Enfield No4 Mk 1 (T) Sniper, now for sale

[buffalowinter]

Thought some of you might find this interesting. I just finished building this Enfield No 4 Mk 1 (T) sniper rifle with transit case. I researched the rifle, scope and transit case pretty thoroughly. The transit case was frustrating because all the blueprints I found were barely legible so a lot of guesswork and extrapolation was involved. I tried to stay as true to the original as possible...brass flat tip screws, organic milk paint, correct colors but drew the line at dovetail joints, and if you can find original hardware , it would cost a couple hundred dollars. I bought a replica No 32 scope and found a copy of "Telescope, Sighting No 32" by Peter Laidler. A more complicated collimating, mounting and bore sighting process could not be designed even if one tried. The steel was exceptionally hard. The "base pads" were supposed to be sweated on before drilling and tapping...Loctite 380 does the same. It literally took me all day...from 9 in the morning to 11 at night, to install the scope. It involved numerous trial and error filings of the base pads to get the scope over the bore...not to mention milling the receiver. Anyway, it's all done and it turned out pretty nice. [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/ZDcUGV7l.jpg"}[/IMG2]
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[TonyTheTiger]

Always impressed by your posts Rick.

 

[McCrazy]

Great work you did there.

I have always loved the lines of the No. 4 and I would love to own a No.4 Mk 1 (T) some day.

DOL

 

[sandwarrior]

That thar is a beautiful piece of work Buffalo.

What was the rifle before you started working it? Meaning which factory/country version... Did you re-barrel it or was it a "T" when it started out?

For a long time I always thought of these as "that 'ol piece of junk". Finally realizing they were actually pretty accurate rifles. This of course after having been able to have bought a number for a song...and didn't...

 

[buffalowinter]

The rifle is a regular, run of the mill, BSA. It is not a real (T). It is all original with a very good bore. We'll see what kind of accuracy I can get through hand loading and working with the bedding using period techniques, so that it remains legal for CMP matches. The standard for accuracy for the SMLE was 10 shots at 100 yds in a 6" x 4" rectangle. If the rifle grouped 3" x 3", it was eligible to be selected for conversion to the (T) designation sniper rifle by Holland and Holland.

 

[jbell]

I always loved the N04 Mk1 T rifles, excellent job!

 

[pmclaine]

It goes without saying the rifles, as always, are impressive but I got to mention the porch. If heaven means dying and sitting on a porch like yours all day drinking cold beers, I'm in.

 

[Spaghetti Western]

Well done Rick, looks to be an awesome project. Hope it groups really well for you without having to touch the bedding, if you get stuck I might be able to assist with a bit of acquired knowledge.
I undertook an L42 repro a few years back & your post, might have me encouraged to do a No4(T) as well

 

[buffalowinter]

Spaghetti Western, that's a nice L42. Pmc, here's a picture of my porch, since you've mentioned it twice. Typical Texas Hill Country style home with metal roof and limestone rock. The tiled porch is six feet wide and wraps around the house. The roof is supported by Salt Cedar beams. Designed the house myself, but didn't build it.

 

[pmclaine]

Spaghetti Western, that's a nice L42. Pmc, here's a picture of my porch, since you've mentioned it twice. Typical Texas Hill Country style home with metal roof and limestone rock. The tiled porch is six feet wide and wraps around the house. The roof is supported by Salt Cedar beams. Designed the house myself, but didn't build it.
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You got what you deserved. I should only hope to be so worthy.

Gonna shoot the CQB off that porch?

 

[sandwarrior]

Buffalo, you mention the accuracy test. I don't know when it happened, but when a comparison(?) was made at Bisley, the winner hit that little rectangle 31 times in one minute. That is obviously including four reloads! Slick-fast shooter once you learn them.

I concur, beautiful house and porch. Although, I thought you were in California, not the Texas Hill country.

 

[buffalowinter]

Pmc, I shoot 50m Free Rifle off the front porch. Got tired of lugging my stuff up to my 100yd range, about a 1/2 mile away. I actually got the wife to let me shoot 300m Free Rifle out of my den, on the 2nd floor of the main house. When I shot 300m in Zurich-Albisguetli (bottom pic), Switzerland, the 300m range was on the 3rd floor. The entire side of the range opened up. 50m was on the ground level, and 25m was dug out sub surface. Switzerland rocks. The 300m range had sheep grazing on it to control the grass. Went to a 25m crossbow range and they kept rabbits for grazing to control their grass.
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[pmclaine]

I lived in Geneva for 15 months 88-89.....

Missed opportunities and why the military experience is wasted on the young.....

 

[buffalowinter]

Just finished range testing the Enfield sniper. It shoots ok, could be better. I shot at 100 yards. After sighting in the scope and shooting a couple of 5 shot groups to get used to the scope, I started testing loads. I shot 3, 10 shot groups, with different loads using the 175g SMK. There was about a 10 mph shifting wind. It is not easy shooting at bullseyes with the 3.5 power No 32 Telescope with its European type post and crosshair reticle. One thing I need to work on is the trigger. It is 8 pounds 4 ounces. It breaks nice and clean with two distinct stages and no creep, but it is heavy. In any case, each group was around 3.7 inches for 10 shots. Not too bad considering. The Enfield accuracy standard was 10 shots in a 6" x 4" rectangle. If the gun grouped 3" x 3" it was considered acceptable for conversion into a sniper rifle. Well, I definitely pulled some shots, so if you throw out the worst shot in each 10 shot group, which I don't think is too unreasonable to get an idea of what the gun is capable of as opposed to what I am capable of, I got groups of 2.8", 1.6" and 2.7" That's not too bad. All in all, a nice little project. I will do some tweaking with the handloads and try a .312 bullet, definitely get the trigger to an acceptable level, and maybe work on some bedding, either completely free floating the barrel and handguards or bedding it with cork like the Russians did to their Mosin's.
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[Spaghetti Western]

Hi Rick, am sure you have considered this, but being based on a No4Mk1 action (with its trigger hinged off the bottom metal) I would address any bedding/fettling as a matter of first priority, because some modifications of the wood/metal fit through the action area, i.e shimming (particularly altering the relationship between the action & bottom metal) has a discernable impact on the feel of the trigger pull.

would be a disappointing to get the trigger feeling magnificent, then fiddle with bedding & suddenly realise the triggers not great any more, & having to re-do the sear work.

just a heads up

 

[sandwarrior]

Interesting on the trigger. The one I had, had a great trigger. And most of the people I shot with rated Enfield triggers as second only to K-31 triggers for military actions.

That said, I'm not only not an expert on these, I'm barely educated on them. And, an 8lb. trigger is a monster to deal with, trying to get good groups.

 

[ScharfshutzeK98]

Beautiful rifle and case sir! I am hoping to find myself an Enfield sniper soon. Thanks for sharing!

 

[RWSGunsmithing]

Try different style/design of targets as well, might help your point of aim.

 

[6.5creedmoor]

The crate and rifle looks awesome.

 

[longebow]

Try this load. It works in mine: Sierra 174 .311 MatchKing, HXP Brass (fully match prepped), Fed 210M primer, N140 41.8 grains, COAL 3.075. Of course, use caution as YMMV.

 

[FlashAndPoof]

Beautiful rifle! Where'd you find one in such great shape? I've been trying to track down a decently priced No4 Mk1 with the micrometer rear sights for a long while now, but I can never find one in halfway decent shape!

 

[desertrat1979]

Perfect timing on this post. Now, bare in mind, I know next to nothing about Enfields other than they are British. A coworker of mine just inherited one of these from his grandfather, a No4 Mk1. He has one problem, the magazine is missing. Unless his grandmother happens upon it, he's chalking it up to never being seen again. So he asked me for help finding a replacement. All I have been able to find for the No4 Mk1 rifles is vintage mags that aren't in the best looking shape and go from $40 and up. I found that there is a reproduction mag for the No1 Enfield, but it doesn't work. Now, I may have misread it, but I thought I read something saying that the No4 mags were just altered No1's. That this was done by the British armorers. If this is true, what were the changes, and could that be done with the cheaper and more abundant No1 mags?

 

[Hairy Biker]

No 4 mags are very different to SMLE mags. Just buy a No 4 mag.

 

[buffalowinter]

Thanks to SirH I had to buy a Mk 13 Mod 0 stock and am now forced to sell this beauty. The details are in the Firearms for Sale section and on Gunbroker, but basically $1800 buy it now for complete rifle, chest, and spotting scope, free shipping. http://www.gunbroker.com/item/644107209