Actually, the stripper clips are available here for not that much. 2.60 each unless you buy in bulk from Numrich (gun parts corp). Oiler kit has 10 stripper clips with them at $16.75 which makes them about 1.70 each. They are around on Ebay too.
Enfield Number 4 MK 2
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Actually, the stripper clips are available here for not that much. 2.60 each unless you buy in bulk from Numrich (gun parts corp). Oiler kit has 10 stripper clips with them at $16.75 which makes them about 1.70 each. They are around on Ebay too.
mustanger98
Member
Appearantly there's "Enfield people" and there's people who enjoy shooting their Enfields. While I don't know any of the former, I recall the Enfields being enjoyable to shoot. They're a real nice rifle that feels good in the hands and won't kick the fillings out of your teeth. At any rate, have fun.
Danger Mouse
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That's quite reasonable. I got 100 for $50 a while back. Considering what they are its s lot more expensive to get them down here now!
GunnyUSMC
Member
You must not collect Enfields. There are Enfield Collectors that will pay top dollar for one in the wrap. Now that’s not saying that all Enfield Collectors want one in the wrap. I don’t consider myself an Enfield Collector, I only have about 20 or so.
To the OP, If you want a nice No4 Mk2 as a shooter, you could sell the one in the wrap and buy very nice one with the money and have money left over for ammo.
If you post on a Surplus forum, I bet you would have no trouble finding someone who would trade you a 03
AlexanderA
Member
Four years ago, Cheaper Than Dirt was selling Greek HXP .303 ammo for about 45 cents a round delivered, including the stripper clips. This ammo was 1970's manufactured, noncorrosive and reloadable.
The stripper clips were mostly Mark IV's marked "BP" (British Pens) and looked to be in new condition.
Mark IV clips are the ones to get. Try to avoid the commonly-available Italian Mark III's. They're too stiff. These Italian Mark III's are postwar, and it's a mystery why they chose to use an earlier, inferior design.
The bolt heads appear from time to time on ebay. Two or three years ago, Sarco had original 1, 2, and 3 bolt heads. The 2 was about $20 or so and the 3 was about $40. But, either milsurps.com or gunboards did a survey of bolt heads for the No. 4 on their length and some No. 2's were actually shorter than some makes of No. 1 and so forth. Think that it was there on gunboards or milsurps.com that a consensus was that the different numbered bolt heads were a manufacturing expedient to headspace rifles going out of the door instead of extending the service life of No. 4 rifles.
Thus, they do vary in quite a bit in length despite the number stamped on them. (Looked it up and it was gunboards https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?318777-No4-Bolt-Head-Survey-and-Instructions and https://forums.gunboards.com/showth...ad-Survey-Results-Conclusions-amp-Suggestions ). One ebayer sold their bolt heads but had the measured length with calipers as well as the marking. They do have to be properly fitted to the bolt though.
Resellers on ebay and gunbroker are buying out the parts warehouses bit by bit and reselling for higher on auction websites. This is what is driving a lot of the parts warehouses emptying out as until recently parts warehouses such as GPC were hard to navigate.
Thanks for reminding me about the Italian manufacturers Alexander A, Had to go the storeroom and look to see what I had on stripper clips as it has been years ago and I never use them on my Enfields due to their rough parkerized finish.
As for the stripper clips, for the British IV clips, look for ones marked P, D, MB, and TF&S. The last 2 mfg codes are late WWII era. GM marked are the Italian made and appear to be most of the ones you see on ebay. I suppose unmarked ones might be Chinese. All of mine are used from the WWII era and came from Sportsmans Guide long ago marked Mark IV TF&S.
From Gunboards and Stratton, British made,
"P - Pugh & Co. Birmingham
D - Unknown
MB - Metal Box Co. Ltd
TF&S - Thomas French & Son. Ltd."
AlexanderA
Member
Because of the numerous Marks and manufacturers' markings, .303 stripper clips can be the subject of a collecting hobby by themselves. Years ago, people didn't notice such mundane variations. Not any more.
I do have a repro leather multi-pocket Enfield leather bandoleer that would need clips if I wanted to load it up & take it to war...…. 
But, back to the original subject.
If it were me, I'd unwrap it & shoot the bejabbers outa the thing.
Denis
But, back to the original subject.
If it were me, I'd unwrap it & shoot the bejabbers outa the thing.
Denis
Dave Markowitz
Member
Re chargers (clips): Many that I've inspected are rough on the inside. Polish them with sandpaper and then hit them with a dry lube, and it will be easier to strip the rounds out.
AlexanderA
Member
Not really contemporaneous with the No. 4 rifle. What you want is the Pattern 37 equipment, which gives you a choice between the big universal utility pouches (designed for Bren magazines) and the patrol pouches. Patrol pouches (two pockets on each side) would let you carry 40 rounds, with two 5-round stripper clips in each pocket. (The Italians, when they were armed with Enfields postwar, made an improvement to the patrol pouches, adding an additional pocket on each side, raising the total ammo capacity to 60 rounds.) BTW, front-line infantry were supposed to use only the big universal pouches. That way, all the members of the squad could carry extra Bren magazines in addition to their rifle ammo.
Collectors often make the mistake of considering the guns in isolation. Remember that the guns (of every nationality and era) were part of a system, that included the ammo, the means of carrying the ammo, and all the other individual equipment of the soldier. Some people say that a collector should add a relevant gun book to his library for every gun that he acquires. I would amend that to say that, also, the proper accoutrements belong with every gun.
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
When I was looking for an Enfield (I already has a No 1 with a wired wrapped stock), I looked specifically for this model. I didn't want a war ravaged model, but something that was close to what came out of the factory. Mission accomplished. Many post war were made almost like a social program to keep people working. And many were never issued. Like mine and yours.
AlexanderA
Member
Yup. The Italian Mark III clips are particularly bad about this, due to their Parkerized finish. Rather than going to the trouble of reworking them, you might as well ditch them and replace them with British Mark IV's.
I think my current & final, that 1955 Faz, is number 6 or 7.
A buddy in highschool had a SMLE, and I thought that was one cool rifle.
Over the years I went through several in buying & trading up in looking for a "best" sample.
When I came across this Faz looking brand new, it was love at first sight.
No battle history, but the apex of Enfield evolution & a great historical design.
Previously, there was always something wrong somewhere on earlier acquisitions.
Here, pristine gun.
I don't think the previous owner had put 100 rounds through it.
I do have Pattern 37 gear here.
But the leather bandoleer looks sooooo much cooler than those huge pouches, and it's easier on the low crawl.
Denis
A buddy in highschool had a SMLE, and I thought that was one cool rifle.
Over the years I went through several in buying & trading up in looking for a "best" sample.
When I came across this Faz looking brand new, it was love at first sight.
No battle history, but the apex of Enfield evolution & a great historical design.
Previously, there was always something wrong somewhere on earlier acquisitions.
Here, pristine gun.
I don't think the previous owner had put 100 rounds through it.
I do have Pattern 37 gear here.
But the leather bandoleer looks sooooo much cooler than those huge pouches, and it's easier on the low crawl.
Denis
AlexanderA
Member
An Australian Lithgow Mark III* was the second gun I ever owned (after an Italian Carcano). I bought it as a teenager, in 1962, for the royal sum of $9.97.
The stock cracked from recoil, despite the fact that it was factory-reinforced, in the draws area, with brass strips. That was all the excuse I needed to have the gun sporterized, with a new Fajen stock, Lyman sights, a complete re-bluing, etc. It made a handsome sporter, but I now regret I had that done. (I sold it some years later.)
I think it was Number 5, had an Aussie Lithgow with a cracked stock.
Tracked down a genuine walnut replacement & got it installed, but there were a couple other things wrong too, so eventually I sold it.
Number 3 or 4 was a sporterized Jungle Carbine in a nice walnut commercial stock with cheekpiece.
I wish I'd kept that one.
Denis
Tracked down a genuine walnut replacement & got it installed, but there were a couple other things wrong too, so eventually I sold it.
Number 3 or 4 was a sporterized Jungle Carbine in a nice walnut commercial stock with cheekpiece.
I wish I'd kept that one.
Denis
Gunsmoke33
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Received several posts similar to yours. Thanks for the feedback. I'm leaning more to using it as trade bait for a high quality 03A3. If you know anyone who might be willing to work a trade send them my way.
David
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
You could try Armslist. There is usually a fair number of A3's listed.
Couple of years ago, SARCO had a good selection of A3s for sale, but not sure about now.
Also, try an outfit called Dupage Trading. He buys and sells Milsurps exclusively and may be interested in buying your rifle even if he doesn't have an A3, but often he does.
Good luck!
cheygriz
member
If it was mine, I would clean it, and shoot the heck out of it. To heck with collector value.
I have three "Smellies" and I shoot all three.
One was an excellent ++, almost mint Australian Lithgow No.1 MKlll that has digested over a thousand rounds of corrossive MilSurp and still shines like a new dollar.
I have three "Smellies" and I shoot all three.
One was an excellent ++, almost mint Australian Lithgow No.1 MKlll that has digested over a thousand rounds of corrossive MilSurp and still shines like a new dollar.
I have this one but sadly not interested in any trades but this old girl will put them in the same hole at 100 yards using 150 grain bullets and my pet load. The O3A3’s are awesome if you find a shooter. Good luck, hope you find one, I went through a few before I found this one.
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AlexanderA
Member
Why was the muzzle end of the barrel chopped off?
Kaeto
Member
Mine is a No 4 Mk 1 manufactured by BSA in 1943. I have about 50 chargers all loaded up and a cloth bandolier for them.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
I was wondering about that myself. They actually shortened the stock by 1/2 inch too, sawing right through the upper handguard tab. The rifle might be an A3 receiver, but the trigger group and bands are regular milled early '03 bits too......
A very interesting rifle, I bet it has a good back story!
This was a golden state sporter that I put back in a C-stock. I figured they cut and recrowned the barrel when it was sporterized. I was going to replace the barrel too but when you find a rifle that will put rounds in the same hole at 100 yards you don’t mess with it!
This was just a fun project to make it look more like it should. The rifle was cheap, I picked it up for $300.
I did a tung oil finish on the stock with about 20-25 coats. The weaver K-3 I picked up off eBay. This was a fun project. My biggest surprise was what a shooter it turned out to be.
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