it always makes me feel good inside to know that a piece of history is in the hands of someone who actually respects it. wonderful example of an Mk2, congratulations!
it was lighter on some than on others. the desirable more stable wood for gun stocks is walnut, which ranges from slightly darker grey than this (particularly european walnut) to very dark browns and greys (american black walnut being the darkest, claro and bastogne the most decoratively figured). whenever production ran out of walnut, various countries used to produce military guns instead using beechwood, like this here, which is by far the most available temperate hardwood, growing in very convenient round trunks. it does closely resemble walnut in hardness, toughness, and density, but whereas walnut is a particularly stable wood, beech is exceptionally prone to warping. however seasoning dry wood for many years, preferably decades, after initial slow enough drying to not produce hidden cracks or tension inside (aggressive kiln drying can do that) makes a bigger difference than the wood species, so well-seasoned beechwood can be entirely good enough, while being much cheaper. if no old stock is available, excessively fresh solid beech is a terrible option because it shrinks and warps dramatically, and the last resort is to slice more or less fresh wood (normally beech) into veneers and laminate it to hopefully have many layers cancel out each other's warping tendencies and a lot of glue in between (and probably heat treatment) stabilizing them, as the germans did quite a lot for WW2 production and into the 1950s. a lot of cheap furniture is made out of small blocks or sticks of beechwood glued together to form boards, and those usually show well that there is quite a bit of colour variation in beech also, regardless of the wood's age. for the gun in the video, the buttstock is lighter than the front piece of wood, but beech can vary even more than that in colour (towards the darker end). I would however expect that some producers would have matched wood pieces somewhat to not have stark contrasts on the same rifle, and some pedants probably even sorted light and dark woods to separate gun models or production runs to always achieve more visual conformity. and with walnut at least, there seems to have always been a preference for only using darker wood when sufficiently available, which matches the broader tendency beyond guns for darker woods to almost always be more expensive woods (with specialty exceptions of relatively expensive light-coloured woods like maple for being so white that it can be coloured particularly wildly or provide great contrast, and boxwood for being the hardest almost white wood to use for light-coloured carved or turned small items such as chess pieces). and of course this also meant that a lot of usually lighter beechwood was stained dark already in production, to more closely resemble dark walnut, and arguably to camouflage better.
I trained on a Lee Enfield from 1970-1975 while in the RAF CCF. Became an expert marksman. I still love them, and have surprised several of my American friends at the shooting range, they were using 306 and I used my trusty 303 and achieved a much higher score on most targets upto 250 yards. Thank you for your video.
@@aquastar1182 The calibers are indeed similar however, projectile choices were limited in the British calibers, just as in 8mm Mauser, for a long time bullet or projectile choices were quite limited, the .30-06 always had a wealth of bullet or projectile choices available to both Hunters and re-loaders alike. Factory ammo has tended to use low cost bullets or projectiles rather than premium rated bullets or projectiles a hand loader might choose.
I was also in the RAF CCF from 1979-1981 we shot 308s at Cannock Chase range at distances up to 350yds. Our rifles looked liked the Enfield but may have been a different version? Anyone know what variant they might have been.
Why am i watching this, i have never owned a single firearm in my life..but still somewhat its captivating. I thought about the people who assembled this rifle and wrapped it. They are all most likely dead by now. All those lives and fates..damn!
My first rifle was/is an Enfield. My grandpa bought it at an auction for me when I was 5 and said "When you're old enough I'll let you have this." When I turned 15, we went on a hunting trip together. Before we left he gave me the rifle and said (In his best Uncle Ben impersonation) "With great power, comes great responsibility." and then laughed as he gave it to me. (I had already had many a gun talk and was very safe with them.) I hunted my first deer with that rifle! It was great. The hunt was a pretty classic one... me and grandpa had split up. He was walking along the ridgeline and I was down in the valley a few hundred yards below. It was pretty foggy, which was frustrating to me, but grandpa said "It's frustrating to the deer, too." and that made me feel better. Anyway, I heard my grandpa make a noise and saw a deer about 50y directly in front of me appear to materialize out of the fog and stare up the hill, transfixed on my grandpa. "This is my chance." I thought as I slowly brought my Enfield up to my shoulder and switched the safety off. ...she still wasn't moving. Just staring up the hill. I slowly dropped to one knee to stabilize myself, and lined up my shot... head-shot. No...no. What did grandpa tell me? Kill zone is in the chest. I swallow hard. The deer turns her head. She's looking right at me! Did I swallow that hard!? Shit she's going to move! Now! I pull... CRACK! (Holy shit that thing kicks a lot harder than my .22!) I get off my butt and look to the deer. It's down, right where she stood. I walk over to it and it's not moving. My grandpa walks up. "Good shot, Slick. Now you get to do the fun part." He hands me a hunting knife and says "Don't waste anything good." I did pretty well until I accidently cut open the colon and had to clean a bunch of shit outta the gut cavity. Anyway, sorry for the long-ass tangent. My point is, My grandpa is like a father to me. He died 13 years ago and I haven't though of him much lately. This brought back some very happy memories with my grandpa. I love my Enfield. Thank you so much for video. I gotta go now. I seem to have something manly in my eye. EDIT - Pictures: imgur.com/a/ES9mRZt
JPS 3B what do you mean i was taught very good gun safety etc in the early 2000’s when i was a young teenager (im 26 now) so your opinion is totally false
We still use this rifle for our Police basic training, in Manipur, a northeast state in India,,, some old guards use this as service rifle. Love watching this video, best unboxing video ever in internet.
@Tyke Man Well you looted us so much for 200 years that if you guys have stayed one decade more our entire race would have died of hunger...but of course they don't teach you the barbaric truths of Brits in your schools...do they? O by the way can we have our Kohinoor back...?
I used this rifle in the Army Cadets, first in the deactivated DP format to learn basic skill at arms, then on the firing range for marksmanship. It’s totally unique and I’ll never forget the sensation of using it - the smell of gun oil and cordite, the weight, the first time I experienced the recoil. I was getting a four inch group at 200 metres with very little experience at the age of 13, which is a testament to its simplicity and functionality. I had a similar warm fuzzy feeling when I used the Bren and really enjoyed the L1A1 (Brit FN FAL) but nothing ever came close to the enjoyment of using the SMLE, your video was a pleasure to watch, many thanks!
I realize this was posted a long time ago but I felt compelled to comment anyway. First off thank you for taking the time and effort to produce and post this video. That's a beautiful piece of history you have there, as if you weren't aware. I loved the sound of the bolt action and the report. What a treasure! Thanks again.
Same... It showed up in my feed and I am glad it did. Do any of you know if similar rifles such as this, "new old stock" are still available today, I am familiar with the CMP way but I'm referring to British or other rifles beside American. Also, where was he shooting, Canada or possibly US? I thought any type of weapons in the UK were aggravating and hard to buy and shoot?
@@vanguardactual1 Last October I was able to purchase a mummy wrapped M44 Mosin carbine. It’s tucked away in the safe and humidity control for long term storage. I have seen quite a few No.4Mk.2’s on gunbroker from time to time. They go for a great big penny. You can set up an alert for “mummy” on gunbroker and it’ll send you daily alerts for that keyword. To answer your second question, he’s Canadian.
@D.Edward Rice. Thank you Sir, you have encouraged me to comment on this very interesting weapon from my past. I am an Octogenarian, New Zealander and have owned two cut down SMLE 303's over my life time. Both were perfectly accurate and such lovely rifles. The first, i paid Five pounds NZ for, when i was 15yo living with my family at Westport NZ which is a small coastal country town. Many locals owned this weapon in my town including several of my friends, whom i often went hunting with in the countryside. In our adjoining household wash house/laundry, it was normal to see 4 SMLE cut down sporting rifles hanging upside down on clothes hooks to deter dust entering the barrels, all owned by yours truly and two of my older brothers and one younger. Our mother must have been very worried about our safety, LoL. I served with the NZ Army Infantry in Malaya 61/63 and our weapon was the Australian built SLR (Belgian FN 7.62 mm, which whilst a hard hitting weapon and semi automatic, for accuracy the SMLE won hands down. Having said that, my weapon of choice on operations was the Sterling SMG 9mm, i loved it. Hope you find my story interesting. Robert Wilson. NZ Veteran. RNZIR. God Save The King.
Watching your video brought back memories my first rifle I bought was a 1903 Lee Enfield. As I remember I bought from an Army / Navy store in Montreal on McGill Street I paid $25.0 CDN and the bullets were 10 cent each you picked them out of a barrel. Times have changed. He rapped it with brown paper and I took it home on the bus and nobody batted an eye, today they would call out a swat team.
5 лет назад
That generation had gone through war, knew who the real enemy was and had their head screws on right .
Not in Canada. Taking a rifle home in a case on public transport here has happened before. Police responded person was charged and had to surrender all his guns.
I joined the Canadian army in 1957 as a soldier apprentice in the RCEME and my first rifle was built in 1956 at Longbranch and was brand new with beautiful blonde stock. We got the FN’s in 58 and anyone with $15.00 bucks could join the army shooting club and buy their rifles except for us apprentices as we were too young. My trade was Armourer and my first posting in 1959 was to 215 RCEME Wksp in Calgary Alberta where we had to receive and check all Lee Enfields, Sten guns , Bren guns and any other weapons held by reserve units in Western Canada, we then put them in long term preservation and were shipped out to be sold to foreign governments. There were a few US weapons that belonged to members of the Devils Brigade who trained in Montana but did not make it overseas when they were disbanded and I guess the US forgot to collect them and they ended up in different armouries around Calgary. Lots of memories and sorry for long Post.
Mike Johnston the leeE was majority being sold to the civilian market. They were NEVER used in modern combat (by Canadians). I’m a studying historian of the Canadian military (which obviously includes weapons) and the government regretted having the absolute horrible rifle (horrible compared to rifles from 1943 -) being saved, taking up space and costing money. They sold most of the rifles for only $600. The Canadian government lost more money from storing them they got from selling them.
Grey Gray he’s in the breathes of nostalgia and sharing some that for other viewers to enjoy his experience with this rifle and you had to come in and throw your bit in all negative and blunt taking the shine off of his story repeating second hand opinions. Good job!!
@@mrandrewjohns3657 I have no idea who you are, but tell me where I went negative in my comment? I was in the Canadian military and I was a Wpns Tech in the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers. I spent 13 years in the military during my early years when I went to my first posting in 1959 I along with another of my platoon mates were tasked to check out ALL Lee Enfields coming in to our workshop, repair and put in long term preservation. The majority of all Lee Enfields held in storage were sold to armies like Pakistan and India. These are facts and not second hand opinions. A lot of these wpns were sold by Crown Surplus to sports stores here in Canada and I bought mine for $25.00 from the Hudsons Bay Company in Calgary. I also stated that the Lee Enfield was used by Canada during the Korean War. Where was I wrong? If you are going to criticize anyone please get your facts straights and stop acting like a know it all!!!
Mike Johnston. Sorry if you got confused, I was talking about the other guy who commented about your original comment. I was saying he was being negative. Your comment was very good.
Mr Basargin I apologize if I came on too strong but the way it came across my IPad,it looked like it was directed at me. I will always support the Lee Enfield as it was one of the best rifles in both WW1 and WW11 plus the Korean War as I mentioned. This rifle is or was still in service with the Canadian Rangers up north but a new weapon is in the works.
I have one of these - UF.55 (A1XXXX) that I purchased back in the late nineties in the same condition, new in the wrapper. It came with a matching blade bayonet and scabbard. I found a correct tan canvas sling for it at a gun show. It was pristine, unfired, and gorgeous. I’ve put a few hundred rounds through her over the years. It really is a joy to shoot and a tack driver for sure ! Love the rear sight and the smooth Enfield bolt.
Grandfather talked about covering thousands of rifles, jeeps, and other military items like this in Alaska at the end of the war.... it's nice to see what he was talking about and the care to unwrap it.... well done and beautiful rifle.
A rifle as beautiful .I am a police officer in India and we have some of these beauties left.I enjoy taking them to the range and boy are they accurate. Enjoy the rifle sir .regards Omar
I had a Lee in 1963 that I bought at a war surplus store. Shot my first deer with it, it was very accurate and a joy to shoot. My father made me sell it when I went to Vietnam because I had a lot of siblings and didn’t want them to get hold of it. Wish I still had it. Great video, brought back some old memories. Thanks!!!
Fascinating stuff. I shot the same rifle as a CCF cadet many years ago. Today I was invited to shoot with an Enfield .22 made in 1915. The trigger pull felt like it was about 2 inches before the gun fired. However, my group was nearly as good as I shoot with my new CZ455. I noticed that the front sight post was very slim compared. The rifle smelt and felt like a piece of real history.
@@paulbrungardt9823 I bet I would have to show ID to buy beer. Me: Do you need to see my ID? Cashier: LOL Me: but the beer is not for me, it's for my 18 year old girlfriend. Cashier: LOL
In 1985 in my home town of Ballarat Australia my local gun shop had plenty of brand new MK4’s & also some MK5 Jungle Carbines - $280 each - I earned $65 per week & put 2 MK4’s & a MK5 on layby & paid them off - I sold one MK4 about 5 years ago for a nice profit - & still enjoy shooting the other 2 regularly. A great video you made that bought back some nice memories- thank you.
This is easily one of the best rifle in this condition I’ve ever seen. You’ve done an outstanding job cleaning and preserving this beautiful piece of history!
In the late 1980s I worked for a small firearm company. It bought 20,000 Enfield rifles from the Australian Army. Along with the parts to repair thousands more. I supervised the cleaning and repair of these rifles which had been stored in Cosmo line since the 70s. I came across several that had been converted to .22 single shot training rifles. It was always a surprise finding things soldiers had put inside the butt stock. Photos of their girlfriends, rings, and trinkets I assume were for good luck. Watching this video brought back some great memories of working on these outstanding rifles.
Thanks so much Mr Houston, I was mesmerised by this video. It was incredible to this time capsule unearthed and a joy to see it in the hands of such a worthy custodian. My father has spoken often of his Lee Enfield he used in the 50’s as an Irish Guardsman, and seeing it new as he did is so much nicer than the previous used example’s I’ve seen.
That takes me back 44 years, as a 17 year old Air Cadet. We were unpacking. 303 rounds packed in 1966, they still went, "Bang!" Remember the bruised shoulder the next day, superb piece of kit.
I love that this popped up in my side feed all these years later. As i was watching it, and get to the drive to the range part, my first though was "Hey I know those cemetary gates and wineries (grew up and still live about 10 Kilometers away from that road). It's unexpectedly nice to see my hometown (and the K&D F&GC) represented in a video
Amazing to see the condition the rifle is in after so long in storage, just goes to show that even so long ago they really knew what they were doing and to see such a beautiful example of the Enfield brings me back to my youth in the Army Cadets were we had these as our first rifles.
gorgeous coloured wood work ! when i was an army cadet, early 80's i used this model, loved it. when i joined the army, late 80's i used the SLR, then went on to the SA80.... but always fond memories of the lee enfield.
Mine also came in mummy wrap; it was ex-military stock my Dad bought me when he was an army officer, in the 1960's. My cousin was a gunsmith and he fitted me a 29" heavy 7,62mm barrell and a Mauser action - I used it for big bore Bisley shooting and won several prizes for full scores, especially at 1000 yards. It was fitted with a Parker Hale peep sight. I sold it in 1986.
He's done a beautiful job of preparing and treating the wood. I hope he hangs on to all the labels and tags. The people that made this rifle probably one of them or a clerk signed it off and gave it it's 'born on' date and serial number. They're probably long gone and these tags are what little remains of their existence (the handwriting !). Beautiful job, though and this gun has found a good home...
Robert, You have a beautiful rifle there. The entire UF 55 series was a Royal Air Force contract for rifles that they didn't even really want or have need for. None were ever issued. FYI. The "cardboard washers" that you spoke of have a very specific purpose. They're meant as sound buffers to prevent any noisy banging of the plastic oiler tube and the butt stock bolt head. If you ever decide to purchase an authentic oiler tube (they're commonly found on eBay) and insert it into the butt stock compartment, you'll notice that without that buffer washer, the rifle will make a very audible clicking sound as the rifle is tipped up and down. The Enfield designers knew this would be an annoyance and tactical disadvantage. It has nothing to do with preventing damage to the bolt head, but everything to do with quieting the rifle when carried. Sometimes extra buffer washers would be added to take up any extra space in the compartment to prevent the oiler tube from sliding back and forth inside. Thanks for the video!
I had a 1917 issue SMLE Enfield and for its age, was incredibly accurate! I loved it. I wish I'd never gotten rid of it. It was a finely made rifle, shot 2.5-inch groups at 100 yards, I imagine it was a bit spacey due to its age and usage.
Thank you. I will never forget, when I got my first No.4 about 25 years ago. At the time, you could find rifles described as "like new, in wrap" for $100-$150 in those little quarterly firearms journals. I got one shipped to my local grocery/sporting goods dealer for $120. I picked it up one warm Friday evening after work. She was flawless- packed in cosmo and mummy wrap! Once I carefully unwrapped and cleaned her, I felt like I had gone back in time to 1944! Functioning was perfect with all ammo I tried at the time. Boy do I regret selling that gorgeous rifle. Wound up collecting a No. 5 and a SMLE Mk. III before I was done. But neither was as nice as that No. 4. Peace.
Thank you so much for posting this Robert. I also have one of these dream rifles. When I was 50 and lived in Los Angeles I dropped into Pony Express by Van Nuys airport and found a rack of these going for $199. At the time regular Lee Enfields were going for between $50 to $90 so I only bought one of the Irish/Air force contract rifles. I feel like an idiot now but at least I bought one of them. It wasn't until I got it cleaned up that I realized it was almost exactly the same age as me. The rifle was born in April and my birthday is in June. We have gone through tough times over the last decade and I've sold the vast majority of my gun collection but I've always told my wife that I will never sell my Lee Enfield, I would rather sell a kidney since I have two of those. Enjoy and treasure your rifle since as we both know they are truly special.
During a uk gun amnesty back in the 50s or early 60s I remember a couple of Lee-Enfields being sawn into pieces in the cellar because my WW1 sniper grandad didn't want to explain why he had so many....😃Sorry.
This was the model that I trained on when I joined the RN in 1963. Our Gunnery instructor was impressed with my marksmanship on the range. I was a member of our local rifle club before I joined and we used a similar rifle but smaller caliber, .22. The 303 stayed in use until 1977 and was replaced by the SLR, a copy of the Belgian FN. The British version had the automatic selector blanked off. The Enfield was a heavy piece but very accurate.
Beautiful rifle. Great video. Lucky man. Never seen one so pretty and new. I got mine 40 odd years ago form a long time friend of the family and mentor who served in 1 Army Commandoes during the WWII. I’m incredibly proud to have the service rifle of my “uncle”. Sadly John has passed, but I still think of him and all the time we spent , bedding that rifle, floating the barrel, getting a cheek rest just right for me. We found, stripped serviced an fitted a NO32 Mk1 scope, lethally easy to use (modern scopes magnify too much IMHO). John showed me how to carve what he called “a stock bump”, basically a piece of wood that is screwed on to the stock behind the trigger guard, giving the right hand a slightly more vertical angle. Worked for John and turns out, for me too. Some say it’s not pretty, but my wife is, and my rifle shoots straight.. really straight. Around 2000 I started having some real problems with the original protective coating on the iron work. After much searching I found a clever little fella in Wyoming, specialised sorting all that gubbins out. Asked me if I wanted the original finish again or was I game for something else? The action, barrel, and iron work came back all mirror finished and hot blued, (don’t ask me how he did it, but I suspect there’s some sort of witchcraft & goblinry involved). I think it looks beaut, but that’s just me. Some say I Ruined a great rifle, but even after the thousands of rounds I’ve fired through the old girl she’s still spot on! First rifle I’ll ever grab, I’ve shot boar, goats, Roos, wild cats and dog, completion, you name it (I’ve never shot people, no war, never had to, thank god & I hope I never will). I’ve had dozens and dozens of rifles, & shotguns over the years, they’re nearly, all gone now, all except for the 303, a Winchester lever 22 hornet, and a pair of matched Purdy side by sides that my Daddy left me, (that’s a whole other story). My rifle’s called JLE, (John’s Lee Enfield), it’s silly I know, & she’s a bit of a Frankenstein’s bride, not all who behold her are taken with her looks, but goodness me, she shoots Straight. Real straight, out past a mile (just a little, don’t want to be getting tickets on myself) & that’s good enough for me. Plenty have fired her, no one’s ever complained, we’ve had a lot of belated compliments, and more than a few offers, but I can’t part with her yet. John said “this was my rifle, now it’s yours, I made it as I wanted it, now you make it as you want, I’ll help if you like”, I still think you when we go out you old bastard & we go out a lot. I’m 52 I don’t kill anything that I don’t eat, except paper targets, feral animal control and maimed animals. No, you can’t have my rifle, my JLE, well not yet anyway. Once I’m to old to hunt and shoot I’ll find her a good home (got young nephew whose folks have just moved to Australia shows promise) and tell the story of what will then be a 100 year old rifle, that started out in World War 2, wielded by a Corporal of the Commandoes, back when the Commandoes were still part of the army. My “uncle John”, that corporal, who taught me a little bit about gun-smithing, a lot about shooting, hunting and bushcraft, and most importantly about never being cruel, or taking more than you need, or anyone for granted. If your still with me, thanks mate, I appreciate it. I’m sure John would too. The 303s a great rifle especially the No4 Mk 2 and yours is a beaut (a real pearler {oyster growing a pearl & thus a cut above the ordinary} as we say here in Australia). Have a think about the NO32 Mk1 scope I really love mine. It’s a tough sight, not too much magnification, and very quick to bring you target to bare. On a good day I can still put nine out of ten into a 12inch Bull at a mile out. Ok, only prone an seated, mostly when kneeling but standing free is difficult now. It matches the rifle and is easy to fit. There was a mob over there called Lithgow Firearms or something like that, they made most of Australia’s Lee Enfield arms etc. I still see LE scopes available for sale from time to time. If you do find one and mount it make sure it’s not mounted to far back, story goes there used to bunch of nasty eyebrow cut. Loved the video. Guess you got that. All the best. TimC
What a wonderful experience to take an SMLE out of its original wrapping. I've had a 1941 Mk III made in Lithgow as a hunting rifle for 40yrs. Just love it.
To be a bit pedantic, the SMLE is the first of that series. In about 1995, the Head of BEAR Legal Services threw one at me across the room at a Christmas party, I caught it at the centre of balance with my left hand and worked the bolt to clear it with my right, in the usual single movement so engrained to all. Then down with the bolt catch, check the barrel, while dropping into instructor mode for the secretaries. Much to the amusement of several rather famous SAS blokes who'd joined us when their time was up!
Back in 1965 i was in the cadets we had 303's that were great to fire and accurate....I was asked to join the newly formed shooting team and we were issued with 10 brand new 303's that were fully preserved from new...it took ages to unpack and clean them before we could use them but they were immaculate and were fantastic to use....some great memories... not long afterwards I joined the army and we had the SLR as standard issue.....but still miss the days of competition shooting with the Lee Enfield.. I
I was in the cadets in 1973 and spent many happy hours on the range at RAF Manston using the Lee Enfield 303's and then going to school and proudly showing off the bruises on my shoulder to my school mates ha ha , happy days indeed
I was also an ATC cadet and this was rifle was used as an introduction to target rifle shooting before moving onto the L81. I loved firing this rifle at ranges up to 300 metres and found it extremely accurate and reliable. It was less heavy and cumbersome over the L81 but not quite as accurate at ranges over the 300 metre mark. I also went on to full time service with the Royal Signals and ended up with SLR as standard weapon or SMG if vehicle born for drivers. We swapped to L85 from SLR around 91-92 and despite all its anecdotal problems never had an issue despite using it in 3 operational theatres although heavy fire in sandy spots wasn’t called for from me which is where most of its problems seemed to lie. Great video thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane!
@@sealandersound2617 I now live in NZ and whilst a Lee Enfield is on my wish list the ammo is expensive these days , so I have settled for a Chinese SKS in 7.63x39
Wayne Drinkwater good on you mate, I envy you and your move from Blighty. You had a lucky escape for the worst is yet to come for us little islanders as about to become even smaller. Good Luck with everything hope you find a reasonable priced 303 to own at some point.
Sealander Sound Buying one is easy as they are plentiful and reasonably priced but at about $1.20 (60p ish) a pop it wouldn't get used much , shame about what's happening to England I will be visiting again in July
We used the No4 Mk2 when I was in Cadets and it was a beautiful rifle to shoot. Once it was zeroed you could pretty much get 3 inch groups at 100 yards and 6 inch at 300 with iron sights. When I joined the army and used the SLR after firing the Lee Enfield it was like getting into a Skoda after driving a Lambo. Great to see one coming out of its wrapper after nearly 50 years.
In the 1980s we used the Lee Enfield with a Parker Hale .22 conversion for the indoor tunnel range. I can't remember if this was a no.4 mk2 or not. We also used the 7.62 sniper version, which a beautiful machine. We had quite nice wooden stock SLRs that sadly became plastic...and then came the SA80....😅
@@carlteacherman194 we had what I think were called "Morris tubes" for the No4 rifle that converted them to .22. I can't remember if the bolt had to be changed. The AIs set them up. I think they were reduced to single shot rather than magazine fed but it was the best part of 40 years ago. I remember the Parker Hale conversation too. Had a carbine style half stocked barrel didn't it?
@@nicklovell5872 That's it, it looked like a carbine. We had it all in a special box. It took a fair while to set up. I can't remember all the components but there was a barrel insert (Morris tube) for sure. I think the bolt was indeed changed.
Where I went to school we had a cadet corp, one of only two left still going in our country at that time (60;s veitnam war era) and we had a big armoury full of Lee Enfeilds, there were DP's with no pin and a white stripe, re barrelled rifles with .22 calibre for the younger boys ( no girls in the Cadets back then) and working rifles which were used for target shooting by the seniors . Most of us skinny young kids soon got an idea of why it was called a "kick". As they were all dated it was interesting to note that most of these rifles were WW1 and Boer war vintage! .Even the tents we used were Boer war tents. The year after I left school they switched over to M16's and I often wondered what happened to the Rifles and the 1/2 dozen Bren Guns.
I obtained one here near Los Angeles when they were imported. They were selling them cheap and now I wish I had bought several more. I kept it in the wraps telling myself that I would open it when I turned 55. I just unwrapped her back in April and took her out to the range on my birthday! What a fantastic rifle! A thoughtful friend provided some excellent vintage HXP ammo for the occasion. Now I really wish I bought several more. I was able to split the wraps in one big cut up along the bottom from butt to muzzle, being very careful to keep the shears away from the gun. I found the same copper residues in my bore, so it must be SOP for the armory to function check and clean. The shot pattern with that HXP was a little left, but I will wait till I have some hand loads developed before I move the sights. The original firing pin and sigh tool is getting hard to find, but thanks to friends I have the use of an original tool. Thanks for sharing the unboxing. It felt almost like the day I unwrapped mine. Stay healthy and may you have many more days on the streams and range.
I thoroughly enjoy watching your Detailed Lee Enfield rifle videos you are quite knowledgeable about them and you explain them in great detail thanks so much for your making of them and I’m sure they will be very informative and interesting to others who have not yet Discovered their potential and history of a fine instrument of warfare they are truly a historic weapon. Thank you for your time and your passion for preserving and shooting these fine forearms. Cheerio.
as a collector and user of almost 200 firearms my #1 go-to hunting rifle is my good old WW2 Lee Enfield SMLE.... no doubt about it the Lee Enfield is the most beautiful rifle ever built. your rifle is gorgeous. good job and enjoy shooting it!
I was 11yrs old when I first fired the same rifle,in the army cadet force at Barry Buddon,Scotland Pure loved it ,year later the Bren gun and smg all great. Thanks for the unwrapping
My father used a Lee Enfield in Arnhem, this was in 1944 Operation Market Garden, it mentions it in his book my lil sis had written in his memory, he was 23 when he joined the Paras, before that it was the Navy. He survived Arnhem, died in 1996 at the age of 81, very proud of him although never spoke much about it
A Beautiful Rifle, I got my Marksmanship badge with an Enfield in the mid 80's in the British Army, mine was a little different being bored at 7.62 but it was essentially the same weapon, I shot a few 303's on the range. Arguably the best bolt action rifle during the Second World War. Watching your video brings back lots of memories. 😄 oh the sound of the action! Jeez I can smell the cordite!
My dad bought for me my first rifle to go deer hunting with him. I was 14 yr/old in 1967 Nanaimo BC Canada and these rifles were abundantly available everywhere. My No4 Mk2 was purchased at our local Simpson Sears store for $19.95 CAD. Sears had a large barrel with a dozen or more of these standing upright with no bolts. Next to that bin was a box full of bolts so you could pick one bolt to go with your rifle. I have no idea why they were separated, and undoubtedly that lead to mismatched headspace problems. For $10 more you could get a "sporterized" version which basically just had the wood cut down. Mine was the original full stock version because it was cheaper and my dad liked a bargain.
Funny, as I zeroed mine in at the Parkville Gun Range just northbound of Nanaimo. The one I purchased was originally purchased at the Sears in Nanaimo by a relative. I am no longer on the Island. Cheers!
Ain't it funny how back then it cost $10 more to have it sporterized and now it's worth a lot more than $10 more if it isn't!!! Like all the motorcycles that got raped by customizers in the 60's and 70's that by the 90's everyone was wishing were original.
@@wmcbarker4155 I've been riding Harley's for over 30 years, I used to own a shop before I retired from the business, I've seen a million of you come and go over the years, you think that owning a motorcycle makes you a tough guy, it's big mouths like your's is why I closed my shop and only do work privately for people I either know well or are referred to me.
Put a few rounds down range back in the 80’s with one of them. Great weapon that when shot properly, would be impossible to beat the accuracy. We would wrap the shoulder strap around our wrist to help with accuracy. Any new lads firing it for the first time would always have a black eye by the end of the day. Great memories. Thank you for the video.
I remember this rifle when I was an army cadet in the 1970s. You really did have to apply the rulbes of musketry to fire it accurately I seem to remember because compared to modern weapons it has a fierce recoil. This and the Bren gun were just beautiful peices of engineering. When I joined the regular army the SLR was no fun after the Lee Enfield. Even 303 rimmed cartridges involved more skill to charge the magazine. The clips of five rounds. Thank you for bringing back fond memories. 👍
When I was a young lad just out of high school in the 1970's I purchased a SMLE MK. III for the (then) princely sum of $45 from a pawn/army surplus shop. I cleaned up the wood and applied a linseed oil finish. I deer hunted only one season with it and put less than one box of shells through it.(mostly for "sight-in" at the local sandpit). Superb battle rifle it was, as a woods deer gun it was heavy, cumbersome and prone to hang up in thick bush. Factory British .303 ammo wasn't cheap or conveniently stocked at our local general store. I parted company with the rifle that next summer. Still I have fond memories of my first center-fired rifle that wasn't borrowed from my Dad. While I'm jogging down memory lane I remember how odd at the time being able purchasing both rifle ammo and shotgun shells without ID but had to sign a book for buying .22LR rimfire ammo (.22LR was classified as handgun ammo and needed a signature) Such were those days. I see you shoot rifle left handed, I'm Left-handed with right eye dominate. I shoot rifles right handed, but I couldn't get the proper lead in shotgunning (skeet) unless I shot left-handed( go figure). In pistol I'm ambidextrous (equally bad with either hand) and tend to "squint" my off eye.
Thank you for putting up this video! It brought back many fond memories of firing it as a working service rifle in the mid to late 80's when I served in the Irish Defence Forces (DF) reserves. Many of them had been in service for over 50 years and were still incredibly accurate. Later on, when I was a full-time member of the DF, we had converted to the Steyr AUG and the reserves to the FN FAL, I remember packing boxes and boxes of No.4 rifles (still in their original wrapping) from the weapons stores (which was in Dublin's Clancy Barracks then) onto trucks, as they were being sold and shipped out as surplus equipment. We were not permitted to purchase them at the time, which really annoyed a lot of us who had fired this wonderful weapon and wanted to retain this portion of our military heritage.
I was in the FCA in early 80s. I remember helping unwrap one in the armoury in Griffith Barracks one Sunday. It came out brand new. I believe that when the time came to get rid of the rifles. They took the older ones and dumped them in the Irish sea. Tragic really.
Love the video! Thank you for sharing the experiance you had with it! It sounded wonderful hearing it firing, and was also quite intriguing to watch the restoration! I hope you good health and gods blessing!
Great job on the film, very thorough and well thought out. I enjoyed that you did a complete unboxing, cleaning, and range report. Thank you for your enthusiasm!
Excellent video. Calm, mature, thorough and well done, no hysteria or exaggeration. Excellent cleaning and restoration. Beautiful job. The wood looks great and clean. I fired my first gun when I was about 8 years old on a duck hunt with my father in Japan. He was part of the occupying US Army then. The gun was a .12 gauge shotgun that was taller than I was. When I was 11 I got my first gun as a Christmas present. It was a Savage single shot 20 gauge shotgun. The next year I got a bolt action .22 with a scope on it. In those days the Boy Scouts had shooting ranges with lessons and shooting exhibitions at Summer camp. So did the schools.
I learnt to shoot on a short Lee Enfield and it’s hard to beat. The only thing that I prefer is Browning’s incredible high wall, 45-70. Thank you for sharing the strip down and servicing of such a beautiful example.
Awesome video, and what a beautiful rifle. The history is a mile long on that thing, highly respected and capable rifle. I'm jealous Sir. Thank you for your post, and all the little details that make the difference. Have a blast on the range!!!
Loved watching your video Robert. I remember my Dad talking about getting his rifle in basic training (WWII)and having to clean all the cosmoline from it. I had a couple of thoughts about things you mentioned when you filmed it. One was about the strings. Not having watched the process I suspect that the were used to suspend the rifle when they were dipped in the cosmoline. I also had a thought that the paper washers you found under the butt plate were put there to preserve them from damage from the cosmoline. Thank you for taking the time to share the joyful unwrapping of you new rifle.
Thanks Robert that was an excellent video! I also have a No4 Lee Enfield and now I much better understand it! In my highschool days I served in a local Reserve Unit where we saw both the Lee Enfield and the new FN that was replacing it. But when the FN was replaced apparently it was not stored properly like the Lee Enfield you described and that caused them to be ruined in storage. I don't have the entire story on that just from one source so I don't know if there are any FNs in storage today or if they were all ruined. From a military perspective the Lee Enfield became an exceptional weapon and having one is like stepping back in time! And even today they remain a very effective weapon.
I was a gunsmith at Century International Arms back when they were still headquartered in Montreal. I had literally hundreds of surplus No.1's, No. 4's and No. 5's pass through my hands, none of them in as fine a condition as this. They came in to us battered, dirty, and loose. They all had to be cleaned, repaired and headspaced so that they would be suitable for sale and safe firing. If I remember correctly, Century paid, on average, roughly $5.00 apiece for them. On 90% of them, the bolt heads did not match the bolts. Sometimes the headspace could be corrected by screwing on a different sized bolt head, (they came in three sizes) but most often we had to weld some steel onto the bolt head face and then machine it down to headspace properly. It was production-line gunsmithing to say the least. That being said, even though these rifles were in very bad condition, there is NO WAY we would have used the Walmart screwdrivers shown in this video on them. Whether they came from Lithgow, Long Branch or Ishapore, we treated these rifles with respect! Given that the rifle in this video sat in Cosmolene since 1955 and all the screws were likely locked in pretty tightly, only correctly shaped hollow-ground screwdrivers should have been used. I can see in the video at around 21:52 and forward, where the taper-ground screwdrivers have marred the screw shoulders on this previously perfect rifle. This video is a good example of how NOT to unbox a mint-condition gun. Don't even get me started on using steel wool on wood.
Bronx, I loved your detailed response and know EXACTLY what you are talking about, as am from La Ville de Mtl, aussi. I remember Century, and may remember others guys you knew. Remember Checkmate? We took over their old warehouse at one point. As an ex-Victoria Rifles team member, I well recall fellow shooter- also gunsmith("armourer" anyone?) at Browning , rejecting a gun nut would-be apprentice, who picked the wrong screwdriver to remove something! If you see this, pop me an email, care of "contact@machineco.com"
Thank you for posting this. Brings back fond memories of shooting the Mk2 at school in the early 70's. Sadly without any ear protection so I now have permanent tinnitus. Wear hearing protection folks.
Greetings from Orange County california. I'm a little late to this party but just stumbled across this video in my feed. Being former military and as a history buff I found this video to be very interesting. Thank you for making it
I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos and I can certainly appreciate your passion for old Enfields. This rifle is absolutely gorgeous. I love the color of the wood. I would be inclined to call it "blond." Good show, mate!
Can you imagine shooting these types of rifles back in ww2 (and even ww1!) without ear protection! I’m not a gun person but I remember my uncle shooting a rifle similar to the Enfield and it rung my ears like crazy! Crazy respect to all of the soldiers who lost their hearing to these guns (or any gun/just war in general)
don't have to, shooting 300 yds one time, chap next to me had a SMLE Mk 4 II and that rifle had a good thunderclap bang to it. Also had a SMLE MK 5 "Jungle Carbine". I surmised that other than being a good marksman rifle or competition rifle; in the hands of a good hunter, it could take down any North American big game.
I really enjoyed that, thank you. I shot a lot of No4s in the 80s as it was my school’s cadet rifle. Of course, back then, we always wanted to get our paws on the SLRs and then SA80s, but I’m glad I had my time with these old girls too; this was our nation’s history(I’m in the UKand was at living in Kent at the time).
As a Naval Cadet of today i only get to shoot a .22 :(, but we are getting the new Austeyrs AUG A3 F88s as Ceremonial drill rifles (deactivated of course)
When I was in the TA my old SLR broke(?)in 1981 so I was given a new one, helped take it out of it's heat sealed thick plastic bag, full of cosmoline type oil and spent a while cleaning it. Our guns never had carrying handles.
I think as a cadet the training rifle we use now is a L95 or 96A2 what is a SA80 only it can’t shoot and to shoot there’s some sort of 22 conversation kit to 22lr and also a no9 rifle thing
About 25 years ago, at the gun show, I saw a whole truckload of rifles like this one packed in the same way. And yes, even though the Mauser model 98 design is my all time favorite, I do regret not buying at least one of them back then. (Price was about $180 each). At least, I had the good fortune of acquiring a BRNO 98/29 (Persian Mauser) in unissued condition. Collecting guns can be very addictive.
twombonu $180 for a Lee Enfield ? Bolt action guns starts about $4000 [₺21000] + permit charges in Turkey. and you can’t shoot it because it is nearly impossible to find bullets. I am living in the wrong country
~27 years ago a local department store sold rifles. I got a No. 5, Mk 1 (jungle carbine) for $59.99, and a friend got a Mosin for the same price. They even sold SKS's for around $70. Good times!
That rifle was made 2 miles from my home and 20 yrs before I was born, quite proud to see it's condition and functionality after all those years wrapped up !
Thanks for a great video. The leather washer is correctly known as a "Wad, bolt, stock". it is placed on top of the bolt head to prevent the Oil Bottle, which is carried in the stock from rattling and creating unnecessary noise when in action.
The older rifles came with a brass oil bottle with a nice knurled cap, later they were black plastic. A pull-through and about ten pieces of 4x2 (flannel, not wood!) were also in there - if you were lucky...
I got a full RAF marksman when I first used the Lee Enfield .303 in the Air Training Corps at the age of 13. Such a beautiful and accurate weapon. Enjoy. I’m envious 👍
ALL World War surplus across the board increased dramatically in the past decade. From guns to helmets to equipment to uniforms. I mean cmon the stuff is all 75 plus years old, only so much was made and what was left has lasted this long. If anything people didnt appreciate the stuff when it was dirt cheap and foreign militaries were dumping the stuff pennies on the dollar back in the day to make a quick buck. The stuff is probably closer to actual value now when you think about it.
They really never went anywhere in price, the times just changed around them. I would see SMLEs advertised for $75-ish Canadian in the mid to late 60's. With inflation, 75 1968 bucks would now be $529. Looking at it the other way around, 75 2018 bucks would be about 11 1968 bucks. I don't think any non-junk war surplus rifles were selling for $11 in 1968? All things considered, a new-in-the-wrapper SMLE for less than $500 is still just as sweet a deal now as a $75 one was in the 1960's. It probably cost the Government something like $150 to buy one of these in 1939-45. In today's terms that's right around $2500, which makes it seem like a lot of rifle for $500 or less.
@@thorsbyguy5121 Its a matter of going to the pawn shop with $200-250 and having a vast plethora of modern rifles to choose from, but NOT any of the "cheap surplus' guns that used to be $75 in the 80s. The flood discount of surplus guns has changed to a rarity of them ~on the market~ that drives up price. Folks grabbed them, oiled them, and KEEP them rather than sell them... or should I say, rather than sell them for the $75 they were bought at
It isnt very often that we can whitness such an iconic piece of Firearm history bieng revealed as a new item! I own a few Lee-enfields, but all have been modified from original before I got them. It would be amazing to find one of these in new condition like you did! Out here, it would be restrictively expensive to purchase a unfired new Lee-enfield! Not too mention impossible to find, lol! Good for you, and enjoy your prize!
