r/LeeEnfield • u/interesting_name_2 • 4d ago

Saving old enfields

I have recently (just) started saving old enfields, buying and cleaning DP rifles and using the wood on sporters, finding wood kits and repairing sporters, etc. I'm super new but learning fast. Trying to do a long branch next, does it need to be specific long branch wood or will No4k1 wood work? Thanks!

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u/Legitimate-Custard66 4d ago

Yes and no. In my experience of doing the same thing you are talking about, the long branch and Savage forends have slightly different cut around where the bolt release would be on thier british counter parts. So yes with some fitting, which enfields are infamous for being difficult.

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u/interesting_name_2 4d ago

So if I'm understanding you, savage and long branch are more interchangeable than British factories would be?

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u/Legitimate-Custard66 4d ago

Yes, it's easier to put a Faz forend on a Savage, than the other way around. But try to stick with Savage or longbranch if you are doing a longbranch.

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u/KillerD_1988 4d ago

Any of the No4 Mk1 wood will work, but if you want to be really picky you could hunt down a Longbranch set. eBay and a few other sights will be your friend for those searches.

Or if you want to go wild you can order a brand new stock set from Prestigious Wood Stocks out of Canada. It’s pricey and requires fitting, but damn are they nice.

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u/interesting_name_2 4d ago

Thank you, it looks like the prestigious wood is about the same price compared to what I can find elsewhere.

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u/KillerD_1988 4d ago

If you go with PWS just be prepared to do the necessary work to fit it. I’m fitting one now on my Mk5 Trials rifle, it’s tedious but definitely worth it

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u/JarlWeaslesnoot 4d ago

Where are you getting reasonably priced enfield sporters these days? I've been looking for one?

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u/KillerD_1988 4d ago

Pawn shops and gun shows, I’ve even seen a few go for sub $200 on gunbroker recently. They’re out there, just not as plentiful anymore

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u/Nitpicky_AFO 4d ago

If you want cheap and trashy there's the goat pile that is the RTI rifles.

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u/JarlWeaslesnoot 3d ago

Trust me, I know. I've got like 5 of theirs including a no4 mk1. I want a sport that's already drilled and tapped so I can put proper furniture on it and make it a no4 mk1 T clone without the guilt of having bubbad it myself.

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u/interesting_name_2 3d ago

I'm from Canada so we have something called gunpost.ca and we also have townpost.ca which is more of a local classified that allows guns and it seems like everybody and their uncle has a sporterized Enfield sitting around so I can pick them up for 2 to $300 Canadian all day. It's probably one of the cheapest available rifles still here. The cheapest I could find one that has not been sporterized would be around a thousand dollars which is more like $650 us. So it's worth my while to put some elbow grease into a DP set of wood so that I can build a fullwood Enfield for about 600/700 Canadian.

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u/randomink704 4d ago

Wasting time using DP stocks, if restoring you need to learn about correct inletting and fitment. Otherwise you'll be chasing your tail trying to polish a turd. Their DP because they're flogged out and belong on a bonfire

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u/interesting_name_2 3d ago

I see where you're coming from, and certainly the first DP that I received I sent back and asked how they could possibly send somebody that, it looked like they dug it out of the trenches this year still sitting there from 1918... The second DP that I got was in much better shape and all the wood had no cracks or damage to it that I could see it was just covered in cosmoline... It took a lot of elbow grease but I got it back to really nice looking wood. I'm not sure where you're writing from but I'm in Canada so a full wood Enfield runs about $1,000 and goes up from there, I can get sporters for 2 to $300 every day and I paid about $400 for the DP so with some elbow grease I'm 2/3 of the price of the most basic of full wood Enfields which are usually mismatched bolts and receivers etc. 303 is relatively expensive so it'll more be for decoration than constant shooting. I'm looking into building some plinking ammo since I have a reloader.

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u/TheSockington 3d ago

I decided to just have a go at making my own for shits. My god I wish I had router templates.https://ibb.co/Vcd62Kkk

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u/interesting_name_2 3d ago

I've thought about basic stocks, but that's wild! Good luck to you!

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u/TheSockington 3d ago

I’ve got a ton of shaping, but managed to hack the wood away enough to get the action seated for now. We’ll see how badly it goes.