1945 Long Branch No 4 Mk 1* Enfield Sporter Rescue

[RazorBurn]

Picked up this 1945 Long Branch No 4 Mk 1* a few weeks ago as I'd been itching for another sporter rescue and I can't resist World War II era guns. I suspect that this will be my last sporter rescue as Enfield No 4 Mk1 stock sets have dried up and when you do find one they're priced so high you're better off just buying a complete rifle. Fitting the wood on an Enfield is the trickiest part and the forend on this one took quiet a bit of in depth sanding to fit to the action. They're certainly not easy like a lot of other guns out there. This one should be a real nice shooter as the bore looks nice with strong lands and grooves.

I ended up getting a very fair deal on this stock set from a member of the CMP forum. I had some of the hardware but still had to order a few odds and ends that I needed. All told I'm in this one for 350 bucks so it is certainly not a score but it is fair value for around here for an Enfield. There's still another Savage sporter locally that I had thought about doing but with the spare wood supply having dried up it's just not worth the time and money now.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I found one in that condition 30 years ago, but the barrel had lost the last inch with the bayonet mount. It was professionally shortened, and recrowned. Back then wood was easy and cheap, so were the metal bits, it's back to military spec except that last inch. I use it as a shooter, the last one I did was a N01 MKIII*, the wood kit and hardware I think I found on the board. Don't remember anymore, but I am not doing any more recovery's at todays prices for parts. I have at least three unissued buttstocks left, a couple of butt plates, small parts. Today sporters like this can run a few hundred bucks, back when I bought them $25 was the going rate at a time when the original rifle was $45. I would offer $15 and get them, I remember a deal on No1 MK11 rifles that was three for $75. You got whatever was on the top of the stack for that price, later I got three Lithgow No1's for a C note. All of the rifles were in pretty nice condition having been inspected and held in reserve since WW2 in various commonwealth countries. I maybe bought 20-25 all told, I should have bought 300, but that would have gotten in the way of my Garand and M1903 collecting.