Very Pretty Long Branch Enfield

[Jackal]

Well, I strolled into one of the 3 different gun shops in my parts and sitting on the floor rack was this little 1942 Long Branch. Well, my initial reaction was that of amazement. This is the nicest looking Enfield I have personally ever seen. All the numbers match, except the magazine. The wood is almost perfect, with the exception of a glued chip in the buttstock and smells of cosmoline. Steel condition has got to be 98% or better and the bore looks new. Sadly, it has an import stamp near the muzzle (no bring-back for me) and it has a MKIII rear sight instead of the original issue MKI. Price was $220 out the door, so I think I did ok. It is an amazing shooter, as I have been hitting Pepsi cans at 100 yards with surprising ease. Ya, I found a keeper.

 

[RLsnow]

oh god thats sexy

*drools*

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Very, very nice.

 

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

Nice piece.

Was it sanded?

 

[Chipperman]

Wow, looks very nice.
That stock HAS to have been refinished at some point.

Maybe a Cruffler bought it, worked on the stock some, then sold it to the shop. I doubt it came directly from a distributor looking like that.

 

[DMK]

Very Pretty Indeed!

What's the finish on the metal, parkerizing?

 

[Jackal]

Was it sanded?

I am not sure. I don't belive that it has been sanded, because somebody would have sanded out the dings/dents that are still there. The stock is a little bit on the dry side though, which leads me to think that it has had the cosmo leached out of it.

What's the finish on the metal, parkerizing?

Ya, it looks like it's parkerized. I am not sure if the steel finish is original or not, but it looks the same, even under the wood.

Now, to find a MKI rear sight...

 

[sharkhunter2018]

Nice find. Very nice

 

[Sistema1927]

That stock HAS to have been refinished at some point.

I don't know if that necessarily would need to be the case. I remember a thread from a couple of years ago when someone bought one of these sight unseen in the wrapper, and then did a "strip tease" in pictures. It was "purty".

 

[iamkris]

That's gorgeous.

I thought the original finish was a black enamel, however, not parkerizing.

 

[DMK]

I thought the original finish was a black enamel, however, not parkerizing.

All the numbers match, except the magazine... a glued chip in the buttstock ... it has a MKIII rear sight instead of the original issue MKI.

Every Long Branch I've seen was blued. That one's definitely been rearsenaled or more likely restored. I don't know if they ever parked 'em at the arsenal.

Either way, it's a beautiful rifle and well worth what was paid for it.

I've been meaning to restore one of my beat up Indian No.4s. They all have beautiful bores, but terrible wood and finish. I've got the furniture, just have to fit it and refinish the metal. I hope it comes out as good as that one.

 

[dstorm1911]

Actually the original finish was sunikit a 2 part epoxy which is impervious to everything but media blasting.... at least thats what the Brits used as far as I've ever seen non restored LBs were blued unless they went to Britan or Turkey Where they got painted Britain they got epoxy as part of FTR services

very nice restoration though

BTW Ya also need a MK1 front band to match the MK1 milled rather than stamped front sight protector the MK1 Front band was milled they went to the sheet metal band as well as the stamped front sight gaurd and the L type rear sight as part of speeding up production and cost savings etc...

The stock could be one of the new replacements available via Sportsmans guide as well as others for $60 they look exactly like this one and are old new stock never got cosmolined etc... we have a bunch of the sets at Omega...

For parkerizing ALL of the metal is media blasted then individual parts are dipped in the park tanks then reassembled so yes the finish would be the same under the wood as above when refinished the metal is not in the wood...

very nice someone put a lot of work into it..

 

[JTW Jr.]

love them Enfields , and that one is a hot...Jessica Alba hot

 

[Davo]

Sweet.

 

[DMK]

Actually the original finish was sunikit a 2 part epoxy which is impervious to everything but media blasting.... at least thats what the Brits used as far as I've ever seen non restored LBs were blued unless they went to Britan or Turkey Where they got painted Britain they got epoxy as part of FTR services

Long Branch (made in Canada) and Savage (made in US) made their Enfields with different finishes than the British made ones. I own a blued Long Branch. They wouldn't have blued it in a re-arsenal process (unless the Canadians re-arsenaled them, I don't know if they did). If it's painted, then it's probably been re-arsenaled.

I may be wrong on this, but I believe some Savage Enfields were parkerized. I believe mine is. Although these might have been blued too.

 

[dstorm1911]

the brits started painting everything as a cost savings measure also ALL of these current imports came outa Turkey so.......... have deffinetly been re-arsenaled at least once...