~Lee Enfield~

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308sc

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I have always heard about these rifles and know they were used in WWII by the British..(I Think) but I have seen the prices start to rise...and would like to know which one to get.....is it just me or is there a ton of variations of the rifle? If you could only have one of the Lee Enfield rifle variations which would it be and why? I would like to get the standard issue WWII rifle!

Where is the best place to purchase these rifles?

gunshows..or internet...etc
 
If I could have only one and wanted a good shooter it would be one of the No 4 Mk 2's. They were the last of the Enfields with all of the latest refinements and generally in the best of shape. Collecting and shooting Enfields is very addicting and most people who get into it will end up with a lot more then one.
 
The ShtMLE No.1 Mk III was the primary rifle of the first and second world wars, superceded by the Enfield No. 4 rifle of various sub versions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield

The 1/3 and the 4 are both relatively available for $175-300, with a fair market in the $200-225 range.
 
Stand WWII issue would be either a No.1 Mark 111 or No. 4 Mark 1. Best ones are the No4 Mark 2's made after the war with a improved trigger mounting system or No4 Mark1* that were modified during rebuilding. Trigger system was moved from stock mounted to reciever mounted.
 
The "official" primary service rifle of the British Army in WWII was the Rifle, #4 MkI/MkI* The Rifle, #1 MkIII/MkIII* was used extensively due the the millions they had in the inventory. The #4 MkII was a late war modification. The Canadian Army also "officially" adopted the #4 and produced them at the Longbranch Arsenal. The Australians never adopted the #4 and used the #1 MkIII* all the way through to the adoption of the L1A1 SLR.

Be very careful with Lee Enfields. They often carry an incurable disease know as "Enfielditis" which causes a continuous swelling of your collection.
You get a #1 and like it, then a nice #4 comes along and you think "why not?" then a #5 then you get Stratton's books and start reading and decide that you need a BSA and a Maltby and a Sparkbrook and THEN you start looking around for bayonets and by that time you're lost, LOST I TELL YOU! RUN MAN! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIFE!! :neener:

Here are 110 signs and symptoms that you may be an Enfield Addict.:D
 
No4 Mark 2's made after the war with a improved trigger mounting system or No4 Mark1* that were modified during rebuilding. Trigger system was moved from stock mounted to receiver mounted.
Click to expand...
The #4 MkII was introduced during the war, the MkI* rifles had a modified bolt release and were built by Longbranch and Savage Stevens. the MkI rifles that were modified to MkII were marked MkI/3. The trigger was originally part of the trigger guard, then made part of the receiver or "action body" as the Brits called it.
 
the "very best" Enfield #4 is the (T) model. this was the dedicated sniper package with scope and wooden case...all with matching numbers.

my next choices would be the aussie or irish enfields...you used to be able to get un-issued ones
 
Back when , I bought one for $ 15.00 I think, plus a hundred rounds of 303 Brit ammo. Got the whole package through the mail . Ordered from a company called Hunters .Age is also mixed into memory . There may be another name included to the Hunters title. Anyhow the mail package truck delivered it to my home. Something like 9 dollars shipping. The year before I ordered a 1903-03 Springfield . for less from the CMP . Cost more to ship it that the gun cost. I was around 22 years old at that time. And I'm 70 now. Both were in near new condition. Didn't even have to remove any cosmoline . Those were good days at times..........................:).............MUTT
 
I'd guess it was 'Hunters Lodge', who were an arm of Sam Cummings' Interarmco empire, and sold much surplus at low prices.
 
2" @ 100 yards with decent ammo is normal.

308SC, look up "Enfield" in the earch feature and you will find a bunch of really good postings concerning the .303 rifles.

And, Enfielditis is a powerful disease to which the only "cure" is keeping your collection of Enfields in a growth pattern. NEVER sell off an Enfield!
 
My No.4 Mk.1 will do 2moa all day long. And sometimes a bit better if I do my part. The Enfield is a fantastic rifle in my mind and I think in some ways better than the much vaunted Mauser. I don't think there is a "bad version" out there.
 
the common wisdom (urban legend) when i was growing up, was that the enfield was more accurate at 200-300 yards that at 100...had somthing to do with it's rifling.

mayhaps someone with more knowledge than i could chime in on this
 
SMLE, said it well.

No4 Mk1, adopted in the late thirties, and was the Brit World War II Enfield you are looking for. I picked up a "mix-master" No4 Mk1* (Long Branch) a while back, and like it very much. Prices do seem to be going up, but I guess that's true of most everything these days.
 
The #5 is one of my favorite rifles of all time, Haven't been able to find one I like, My bro 66912 has a sweet #5 all the numbers match, Nice, and not for the timid the recoil is a attention getter, I have seen the 308 indian version, but I went a diffrent direction on my 308 I have one of those fr8's a baseball bat that shoots, I have seen a number of cut down #4 so just make sure you are getting a #5 and not a cut down 4
 
You can still find No.4 Mk IIs in new, unissued condition on gunbroker and at gun shows. I bought mine about 10 years ago about when they first started showing up. Some people call them "Irish Contract" rifles but that is only partially true as only a certain number of the No.4 MkIIs were made for Ireland. Mine was made in 1955 and was in new, unissued condition. I was looking on Gunbroker just last night for Enfields and saw several MkIIs listed on there. My Holy Grail is a No I MkIII* in excellent (or better) condition. I understand that technically the No4s are better rifles, but the No I MkIII*s just do it for me.
 
When I was about 15 years old I had a #4 Mk 1 that cost about $40.00 when purchased out of a barrel at a local department store. The forearm was loose and this old veteran had seen many rounds. It still shot as well as I did and after some acclimation to the recoil, it took the head off of a 4 ft timber rattler at about 30 yds in Kentucky. I can't claim any experience with a good Enfield, but an old beater with Egyptian surplus ammo still functioned like a champ.
 
I have an Enfield my granfather picked up in WWII in 303. IT is a great shooter, looks like it was built my comittee but is a great rifle. Only problem I have with it is I am a southpaw and it is a right hand bolt. :)
 
GBXpat, it's called whip and causes the bullet to whip for a distance. The rule of it is that it will lay down and tighten up past 200 yards. Mine do.

...............MJ..............

bkt254.gif
 
GBXpat, it's called whip and causes the bullet to whip for a distance. The rule of it is that it will lay down and tighten up past 200 yards. Mine do.
Click to expand...
Actually, the distance is more like 25 yards. I have a 1909 #1 MkIII that I can shoot apples with at 20' (done for trick shot video) Other Enfields won't group for beans inside 50 yards but will let you shoot 12oz. cans off a fence at 200 yards. It is a documented fact that the LE really comes into its own at longer ranges. The Brits learned a lot about long range riflery in the Boer War and that led to significant changes in the Enfield rifle and the adoption of the Short Lee Enfield.
 
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