rivets everywhere. Can't wait to shoot it.

 

[Tubbsy]

I love me a nice enfield... I've got a sporterized ishapore example that isn't anywhere near as nice as your beauty there. Sounds like a small cannon going off...

 

[LVSteve]

If the 5-digit part of the serial number starts with a 1, then it's a Maltby. Fazakerley rifles start with a 2. BSA rifles started with a 3 later in WWII. In 1941 it would have the BSA bespoke numbering system that only had four digits with any accompanying letters.

Wood looks to have been worked on, but it's a more sympathetic job of improvement than others I have seen. It does have just a little too much shine to be the original raw BLO finish.

 

[oysterer]

Wood looks to have been worked on, but it's a more sympathetic job of improvement than others I have seen. It does have just a little too much shine to be the original raw BLO finish.

I had given it a generous wipe down with BLO yesterday. This will dry itself out and turn out well.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Enfield rifles perfectly exemplify the elegance of British industrial design. If there was nothing on them to tell you they came from England, you would know it just by the way they look...

 

[Frank46]

I have a 1947 FAZ No4KII and a Parker Hale sporter. The sporter right now is a somewhat work in progress. Chopped forend needs to be glass bedded and I plan on installing a Bad Ace scope mount. Frank

 

[TeamPB]

Congratulations! You have a nice friend and a nice rifle. I picked up my 1940 BSA Mk.1 III up on Saturday and shot it yesterday. Yet again I've fallen in love with an old soldier. I've always wanted an SMLE and can't believe it took me this long to acquire one. Mine had more cosmoline in it/on it than any other milsurp I've ever cleaned. Bolt, receiver, barrel and end cap serial #s match. It shot like a dream yesterday and will probably go to the range again today. It really does encapsulate a lot of history in wood and steel.

 

[jeeps]

Pre -1968 imports did not have import marks in the 1950"s Many many thousands were imported back then.

 

[Tadeus67]

Mine was made by Savage in 42, rebuild in Faz in 52

I no longer have the No 5....still regret its departure

 

[LVSteve]

Congratulations! You have a nice friend and a nice rifle. I picked up my 1940 BSA Mk.1 III up on Saturday and shot it yesterday. Yet again I've fallen in love with an old soldier. I've always wanted an SMLE and can't believe it took me this long to acquire one. Mine had more cosmoline in it/on it than any other milsurp I've ever cleaned. Bolt, receiver, barrel and end cap serial #s match. It shot like a dream yesterday and will probably go to the range again today. It really does encapsulate a lot of history in wood and steel.

Oooooh, an early Dispersal Rifle from your description, very nice. 5 or 4-groove bore?

 

[LVSteve]

Enfield rifles perfectly exemplify the elegance of British industrial design. If there was nothing on them to tell you they came from England, you would know it just by the way they look...

That is a wonderfully polite way of saying that the Brits will go for style over easy manufacture. The way the forearm fits is clearly a design from the Furniture Makers Union to keep its members in jobs. All Enfield owner's dread getting a rifle that turns out to have trouble at the "draws" area of the forearm. BTDT.

 

[brucev]

Beautiful rifle. PPU has some good .303 ammo available. If you see any marked HXP, it is post WWII Greek production. Excellent. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[tops]

Congratulations! A British .303 was my first big rifle. I was 16 in 1957 and had a part time job. Mom went with me to the Advance store and they wrapped it in brown paper and I walked out of the store with it. It had the "L" shaped flip up peep sight like yours. I killed several white rocks that were in a red dirt field but when I got a full time job I traded for something different. Probably not better, just different. Larry

 

[TeamPB]

Oooooh, an early Dispersal Rifle from your description, very nice. 5 or 4-groove bore?

4- groove. When I had it apart I thought I saw an arsenal 59 date stamp on it (barrel area?), but of course made no note of it, sigh.

Yes! All the wood screws are wonderful and archaic, I was charmed by them. Time to find a guide book and go down the rabbit hole.

 

[Dave_n]

Over the years I have had a number of SMLE rifles, though I wish I could have "adopted" my HS Army Cadet force Mk III. However that was over 70 years ago on the Rugby field with a good backstop. Still have Mk III and Mk IV including Canadian and US, plus the Indian versions in both 0.303 and 7.62. Then a 1947 Mk V from Fazackerly. Since I lived in the L'pool area for some time I know where that factory was. Add some Mausers (G 98s) and a couple of Russian three liners and I am ready to have fun!! Dave_n (PS I did sell some others to a well-known purveyor in N. Florida on one of his trips North). Dave_n

 

[GypsmJim]

Mine is a 1943 Long Branch (Canada). I believe it was unissued. The blue is pristine and the barrel look like it was never fired. The stock is simply flawless with no signs of a refinish.

.303 surplus was iffy back in the day so I reloaded store bought brass. It is simply a tack driver, even with .308 bullets.

50 bucks at K-Mart in 1971. Even the magazine matches.

 

[quikdraw67]

Mine is a 1943 Long Branch (Canada). I believe it was unissued. The blue is pristine and the barrel look like it was never fired. The stock is simply flawless with no signs of a refinish.

.303 surplus was iffy back in the day so I reloaded store bought brass. It is simply a tack driver, even with .308 bullets.

50 bucks at K-Mart in 1971. Even the magazine matches.

That is the nicest SMLE I've ever seen. You have a gem.

 

[31FordA]

Congratulations, that’s a nice Enfield. The Enfield is my favorite rifle. A #4Mk1 was my first rifle, bought for $40 in 1995. Since then I’ve acquired a Lithgow #1MkIII, a #1MkIII the Brits transferred to the Irish Free State in 1923, a unissued “Irish contract” #4MkII, another #4MkII, a MkV Jungle Carbine, a Navy Arms Ishspore Jungle Carbine in .308, and a Lee Metford RIC carbine. Still looking for a .22 Enfield at a reasonable price.

Last week I found a Navy Arms “Tanker” #4MkII for $700. Unfortunately I did not have $700 to spare. The owner said it was loud and the short barrel produced an impressive fireball. Wish I could’ve added it to the menagerie.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Very nice! My only .303 is a nice jungle carbine gifted to me by a collector friend many years ago. I have killed several deer with it.

 

[LVSteve]

Mine is a 1943 Long Branch (Canada). I believe it was unissued. The blue is pristine and the barrel look like it was never fired. The stock is simply flawless with no signs of a refinish.

.303 surplus was iffy back in the day so I reloaded store bought brass. It is simply a tack driver, even with .308 bullets.

50 bucks at K-Mart in 1971. Even the magazine matches.

Very nice. You normally only see the very late (1950?) Long Branch rifles in that condition. My 1943 LB was updated to Mk1/3 standard at Fazakerley in 1953.