Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 2 shooting the NOE-314-198-SP

CBA Member

beemer posted this 29 April 2025

I have an early #4 Mk2 made in 9/49, bought it unissued about 1994. I think they were introduced in 3/49. The original fore stock wrapped and I replaced it with a nos one. I worked over the bedding and floated the barrel. I added a Weaver scope mount and a cheek riser. It does very well with cast. With a little tweeking these rifles can surprise you. I usually shoot the Lee 185 with powder coat. It is one of my favorites rifles.

Recently I spotted a really nice all original in a local shop, $1000. Nice ones are scarce.

What scope mount do you have and have you done anything else to the rifle. Nice shootin' by the way.

Attached Files

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 29 April 2025

Dear Beemer,

Thanks for the message and compliment.

I fitted a Vector Tourex 6-24x50 FFP scope using the rings with the scope. I also fitted an Axis Precision Worx Raptor muzzle break. Axis Precision Worx is a South African company that manufactures perfect accessories (https://www.axisprecisionworx.com/).

Because I threaded the muzzle, I can now add a sound suppressor. This is the next accessory on my list.

I also added a UTG bi-pod (https://www.leapers.com/products-utg-tl-bp01-b.html)

Here's the link to the scope (https://karoooutdoor.com/products/vector-optics-tourex-6-24x50-ffp-riflescope?srsltid=AfmBOoqGL0SCr51ZR9pQv3EBV1FvmKW6l0G_D8o24oXNR8MD9EKSzXBB).

Link to the muzzle break (https://www.axisprecisionworx.com/product/raptor-muzzle-brake-new-generation/)

Here are videos of the rifle -

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Aaron posted this 29 April 2025

What a nasty looking rig. I'll give you $200 for it and you can get a better looking setup!

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

beemer posted this 29 April 2025

That is a nice rig. The #4 is my favorite Mil-surp. I do some wood working so I need to make one of those wood cartridge boxes. Goes great with the character of the rifle.

Attached Files

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 30 April 2025

Have a look at the company making the boxes and other wood products.

https://dovetailwoodenboxes.com/

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 30 April 2025

Aaron Should I add a silencer, would you offer me $250?

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Aaron posted this 30 April 2025

Great videos on your Youtube channel BTW. Hopefully you teach history at university.

My Enfield activity centers around the mid 19th century with the P53 rifle and the associated Enfield British cartridges of the period. Wonderful history there with the development of that cartridge and its projectile maturation.

Brett Gibbons has done some noteworthy primary research in that theatre and published some fantastic books which have immense geek appeal.

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

Attached Files

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 30 April 2025

Hi Aaron,

I'll look into the P53 rifle and its history. It sounds exciting.

I teach international relations, which has a strong historical foundation. The discipline's roots lie in the aftermath of the First World War when the first chair in International Relations was established at the University of Aberystwyth, Wales. The rationale behind its establishment was to study the causes of war and how to prevent it in future. Alas, 21 years later, the Second World War broke out.

Richard

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

beemer posted this 30 April 2025

My hats off to any teacher, it is a noble profession.

I have been playing with Enfields since the early 1990's. I have had a P14 , No 1's and #4"s. Sadly I have let a few really nice ones go, wish I had kept every one. Now good ones have gained value as collector rifles, far outstripping the utility value. A lot of parts are available but #4 bolt heads other than a #1 size are not to be found. I am lucky as mine were set up properly years ago. I always wanted a really nice set of aperture sight for a #4 but they cost more than I could stand and are scarce here. I found #1 at a gun show with a set but it was more like buying a set of sights with a rifle attached to them.

I have three good ones now, at 72 I think they will outlast me. One is an almost mint Long Branch made in 1950. My other two have been set up with scopes years ago for hunting rifles but the LB will not be altered, I do need to shoot it a bit.

Other than the accessories have you done any work on the rifle like bedding, trigger work or headspace adjustment ? They are sort of odd to work on compared to a one piece stock. I floated the barrel on my #4 Mk2, not what is recommended but it worked. Might give up a little accuracy over the standard method but removes any interference from the stock wandering around. Had a #1 that turned out exceptionally accurate but needed 5 pounds upward pressure on the end of the barrel. My brother has that one now and hunted with it a good bit.

David

Attached Files

CBA Member

Aaron posted this 30 April 2025

Why war? Rats. When the rat population exceeds its carrying capacity, they start consuming each other to reduce the population. Same with Homo sapiens. Besides, we are inherently violent. It's a shame I know, but such is the case.

Brett's two books on the English Cartridge (and Rifled Musket) are: The English Cartridge, ISBN 9798645988975, and The Destroying Angel, ISBN 9781719857277. The Destroying Angel covers the absolute paradigm shift from smooth bore muskets (Brown Bess) to rifled muskets, and how the rifled musket changed the warfare landscape from Napoleonic to "modern" warfare. Both are wonderful reading and chock full of original references.

Both can be had on Amazon or purchased directly from Brett at www.papercartridges.com

At University, I lunch daily with several Deans, professors, and staff where we discuss (quietly of course) our shooting hobby and activities. With the current debilitating "political correctness" atmosphere on most college campuses in the USA, free discourse is a dangerous and a career limiting endeavor. I do not teach there, I work in a professional capacity as a contractor. I wouldn't last two weeks as teaching staff since I speak my mind. At my age, I do not suffer fools anymore and need to hold myself in check on Campus to avoid any discussions with the indoctrinated student body as well as the far left leaning general teaching staff. For "educated" people, they sure are self limiting in their views.

Anyway, love the videos and absolutely love your Enfield. I keep my eyes open for a serviceable Mk4 at an affordable price. It would fit in well with my research into formidable British rifles.

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

Attached Files

CBA Member

beemer posted this 30 April 2025

Aaron,

I think you would find the #4 an interesting rifle. The development and why and how are a good story. Loading ammo for one is a study in itself. They are a battle rifle basically developed from lessons learned in the muddy trenches of WW1. They are not target rifles but with a little reading and tinkering can surprise you.

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 01 May 2025

Aaron The situation you described at US universities is similar to that in Europe. A friend and colleague of mine at Wageningen University in the Netherlands shares your views. When visiting Wageningen, I don't check myself and what I say because we don't have that problem here in South Africa. My students want their degrees and work very hard to get them because a university degree in South Africa is not only for status, prestige and respect but also for career advancement. They don't have time for woke nonsense because they want to advance.

Also, our firearm and hunting culture is similar to that of the United States. My university office is decorated with hunting trophies, and not one of my colleagues has ever said a negative word about it. They know I hunt and always want to buy game meat from me.

Because we're a former British Commonwealth country and participated in WW2 on the Allied side, Lee Enfield 303 British rifles are plentiful and popular hunting rifles. The bullet's velocity is moderate at around 2450fps, translating into a more comfortable recoil than the magnum cartridges. If the gun is "tuned" correctly and the handloads are well prepared, it can be as accurate as many mid- to long-range precision rifles. Of course, the shooter must know their stuff to get proper accuracy and groupings. I have attained sub-MOA groupings with the scoped Lee using 174gr Sierra Match Kings, which I took care of loading properly.

I plan to convert my Long Branch Lee into a "precision rifle" by fitting the barrel and action on a modular chassis (https://armsonline.co.za/product/303-n14-mk-1-2-tactical-chassis/). I will mount an Arken 6-24x50 FFP scope, thread the barrel to accommodate a silencer and muzzle break, and add a sturdy bipod. A friend of mine makes monolithic target bullets, and I asked him to turn me .311 Gliders, similar to the .308 (https://peregrinebullets.com/store/308-glider/).

AND the rifle shall shoot CAST BULLETS!

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 01 May 2025

David, the scoped Fazakerley Lee was gifted to me by a stranger at a conference I once attended. After receiving the rifle, I took it to my gunsmith, who knows much about Lee Enfields. He took it apart and found that it was bedded, had the correct bolt head, and that the barrel was still in pristine condition. The barrel was also crowned. From the 1950s to the mid-2010s many military Lee Enfields were used as target rifles in Bisley-style competitions. All my Lee Enfield rifles were used for this purpose, so I didn't have to do bedding and crowning. All three rifle still have their original triggers, but I see that the Long Branch's trigger had some work done on it before I owned it. It has the most "comfortable" trigger of the three. Part of the conversion I'm planning for the Long Brach, will involve an after-market Thor trigger (https://www.outthere24shop.co.za/lee-enfield-303-brit/10130-thor-303-brit-no4-trigger.html).

What is interesting, though, is that after I threaded the barrel and fitted the muzzlebreak and tuner (https://www.impactproshop.net/product/raptor-tuner/), the groupings shrank from just above 1 MOA to sub-MOA (0.622).

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

CBA Member

max503 posted this 01 May 2025

What a nasty looking rig. I'll give you $200 for it and you can get a better looking setup!

This thread made me think of a 303 I sold to a friend years ago.

I'm thinking of contacting him to see if he still has it and would want to sell it back.

It was a good shooter.

Attached Files

CBA Member

max503 posted this 01 May 2025

I had a professor in graduate school in the 90's who was a big-time shooter. He liked to say, "I never met a gun I didn't like". He taught Quality Control or whatever they called it.

He was probably the last of a dying breed. Another guy on the faculty was a gunsmith. I doubt you would find any gun people there now.

Attached Files

Standard Member

RMeissner posted this 02 May 2025

Hi Aaron, I saw in another thread that you paper-patched the 38-55. I'm planning on paper. I'm planning to do paper-patching for my Lee Enfields and 300 PRC. I'm looking at high velocities that are as close to full velocity as possible. Do you, and everyone else, know of threads that have advice on how to paper-patch for smokeless cartridges?

My apologies for changing the subject.

Richard Meissner

Attached Files

Liked by

Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 2 shooting the NOE-314-198-SP

Categories

Search

Popular Tags

This Weeks High Earners

Hot Topics