What have I got with this SMLE No. 4 Mk I*?

[Unbeliever]

So I was reading through random net things on my recent "reclaiming" of a few rifles I did last weekend. See here in the Law subforum.

I was going to post pictures in the C&R gallery post-cleanup, but decided to troll for advice on what type of work to ask a gunsmith to do on it. It's stamped as a SMLE No. 4 Mk I*, but I don't recognize that stock in any canonical photos of the SMLE.

Left and right sides, showing the shape of the stock and the bad glue job my grandfather did to "fix" a wobbly stock:




Various stampings and markings on the barrel/receiver:




What say you all? I do intend to fire it and I want to put a sling on it.

--Carlos V.

[Unbeliever]

Pics of the bolt, chamber and rear-sight. It doesn't have the micrometer rear sight, but does have a flip rear sight with 2 preset set elevations. 200 and 600 feet, I think.






--Carlos V.

[mauser98k]

it's a Canadian Long Branch No.4 Mk.1* that's been sporterized.

the flip sight is actually 300 and 600 metres

[paul0660]

300 and 600 yards, I think. That metric stuff was on the continent but not the island back then.

[Unbeliever]

it's a Canadian Long Branch No.4 Mk.1* that's been sporterized.

Is it worth it or easy to "unsporterize" it? The only thing I can find different from online pics is the stock and the lack of the micrometer rear sight.

the flip sight is actually 300 and 600 metres

Cool. Thanks. The "3" on the 300 flip side was badly stamped and hard to read.

--Carlos V.

[paul0660]

Numrich has the original stock parts (supposedly). It would cost a lot to refit it. The sight on the rifle is authentic, not all of them had micrometer sights.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

...It's stamped as a SMLE No. 4 Mk I*...

Does it really have "SMLE" stamped on it somewhere?

[eighteenninetytwo]

It's actually fairly easy to restore. Springfield sporters and numrich had full stock sets and you'll need two bands 6ront and middle and their respective screws. Ebay is another good source. Depends what you want and of course what the bore is like. If it's got a great bore it's worth refurbing. If not use it as a truck gun that will never let you down no matter what you throw at it.

[freespool]

I had one of those Long Branch guns that had been sporterized for the San Mateo PD - ask the gunsmith to check the headspace and sear engagement. I had trouble with both eventually. There were different numbered bolt heads available for headspacing.

Add a base and scope and it could be a nice deer rifle. I liked the cock on close feature of the gun, for safe chambered carry.

[Interloper]

Looks like the fore stock is cut down while the butt is totally custom. Barrel looks unbuggered. So yeah, you'll need a stock set (three pieces or four?), buttplate, bands/sling swivels and nosecap. I'd be tempted to leave it as-is, personally.
Is that a crack at the wrist on the right side or just a gouge? If you do find a new stock and you want to get rid of that one, let me know.

[Unbeliever]

Does it really have "SMLE" stamped on it somewhere?

No it doesn't. Turns out I goofed reading the history and missed the fact that they dropped "Short Magazine" starting from Rifle No. 4.

I'd be tempted to leave it as-is, personally.

Reason I was thinking of putting the stock stock back on was to practice for and use it for CMP matches (and therefore qualify for a Garand purchase). I need to read up on the rules, but don't they have an "original configuration" requirement for the military category? If it's not worth re-stocking, I can look into borrowing a club Garand from the club I'm in.

There's only a couple of small flaked off nicks on surface on the barrel, looking down the barrel, there is no gunk in the barrel except for a dusty muzzle that I cleaned out. I don't know enough to gauge the quality of the rifling, but what I saw was consistent, with no interruptions.

Is that a crack at the wrist on the right side or just a gouge? If you do find a new stock and you want to get rid of that one, let me know.

Zooming in on the butt stock below. The yellow stuff on the waist is the old foam from the rifle bag it was stored in deteriorating and latching on to the glue. All I was told was that the butt was "wobbly" and he glued it to stabilize it.

Not obvious in the picture are what appear to be a couple finished over gouges right behind where your pinky would be, and a scrape in the finish at the bottom of the stock 1/2 inch in front of the butt.

I'm loathe to scrape off glue until a gunsmith declares the gun healthy and I decide what to do. I'm off to Bain & Davis on Friday morning.




--Carlos V.

[finloq]

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=11954

The flip sight is correct for a WWII era Canadian Long Branch. The rest is available from many sources.
All rifles are different, but my 1945 Long Branch is more accurate than my:
Mosins (Soviet, Finnish, Czech, Romanian)
other Enfields (No.1, No.5)
Spanish FR8 (close)

[finloq]

Various No.4 sights.

[eighteenninetytwo]

One other thing. Does it have the letters EAL on the receiver anywhere? Or does it have "golden state, pasadena" on the barrel? If answer to either is yes leave it as is.

[Haggar85]

numrich has stocks but some of them are in pretty crude shape, but with sand paper and time its no issues. i got one that was unfinished and was not sanded, a little time effort and a typical brit finish you could not tell.
im interested to see how it turns out. good luck