"US Property" Enfield

[BillMe45]

If yall will excuse me, I am some what Enfield ignorant...

I traded into what I only new to be a sporterized .303 Enfield with a good bore. I wanted it as a shooter/nostalgia hunter. Now that I've got it home and am giving it a good once over I see that it is a No.4 MK1*. It has the regular "crown" proof on the barrel, near the receiver but on the left side of the receiver in large letters is "U.S. PROPERTY". Further down the left side it is marked "5 (or S) No4 Mk1*" just in front of this is a US ordinance "flaming bomb". There is no other marking indicating city or country of manufacture.

Was this a US Built rifle, maybe sold through Lend-Lease?

 

[LARGO9]

Don't no but it sure looks cool

 

[MILSURP Collector]

I think Savage manufactured them and then we sold them to GB

 

[BillMe45]

Cleaning it up a bit. Numbers match on the wrist, bolt and magazine. The bore looks very good and bright/ shiny. Looks a little bit dark in part of one of the grooves. 2 groove rifling with a pretty deep crown. The trigger doesnt feel half bad (for a mil surp) breaks at 6.5 lbs. The action is very smooth. The previous owner said it was a good shooter.

So it seems that my first "Brit" rifle actually isnt...

 

[BillMe45]

I think Savage manufactured them and then we sold them to GB

After researching it this is indeed the case. It was made by Savage, marked as "US PROPERTY" so we could send it to GB under lend lease, because it had to be "ours" so we could "lend" it. This one really looks to be in pretty good shape. Its British proofed so it did make the trip. A pretty cool piece of war time history, a shame this one got bubbaed up but hey, he did, not me. I look forward to getting it out to the range.

 

[10thmountain]

Needs a new suit / stock. I dig it.

 

[BillMe45]

Yea, I think a refit is in order. I was looking for any old 303 and ended up with a US made/ war time production with maching numbers and a great bore. It deserves better than its current state.

 

[FrogMan]

I have one of these tucked away somewhere, mine is marked Savage, I'm not sure if more US manufacturers made them but I believe these were made specifically to lend the Brits and where returned after the war. I dont remember the whole history behind them but google is your friend

 

[BillMe45]

As far as I can tell Savage was the only US company to build these lend lease Number 4 Mk 1* rifles. A company in Canada built some too.

 

[DerekB711]

Man it looks so good minus the bubba'd part let us know the range report