No. 1 MkIII*
Copyright (C) 1994 by Ben Sansing
compiled by <ben.sansing@chaos.lrk.ar.us> with lotsa help
Created: 31 Jan 93
Last Revised: 23 Jun 94
This FAQ was created for my own use. It is distributed as a public service. Corrections and submissions are welcome. Please send them via email to ben.sansing@chaos.lrk.ar.us, or PO Box 250942, Little Rock AR 72225 USA.
An older, shorter version of this FAQ may be obtained via internet mail from ... uh... whatever site holds the Sacred Rec.Guns FAQ. I'm not sure where that is, since I cannot directly access it myself.
Please don't ask me to send you the FAQ directly (over the Net); my mailer only accepts 200 lines at a time, and I have to hand-edit anything longer into separate messages. I just don't have time to do a lot of that. Probably the best way to get the *latest* edition of the FAQ is by either downloading it via modem at The Courts of Chaos BBS, (501)985-0059 as ENFAQ-??.LZH (higher numbers replacing the '??' denote most recent update), or if you're desperate you can send me an IBM-formatted high-density (1.4m) diskette and $1 for postage to the PO Box listed above, and I'll send you the latest edition of ENFAQ by return (snail) mail.
Please feel free to upload, ftp, and otherwise distribute the Enfield FAQ to BBSes, friends, and even enemies - but please respect all copyrights herein and don't *sell* copies to anyone. Thanks.
Thanks.
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Contents, Table of, MkI
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PART ZERO: Master Table of Contents (ENFAQ-00.MSG)
- What you are reading now
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PART ONE: General Info and Wisdom (ENFAQ-01.MSG)
- Thumbnail History of the Lee-Enfield
- General Specifications of the Lee-Enfield
- Basic Disassembly/Reassembly
- How to Tell a #1 MkIII from a #4 on Sight (no pun intended)
- Makers, Markings, Models
- Production Figures
- Common Imports - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions: Lee-Enfield and .303 ctge.
* Are these rifles any good?
* I have heard the Enfield design is very poor. Is this true?
* What about the P-14 Enfield?
* Oh, the P-14's got its own FAQ, then?
* Which Lee-Enfield is best?
* What makes the #4 superior?
* What's this about a "quick headspace remedy" thing?
* Are Enfield sights adjustable?
* What's this about micrometer-adjustable sights?
* What other advantages does the #4 offer?
* What about the #5 Jungle Carbine?
* What's the difference between a #4 MkI and a #4 MkII?
* Is it worthwhile to pay a premium for a MkII?
* What about barrels? I heard those 2-groove barrels are no good.
* What condition are these Enfields in?
* What kind of prices are they going for?
* What about the .303 cartridge?
* How powerful is it?
* How much does it kick?
* Is surplus ammo all corrosive?
* Will corrosive ammo hurt my rifle?
* How do I clean a rifle after firing corrosive ammo?
* What is mercuric ammo?
* Berdan?
* Is .303 ammo in current production anywhere, or am I stuck with surplus stuff?
* How about reloading?
* Doesn't the rear-locking action cause cases to stretch?
* Oversized chambers?
* Is .303 any good for hunting?
* What's the maximum range of the cartridge?
* Can I shoot .303 Savage in the Lee-Enfield?
* What about accessories for the Enfield?
* What kinds of bayonets are available?
* How about slings?
* What other accessories would be useful?
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PART TWO: History and Chronology (ENFAQ-02.MSG)
- The British .303 and Variations, by Ron Melson
* The Lee Metford Rifles and Carbines
* Lee Enfield Rifles and Carbines
* Variations On A Theme (P14, sniper rifles, etc)
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PART THREE: General Information for Shooters (ENFAQ-03.MSG)
- Handloading the .303 British, by C.E. Harris
- Don't Overlook the Lee-Enfield, by C.E. Harris
* Table One: How The .303s Did
* Table Two: Loads for the .303 British
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PART FOUR: Short Bits (ENFAQ-04.MSG)
* SHORT BITS
- Oversized .303 Chambers
- Cosmoline Removal
- Removing Dents in Wood
- Young's Country Stock Finish
- Removing Lee-Enfield Stock
- Muzzle Brake Installation (P.O. Ackley raves and spews)
- "Enfield Collector's Digest", info on quarterly publication
- Undersized surplus bullets vs. American components
- Bores With Odd Grooves (How to slug/mike 5-groove Enfield bores)
- "The Lee Enfield Number 1 Rifles", book review
- "The Lee-Enfield Story", book review
- Paper Patching .303 (reloading w/undersized bullets)
- Rimless .303?
- .303 Mark IV Tracer (ammo I.D.)
- "British .22RF Training Rifles", book review (incl. Enfield .22s)
- Lee-Enfield Stripper Clips (how to load/use them)
- Surplus "Enfield" Warning (throat erosion & blowups)
- .303 Buff (about hot loads and black powder loads)
- Enfield Carbine Bayonet (source for)
- MkIII Enfield Scope Mount (source for)
- Bolt-On Scope Mount (B-Square)
- Ten Rounds in Ten Seconds (WW2 anecdote)
- The .303 British (as a big-game cartridge)
- Enfield Bolt Creep (a harmless, but startling phenomenon)
- No.4 Rifle Loop (ahead of magazine)
- Double F Marked SMLE
- Austrian Enfield
- Surplus Surprises:
* Cyprus Police No.5
* Ishapore Arsenal No.1 MkIII in 7.62 NATO <shudder>
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PART FIVE: Annotated Resource List (ENFAQ-05.MSG)
* SOURCES (Ads & addresses of companies offering Enfield stuff)
Victoria Trading Company ("All Things British")
Monarch (Enfield Manuals & posters)
I.D.S.A. Books (Books, including Skennerton's!)
* WHERE CAN I GET? (from AR's column of that name)
+ Lee-Enfield No.2 MkVI .22 cal. training rifles
+ Conversion of Enfield to 7.62x39mm
+ British issue No. 5 "Jungle Carbine" rear sights
+ Long range volley sights for Lee-Enfield rifles
+ Magazine cut-offs for Lee-Enfield No. 1 MkIII rifles
+ Long range volley sights & magazine cut-offs (another source)
+ New production NEI bullet molds (Harris .303 bullet designs)
+ Surplus scope mount for Enfield #4 MkI(T)
+ Armorer's front sight adjusting tools for SMLE rifles
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PART ???: Excerpts from British Firing/Training Manuals (COMING SOON?)
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Codes Used
AR = 'American Rifleman' magazine (NRA Publication)
BIB: AR's "Books in Brief" short reviews
DB: AR's "Dope Bag" section
IME: AR's "In My Experience" column (DB section)
Q&A: AR's "Questions and Answers" column (DB section)
RW: AR's "Readers Write" section
WCIG: AR's "Where Can I Get...?" column (DB section)
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GA = 'Guns & Ammo' magazine
GD = 'GUN DIGEST' (Annual Journal, from DBI Books)
GI = 'GUNS ILLUSTRATED' (Annual Journal, from DBI Books)
GS = 'GunSport & Gun Collector' magazine (long defunct)
GU = 'Guns' magazine
GW = 'Gun World' magazine
SB = 'SHOOTER'S BIBLE' (Annual Journal, from Stoeger)
SN = 'Shotgun News' publication
ST = 'Shooting Times' magazine
Runic substitutions (closest 7-bit ASCII approximations I can conjure)
^ = British "broad arrow" proofmark
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Please feel free to ask questions (so I can add them and their answers to the FAQ), provide further info (on anything relating to Enfields or the .303 cartridge), and make comments (so I can improve the FAQ, and make it more useful, informative, and precise). Thanks!
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