Building a No.4 Enfield

[Gaz]

I've had a half-assed idea for a while about building myself a No.4 Enfield. An RFD friend has a 'bare bones' No.4 receiver with bolt. It's not in good condition at all - it looks like it was exposed to prolonged damp at some point in its life, but the rust is surface only (as far as I can tell).

What I want to do is build an 'as issued' No.4. Obviously (less fitting the barrel) this means I'd be assembling (and tweaking!) the rifle myself. I like to think I'm a practical bloke but all said and done, I don't know much about metalwork or woodwork. Is building a No.4 from scratch likely to be a difficult job? Answers gratefully accepted! :mrgreen:

[Sim G]

I like to think I'm a practical bloke but all said and done, I don't know much about metalwork or woodwork.

Sorry Gaz, but does the above really not say the project is doomed from the start? I mean, metal work and wood work, two major contributing factors to guns.......?!! :lol: :lol:

I say go for it. What's the worst that can happed?

[TattooedGun]

I like to think I'm a practical bloke but all said and done, I don't know much about metalwork or woodwork.

Sorry Gaz, but does the above really not say the project is doomed from the start? I mean, metal work and wood work, two major contributing factors to guns.......?!! :lol: :lol:

I say go for it. What's the worst that can happed?

:shock:

[ovenpaa]

I say go for it, look on it as an opportunity to learn a lot about a rifle and get the work inspected by someone who knows the No4 at the end to make sure it is all OK, it would make for an interesting read as well.

[TattooedGun]

I have to admit, I have been toying with the idea of making my own rifle for a while now, but I need some serious education when it comes to machining!

[Steve E]

If you have all the parts, assembling a No4 is very easy. The trickiest part is fitting the fore-end correctly and fitting the barrel and headspacing it. New barrels are now being made by Lother Walther and available from certain gunsmiths. If I had all the parts I would be doing it myself.

Steve

[Gaz]

Sorry Gaz, but does the above really not say the project is doomed from the start? I mean, metal work and wood work, two major contributing factors to guns.......?!! :lol: :lol:

I say go for it. What's the worst that can happed?

That's my thinking. I do have a de-ac No.4 which I've tinkered with a few times out of curiosity, so I know I can dismantle and reassemble one OK. I did try refinishing the woodwork on it as well, with mixed results. It doesn't look any worse than it did to begin with, but it doesn't look massively better either...

The only thing I wouldn't do myself is fit the barrel and headspace it - frankly that's a gunsmith's job! As Steve E says, No.4s are easy to assemble and I'm thinking the hardest part is going to be fitting a new fore-end. It'll be a while before I get my hands on it but when I do I'll start posting updates.

btw Steve - which gunsmiths are selling these new barrels and roughly how much are they?

[Steve E]

New No4 barrels are available through Fultons of Bisley or from John Bloomfield Gunsmiths of Nottingham. John Bloomfield brings in unfinished barrel blanks from Lother Walther and refinishes to original profile and chambers them to SAAMI specs not military specs. He supplies them to Fultons. These barrels will therefore have a 'match' chamber.

Not sure of the price, but I would not have thought that you will get any change out of £400 for a barrel to be fitted and proofed. I will know for certain later this year when John fits one to my No4.

Steve

[Dangermouse]

Many years back I was involved with a MG restoration and visited a MG Parts specialist somewhere near Belfast. I remember him saying that he could build a complete new car from all the parts that he had in shop and looking at them, they were all new parts not SH salvage parts.
When I came into shooting I assumed that for rifles like the No4 that the same would be available ie brand new parts available for whatever part you needed.

I know now that there is not and wonder if there is a market for such reproduced items,

DM

[Jenks]

Just been having a bit of a clear out and came across this label. It was from quite a few years ago when I converted a No4 'Wall-hanger,' back to a shooter. The barrel was not new but was in very good condition.





Jenks