December 5th, 2020
6minute read
Read part two of this series atThe No.
4 MK I (T) Sniper: Battle-Ready Accuracyand part three atThe No.
4 MK I (T) Sniper: At the Range.
Homely and rough as a cob, the British Enfield No.
4 endeared itself to no one, especially those seasoned soldiers used to the old smooth-working No.
1 Mk III with its distinguished, all-business profile.
But it had all the attributes necessary for a fine battle rifle and an equally fine sniper.
Except for the looks, the rest was fixable.
The action smoothed up from use (although the sniper was slicked up during conversion).
Two important concepts were its rear-locking action and detachable box magazine.
As originally designed, the American Lee featured a conventional one-piece stock.
Its something Ive found many original American-made Remington Lee military and sporting rifles are prone to do.
Such hand wringing is misplaced.
The system works perfectly well, even if it isnt adaptable to Herculean tasks.
Both systems have their champions, and it remains a good way to start an argument around a campfire.
For me, the Enfield wins because its quiet and smooth.
The Lee-Enfield action can be cycled more quietly than the Springfield, Mauser or Mosin-Nagant.
The sight picture is little disturbed cycling a Lee-Enfield, unless you bump your nose with the bolt.
The safety is conveniently out of the way of the optic, completely quiet and easy to operate.
On half cock, the cocking piece must be pulled to full cock before the bolt can be opened.
It is one of the few questionable features, and one almost eliminated on the No.
4, but in the end it was kept.
The cumulative total of 6 pounds is at the upper level permissible to H&H.
During postwar overhaul, many triggers were pinned to the receiver and those rifles named the No.
Again, the trigger pinning was never a problem when properly seasoned wood was used.
Added insurance was the fitting of a steel pillar between the receiver and the triggerguard for its screw.
Go to forum thread
The Matchless Enfield .303 No.
4 MK I (T) Sniper
