Enfield Enforcer

[ovenpaa]

Laurie, slightly off topic but a natural progression.. Some of the UK Police forces trialled/used the Tikka M65A, do you know anything about them whilst in service and afterwards? PM or email is fine if you feel it is too far off topic

[Gaz]

Good Enforcer history site here: http://www.amstevens.fsnet.co.uk/History.htm

I remember reading something about an Enforcer owner who was trying to trace the history of his rifle. Having found out through RSAF records that it was issued to a named force (I want to say Avon and Somerset but am probably wrong, going by memory) he wrote to plod and asked if they had any records about his rifle's time with them.

"All Enfield Enforcers were guillotined when withdrawn from service" was the response.

"In which case why do I have a rifle recorded by the manufacturer as having been sold to your force sitting on my desk as I write this?!"

[Laurie]

Davy - re the ikka M65A:

I couldn't say. I'd imagine a lot would depend on what they cost relative to other options, and what sort of deal the importer would offer a constabulary for a say 10 to 20 rifle purchase, whether they could be supplied as an all-in package and so on and so forth. Police forces didn't have anything like their later budgets for armed response and other specialist units' equipment, so my 'impression' is that there was a strong incentive to go to Ruger, Remington and Parker-Hale in the post Enforcer era in that their rifles were readily available and keenly priced.

P-H was in a position to offer complete kits since it built rifles, bi-pods, cleaning rods and gear, and imported / wholesaled all the other necessary bits - hard cases, scopes, mounts etc. I'd imagine, but could be totally wrong here, that this was a high quality but relatively expensive option. Viking Arms has always been a very entrepreneurial outfit and Ruger 77s offered excellent value, so I bet very good all-in package deals were offered. The Remy 700 series had more accessories and off the shelf 'bits' available than other marques, so there was no trouble sourcing 'packages', or for a force armourer to turn bare rifles into whatever spec had been decided on. When you think back to the low (under £500) retail prices for early VS and PSS rifles later supplied as 'grey imports' in the 90s, Hull Cartridge the then importer must have been able to price Remys very keenly and still make a reasonable margin.

Tikka must have been relatively expensive, but a lot would depend on what the importer offered for packages and bulk buys. I've seen the occasional other European ex-police rifle around including a magnificent Steyr SSG2000 that must have cost a fortune, but I'd be pretty sure that was a one-off purchase and the cheaper SSG69 series would be more attractive cost-wise, although still not cheap against a Ruger 77V say.

I think there may have been another factor in play too even post-Hungerford. Armed response units were far less paramilitary looking and equipped in the late 80s and into the 90s, so nearly all the rifles that later came onto the market were timber stocked even when they dated from a time when black synthetic was replacing wood in the working rifle and 'tactical rifle' fields. I sometimes wonder how and when the police apparently suddenly morphed into quasi-special forces with shaved heads, assault rifles, all-black tactical clothing and all sorts of fancy gear and accessories.

Google 'Barry Prudom', the subject of what is still Britain's biggest and longest armed manhunt that took place around Malton, Pickering and the Dalby Forest area of North Yorkshire for 17 days in summer 1982. There is a TV documentary about it and if you ever see it, it shows a very different world when you see footage of some of the hundreds of police officers drafted into the area to find the guy. Ordinary blue uniforms and overcoats, traditional bobbies' helmets, .38 revolvers, lots of ordinary sporting pump action shotguns visible, and a few Enfield Number 4s, these looking like common or garden .303 military examples and not scoped.

[Chapuis]

Laurie, slightly off topic but a natural progression.. Some of the UK Police forces trialled/used the Tikka M65A, do you know anything about them whilst in service and afterwards? PM or email is fine if you feel it is too far off topic

Dave I believe some forces trialled or used the Tikka M55 or M65 Supersporter after seeing the SAS use it in .22-250. At that time the rifles would have probably been supplied by John Scotlock (Wednesbury Arms) who was the importer at the time. Tikka and Sako having separate importers into this country. The price of the Tikka at that time was quite reasonable.

[Buzz]

Thanks all for the replies, I was looking to make some space in my cabinet but looking at what's been said I'd probably regret getting rid of mine :)

[Laurie]

Dave I believe some forces trialled or used the Tikka M55 or M65 Supersporter after seeing the SAS use it in .22-250. At that time the rifles would have probably been supplied by John Scotlock (Wednesbury Arms) who was the importer at the time. Tikka and Sako having separate importers into this country. The price of the Tikka at that time was quite reasonable.

Ah that takes me back a year or two! I'd forgotten John Scotlok's adverts in 'Guns Review' magazine.

Buzz,

in your shoes, I'd definitely hang onto an Enforcer! It's a better investment than money in the building society or bank at a paltry 1% interest.

[Chapuis]

Yes Laurie it is a year or two ago now. John represented Tikka well in this country it was a pity that the brand was taken into the Gunmark (GMK) stable as he appeared to have a genuine interest in the Tikka brand. If he were still alive today he would no doubt be a very bitter man at having had Tikka poached off him by the big boys.

[DL.]

I spoke to John Scotlock in the late 90's when I first decided on getting a Tikka, the fellow was very helpful.

Yes, I agree that the customer service else where leaves a lot to be desired! Progress isn't always for the best, and small dealerships that are interested in their customers are where I choose to spend money.

[Rearlugs]

Its caveat emptor when you buy an Enforcer, unfortunately.


1. Many/most Enforcers with a high number - 700 and over - seem to have been "assembled from original parts" by Charnwood and other dealers who obtained Enfield's disposed rifle parts. You have to take a view whether you regard these as "factory" rifles;

2. There appears to be at least one source of completely faked Enforcer receivers - ie where a standard No4 receiver has been re-engraved;

3. Several Police forces did state that their rifles were guillotined, and some of those rifles appear to be still in circulation;

4. Some rifles definitely were guillotined, and the woodwork was sold off. Some of these woodsets appear to have been resurrected or "cloned" by individuals into new rifles. E.g. I have some of the original numbered wood for six different rifles, two of which seem to re-appeared on the market...


In terms of collecting, Enforcers were - and probably still are - "bargain of the century". Collector value is driven by scarcity. Only 700-odd Enforcers were built, and maybe 100 were destroyed by Police owners. Therefore maybe only 600 odd of these factory-built sharpshooter rifles (being of military background, I can't accept that Police have "snipers"...) still exist. Contrast that with 1,000-odd L42A1s (value now £4k-£7k per set) or the more than 25,000 No4 Mk1(T)s (value £3k-£5k for a matched rifle).

[channel12]

Whereas a Parker Hale T4 which also built as police marksman's rifles only fetch £350 - £450. I acquired mine following the semi auto ban and it was alleged to been ex Wilts police, still had its armoury number engraved on the stock.