I usually just shoot black powder, but enjoy bolt action and other older military surplus rifles.
What is the general opinion on the Enfield rifle? i shot one may years ago and it seemed ok, maybe a
little bit heavy recoil for its size , but other than the fact that surplus ammo is now outrageous in it's pricing
would you buy or shoot one these days?

I would definitely buy and shoot one; it’s on my to-buy list but just waiting for a good deal that matches exactly what I want. You can buy scope mounts that don’t alter the rifle at all if you want. Did you shoot the older No. 1 mk III or No. 4? I seesaw on which I want, the obvious answer being both. They’re both storied rifles that served the Empire well, with the Indians and Canadians just setting them down recently. They still turn up in Afghanistan and other conflicts. A lot of Canadians still hunt with them.

I have a few of them. No1Mk3, the No4, one of the grenade launching Mk3s, and a .410 musket. I have a mummy wrapped No4 too that I have never unwrapped. Might be a couple others, but can't remember. I have hunted with the Mk3 using cor lokt ammo. I would guess it equivalent to a 30 06. I enjoy the Indian musket the most. It is my designated gun to take on alligator hunts. And my wire wrapped grenade launching one is a hoot for launching duct taped tennis balls. The thing with these is they will never lose value. They will only go up. Especially anything WWI or WWII dated. So even if you decide not to shoot it, you can't go wrong as an investment.

I’ve had several of them.

I much prefer the 30-06 by Eddystone Arsenal.

I have a Lithgow (Australian) WW2 Enfield. Very cool rifle, and one of the features that I really enjoy about it is that you can maintain more or less steady fire and reload stripper clips without ever actually emptying the magazine.

But yeah, ammo prices can be a bummer sometimes.

I have come to appreciate the SMLE as a hunting/sporting rifle. As a kid, at the start of my hunting life in the '60s in South Texas, the "sporters" were still popular and often seen in deer camps. I've seen some nice bucks taken with them in the low fence days in Duval and Zapata Counties.

About a decade ago, I bought a truck gun from a ranch hand on a large ranch. He kept it in his pickup from that period to the present. It was kind of beat up and took a heck of a lot of cleaning to get it right. After shooting it a bit, I was very satisfied with its accuracy.



I was satisfied enough that I sent this SMLE No 4 Mk1 off to a gunsmith who has refinished several rifles for me. I like scout rifles, which is the concept I had in mind. It has become one of my favorite hunting rifles. Robert Bose in NE even regulated the new front sight to the original two-peep, rear flip sight. This rifle shoots beautifully with scope or peep sights out to 300 yards.





I found new 10-round magazines in the UK and flush-fit five-round magazines in Australia, so the rifle is well-fitted for my hunting life. Way before components got tight, I stocked up on Privi-Partisan's brass and 180-grain PSPs. Here is the load that satisfies the rifle.

I've got a 1944 #4, fun to shoot. You can load it pretty cheap. Few years ago I loaded up some 174gr round noses, got it zero'd then proceeded to miss a spike broadside at about 100 yds which I blame on the mile and half of trigger pull.

150gr bullets are a lot easier on the shoulder. Been meaning to load some more and try it again.

I sold Frye two I had due to ammo cost and availability, but I really enjoyed shooting them. I will likely end up buying another if I can find the right deal.

I have a No. 4 Savage lend lease I might be talked out of it, if the price is right. Meaning fair and not ridiculous either end.

PM for interest and pics. Probably won’t list it. Just putting it out due to this post and love for the rifle and caliber.