WWII #4 Mk.I Lee-Enfield Rifle

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • rob63

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    May 9, 2013
    4,282
    77
    I took my WWII #4 Mk.I Lee-Enfield rifle to the range today. I'm much more of a collector than I am a shooter and, frankly, these full-power rifles leave me with a sore shoulder, so I don't shoot them too often. This particular rifle is a good shooter though, somebody that knew what he was doing glass-bedded it. I was honestly disappointed when I first discovered it had been glass-bedded, the seller did not disclose that fact, but I have come to like this rifle. I have to shoot it with a pad on it because the brass butt plate has a cleaning kit compartment and the door really digs into my skin without a pad.

    This particular example is a 1944 Maltby production rifle. It is an oddity in that the markings on it for some reason include a * which should indicate that it doesn't have the bolt release latch, but it actually does. Nobody seems to know why this happened, it's a known quirk with 1944 Maltby rifles.

    cGxpOxg.jpg

    7CpoADB.jpg

    b62qldZ.jpg

    w7At8u4.jpg


    Photos of the glass bedding. I found old documents online from the Canadian marksmanship team that indicate it is critical to only bed the barrel in these two locations in order to contact it at the correct spots for barrel harmonics. The barrel free-floats between these two spots. You can't tell in the photos, but it is also bedded at the "draws" which are the points where it contacts the underside of the receiver, the part of the receiver where the butt stock attaches, and also where the trigger housing attaches.

    SvJwmyp.jpg

    Etpa04Y.jpg


    Finally, the results. 100 yards, iron-sights, 56 year old eyes, rifle fore-end on a rest. This is about as good as I can do. I suspect with a better shooter and match-grade ammo this rifle could do a lot better.

    5IgT9OG.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,037
    77
    Southside Indy
    Nice rifle Rob! I'm somewhat of a recoil junkie and have never been bothered by any of my milsurps. My Ithaca Model 37 Featherlite 12 gauge on the other hand beats the crap outta me. Even putting one box of shells through it will leave me a little bruised.
     

    Hop

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    16   0   0
    Jan 21, 2008
    5,084
    83
    Indy
    That's not bad shooting there Rob! Pull that stock into your shoulder pocket and wear that war horse bruise like a badge! :rockwoot:
     

    daddyusmaximus

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 98.8%
    82   1   0
    Aug 21, 2013
    8,504
    113
    Remington
    I love these rifles. The Lee Enfield is my favorite bolt gun of all time. Having a rimmed cartridge is kind of a drag, but that slanted magazine just always looked cool, and having ten rounds is great anyway. I finished turning a Lonbranch No4 Mk1 into a 18" Scout Rifle not long ago, and it shoots 2.75" at 100 yds with PPU SPBT... like you, that's from the bench with a rest.

    abqQTV4.jpg


    uYzgNCH.jpg
     

    TheJoker

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 9, 2010
    1,017
    113
    Shelby County
    I had never heard the quirk about the No 4 Mk I* before on Maltby rifles. I thought Mk I* were only made at Savage and Long Branch. Interesting.

    My first Enfield was a 1944 Maltby about 4000 higher than your serial number. I had to go drag it out, mine says No 4 Mk I. It has an odd early Savage striker.

    The Enfields No 1 & 4 are my favorite bolt guns.

    JsFBPnA.jpg
     

    Old Bear

    Greyman Apprentice
    Rating - 100%
    16   0   0
    Aug 19, 2016
    2,125
    63
    Newton County
    I had never heard the quirk about the No 4 Mk I* before on Maltby rifles. I thought Mk I* were only made at Savage and Long Branch. Interesting.

    My first Enfield was a 1944 Maltby about 4000 higher than your serial number. I had to go drag it out, mine says No 4 Mk I. It has an odd early Savage striker.

    The Enfields No 1 & 4 are my favorite bolt guns.

    JsFBPnA.jpg

    Very nice collection. Maybe I'll have time this weekend to pull out a few of mine for a family picture:)
     

    rob63

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    May 9, 2013
    4,282
    77
    I had never heard the quirk about the No 4 Mk I* before on Maltby rifles. I thought Mk I* were only made at Savage and Long Branch. Interesting.

    My first Enfield was a 1944 Maltby about 4000 higher than your serial number. I had to go drag it out, mine says No 4 Mk I. It has an odd early Savage striker.

    The Enfields No 1 & 4 are my favorite bolt guns.

    JsFBPnA.jpg
    That is interesting that yours is only 4000 higher than mine, but they had quit marking it with a *. Back when I got it I found a long discussion about this quirk on another web site, apparently a lot of people have tried to find an answer regarding what happened, but no one knows. It doesn't seem to be particularly rare either, just something odd. I suspect that either somebody screwed up when ordering or making the dies that they were marked with, or maybe Maltby intended to drop the latch mechanism and simply never did.

    Nice collection there!

    I don't have a group photo, but here are my other three British World War weapons. A 1917 Enfield made SMLE, a 1940 Enfield made revolver, and a Colt made revolver purchased by the Brits and issued to Australia.

    BN6t9DO.jpg

    vwnw4Ci.jpg

    GjyUwIv.jpg

    GtRsbZ3.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    tribeofham

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Jun 21, 2017
    117
    18
    Fishers
    I'm a bit disappointed with the accuracy of my MKIV Lee Enfield. Grouping is about 8" at 100yrds using PPU. The crown and rifling on my ride looks flawless so I was expecting better. I've read PPU runs small in 303 and most have had better luck with other brands.
     
    Rating - 100%
    28   0   0
    Oct 3, 2008
    4,184
    149
    On a hill in Perry C
    I'm a bit disappointed with the accuracy of my MKIV Lee Enfield. Grouping is about 8" at 100yrds using PPU. The crown and rifling on my ride looks flawless so I was expecting better. I've read PPU runs small in 303 and most have had better luck with other brands.

    Always a good idea to slug the bore of these old warhorses. At times the various factories played a little loose on the tolerances just to get weapons out the door.
     
    Top Bottom