Enfield Number 4 MK 2

It's kind of like trying to evaluate a car with the car cover on.

The bit I can see through the paper looks good.

That rifle is easily worth north of $700 if kept in the mummy wrap. Probably closer to $1,000. Knock two or three hundred off if you unwrap it.

It's one of the Irish Contract No.4 Mk.IIs made at Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerly in the mid-50s. They were built, test-fired, and then packaged as shown until the 1990s, when they were surplussed off and imported into the US. My dad bought one in the early 1990s and I helped him clean it off. It looked brand new.

We shot it, and with handholds of a 150 grain Hornady spire point on top of enough IMR-4064 to drive it to 2700 FPS, it shot MOA from the bench at 100 yards.

My want to keep it if you’re looking for a nice shooter. My T-version MK4 #2 is a really nice shooter for paper or live game.

Known as part of the Irish contract, although most were not actually destined for Ireland.

Its unissued and in fantastic condition. If going to degrease I have been told that turpentine is what to use. Its preserved in cosmoline.

In New Zealand it will cost you about $1600 nz dollars. About $1000 if degreased.
Yours was made at ROF fazakerly in 1955.

Gunsmoke33 said:

Thanks guys. I'm trying to decide if I want to clean it up and use it, or trade it for a 03 Sprinfield.

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As nice as Enfield's are, if you want a shooter, the Springfield (especially an '03A3) is a better choice simply because of the ammo situation. Or, even better, there's always the M1917. M1 carbines are a real hoot to shoot at moderate ranges as well.

If you want a shooter Enfield, you could trade that for a really clean .308 Ishapore and have several hundred dollars left over too.

Neat gun though, thanks for sharing!

Unfortunately, you have a rifle that will lose value if you unwrap it. So called Mummy wrapped rifles in new condition are very rare. It will appreciate over time. Either use it for trade bait for a shooter or suck it up, unwrap it, and shoot it which will of course limit future appreciation and probably reduce the value.

Nightlord40K give some good pointers as to rifles that you can shoot if you want to trade. IF you decide to shoot it, new British .303 ammo is available and thanks to Prvi, some good brass and decent ammo exists. Avoid the old surplus ammo though with a brand new rifle--it ain't worth the hassle to save a few bucks and might cost you quite a bit more in rifle wear/condition (corrosive primers, hangfires, overpressure events, etc). Want to take that chance, shoot it in a beater rifle rather than a new one.

That's a tough one. I have only bought one rifle in the wrap and that was a MAS36. I unwrapped it and I still enjoy shooting it. I have no idea how much more it would be worth now, but who wants to sit there and look at a paper bag? If you are in a position to sell for a profit, I would go with Nightlord40K's suggestions. Unless, of course, you see it as an investment and just want to tuck it way for a few years.

I have one I got way back. It is a fantastic gun to shoot and admire.

Guns are made to be shot, cars to be driven, toys to be played with and liquor to be drunk.

Shoot it!! That PPU ammo is dead nuts accurate in my “T” marked no 4 mk 1 sporter. I won’t own a rifle I can’t shoot.

boom boom said:

Unfortunately, you have a rifle that will lose value if you unwrap it. So called Mummy wrapped rifles in new condition are very rare. It will appreciate over time. Either use it for trade bait for a shooter or suck it up, unwrap it, and shoot it which will of course limit future appreciation and probably reduce the value.

Nightlord40K give some good pointers as to rifles that you can shoot if you want to trade. IF you decide to shoot it, new British .303 ammo is available and thanks to Prvi, some good brass and decent ammo exists. Avoid the old surplus ammo though with a brand new rifle--it ain't worth the hassle to save a few bucks and might cost you quite a bit more in rifle wear/condition (corrosive primers, hangfires, overpressure events, etc). Want to take that chance, shoot it in a beater rifle rather than a new one.

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You speaketh the truth.

These rifles aren't made any more, their value will only increase.

I'd love a T version but they go for more than I can afford.

Privi partizan ammo or reload with ar2208 (varget) and 174 gr fmj to reach 2450fps. That's the load they were designed for.

The Enfield were used in the British commonwealth, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc quite common in those countries but increasingly rare in the condition of yours.

I too have one of these. It was opened before I got it, but it still had grease everywhere. I cleaned it up and its a shooter.

Dave Markowitz said:

That rifle is easily worth north of $700 if kept in the mummy wrap. Probably closer to $1,000. Knock two or three hundred off if you unwrap it.

It's one of the Irish Contract No.4 Mk.IIs made at Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerly in the mid-50s. They were built, test-fired, and then packaged as shown until the 1990s, when they were surplussed off and imported into the US. My dad bought one in the early 1990s and I helped him clean it off. It looked brand new.

We shot it, and with handholds of a 150 grain Hornady spire point on top of enough IMR-4064 to drive it to 2700 FPS, it shot MOA from the bench at 100 yards.

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At least 2-300 if you unwrap it.

Please leave it in the wrapper....it is worth so much more that way.

fpgt72 said:

At least 2-300 if you unwrap it.

Please leave it in the wrapper....it is worth so much more that way.

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As a collector, I want a gun that I can at least see. What's the point of having one in the mummy wrap? Besides that, packaging is not perfect and you don't know what rust and damage lurks underneath the packaging.

I think I would take the financial hit, unwrap it, and clean it. Or avoid the whole thing altogether.

This reminds me of the old story about the barrel of anchovies that for years was traded back and forth between New York delicatessens. Finally somebody opened it up and found that the anchovies were thoroughly spoiled. When he complained to the person he got it from, he was told "those anchovies are for buying and selling, not for eating!"

I think you will get a lot more enjoyment if you strip it down & take all that old cosomoline off. These are the best of the Enfields. I am wondering what size bolt head it has. I have seen a lot with no. 2 heads.

Nope, you have to look at the head.

If you want a collector piece, keep the rifle & don't ever unwrap it.
If you want a shooter, you can keep & shoot it or trade/sell as is to get what you want.
If you sell, you'll get more out of it still wrapped as it arrived in the military chain.

Aside from that, I bought a near mint one over 20 years ago, looked like just out of the wrap.
It is the apex of Enfield military rifle evolution and a fine example of a long-running rifle pattern.
It didn't see battle, but it was not built quickly under wartime emergency get-em-out-the-door conditions, and especially in original wrapping are the best Enfields ever built, still in "new" condition.

Mine is a treasured possession. It's also a good shooter.
Frankly, I'd rather have it than an '03.
Denis

I've picked up two No. 4 Mk. 1/2 (F)s and one No. 4 Mk. 2 (F) over the years, all freshly unwrapped and one still in the cosmoline. All were priced under $100.00.

Don't unwrap it unless you really want to shoot it.

I wouldn't unwrap it. It's worth more that way, and that's a rare and irreplaceable item to the world. Obviously its your gun so your choice, but if I just wanted a shooter I'd sell it as it stands and then buy an unwrapped Enfield to replace it (plus you'll likely pocket a few dollars profit).

DPris said:

If you want a collector piece, keep the rifle & don't ever unwrap it.

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A wrapped item is not a "collector piece." Collectors enjoy what they collect. How can you enjoy it if you never even see it? What you have is merely a speculative asset. And you're just assuming that it's in mint condition. It might not be.

I got one of these Enfields ($249?) as my first official gun purchase after turning 18 in 1994. I kept the mummy wrap label as a souvenir. Mine is on the "never sell" list.

They do still occasionally pop up in the mummified state, particularly in British commonwealth countries. I'm in New Zealand and have been lucky enough to get 4 of these. One degreased by the previous owner and I use it for service rifle shooting.

Another will be degreased and converted to a T replica.

The others will remain as they are. Unissued parts are s bit of a challenge here. Bolts and bolt heads are the hardest. But you can try marstar in Canada. The ammo stripper clips go for silly money now too.

If you need reference material try ian skennertons book on lee Enfields.

Front side blades are easy to find on Ebay.

At the moment I'm trying to find the best substance to preserve the wood on the degreased one. Originally boiled linseed oil but times have changed. Tru oil or renaissance wax are looking like the likely candidates for me.

An un-issued in-the-wrap Enfield most certainly is a collector piece.
It's worth more than it would be unwrapped, even if unfired.

Enfield people like the mummies, and if in original unaltered factory packaging, it'll be in mint condition.
Years ago when I paid $200 for my minty sample, wrapped guns had not taken off quite so much, wrapped rifles were maybe another $100.
Have not seen one since a COLLECTOR gun show about 15 years back.
Denis