Enfield .303 No. 4 Mk 1*

Description

Enfield No.4 Mk 1* 2 groove Long Branch Rifle dated 1943

Woodwork in good condition

Metal work in good condition.

Bore in good condition.



History lesson:

In the early 1930s, a batch of 2,500 No. 4 Mk. I rifles was made for trials.

These were similar to the No. 1 Mk. VI but had a flat left side and did away with the chequering on the furniture. Observed examples are dated 1931 and 1933.

Roughly 1,400 of these were converted to No. 4 MK. I (T) sniper rifles in 1941–1942 at RSAF Enfield.

By the late 1930s, the need for new rifles grew and the Rifle, No. 4 Mk I was officially adopted in 1941.

The No. 4 action was similar to the No.1 Mk VI but stronger and easier to mass-produce.

Unlike the SMLE, that had a nose cap, the No 4 Lee–Enfield barrel protruded from the end of the fore stock.

For easier machining, the charger bridge was no longer rounded.

The iron sight line was redesigned and featured a rear receiver aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) with an additional ladder aperture sight that could be flipped up and was calibrated for 200–1,300 yd (183–1,189 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments.

This sight, like other aperture sights, proved to be faster and more accurate than the typical mid-barrel open rear sight elements sight lines offered by Mauser, previous Lee–Enfields or the Buffington battle sight of the M1903 Springfield.

The No. 4 rifle was heavier than the No. 1 Mk. III, largely due to its heavier barrel. A new bayonet was designed to go with the rifle: a spike bayonet the No. 4 bayonet, essentially a steel rod with a sharp point, nicknamed "pigsticker" by soldiers.

Towards the end of the Second World War, a bladed bayonet was developed for the No.5 Mk.I rifle ("jungle carbine").
Post-war versions were made that would fit No. 4 rifles and were designated No. 7 and No. 9 blade bayonets.

During the course of the Second World War, the No. 4 rifle was further simplified for mass-production with the creation of the No. 4 Mk I* in 1942, with the bolt release catch replaced by a simpler notch on the bolt track of the rifle's receiver. It was produced only by Small Arms Limited at Long Branch in Canada, and Stevens-Savage Firearms in the US.

The No.4 rifle was primarily produced for the United Kingdom, Canada and some other Commonwealth countries including New Zealand.

In 1943 it cost £7 15s = £7.75 to produce (for comparison, a Sten Mk II at cost £2.50).

In the years after the Second World War, the British produced the No. 4 Mk 2 (Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals in official names in 1944) rifle, a refined and improved No. 4 rifle with the trigger hung forward from the butt collar and not from the trigger guard, beech wood stocks (with the original reinforcing strap and centre piece of wood in the rear of the fore stock on the No.4 Mk I/Mk I* being removed in favour of a tie screw and nut) and brass "gunmetal" butt plates (during the war the British, Americans and Canadians replaced the brass butt plates on the No.4 rifles with a zinc alloy (Zamak) type to reduce costs and speed production).

Near the end of the war and after, Canada made blued steel butt plates.

With the introduction of the No. 4 Mk 2 rifle, the British refurbished many of their No. 4 rifles and brought them up to the same standard as the No. 4 Mk 2.

The No. 4 Mk 1 rifles were renamed No. 4 Mk I/2, while No. 4 Mk I* rifles that were brought up to Mk 2 standard were renamed No. 4 Mk I/3.

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