I enjoyed seeing this. I am now 71 but remember the No4 well from my cadet days at school in Yorkshire. We drilled with them and shot them on a military range on the moors. Most of our rifles were No 4s but we had some earlier models. Most were produced in the UK but we had some Canadian (Ross) Rifles in the armoury. They were very reliable actions in terms of feeding, chambering and ejecting the spent case. Loading with the 5 round strip could be a fiddle with skinned thumbs. With a little more time you could load directly into the magazine in the rifle. The 303 round was punchy but not over the top for a rifle. . Accurate over 600 yards on a man size target with standard iron sights. The no 4 had an ugly pig stick bayonet....basically a steel spike.. but it was cheap to produce. The number 5 was a chopped Jungle Carbine version. I never saw one in the flesh though I did the armourers course at York REME workshops. Thank you.
I have 4 of these including one my grandfather bought in 1955 for $11.00 mail order here in the US. Crazy how cheap some of these old military surplus guns use to be. Love the Enfields though. Best bolt action battle rifle ever.
Hey hickok, thanks for another interesting video. I live about four miles away from Fazakerley where a lot of those things were made. I think it was the only factory where they made the jungle carbine version but i am not 100% sure. They are stamped with the (F) markings on the frame.
My Uncle and I bought 2 of these at a Roses department store in the 1980s as surplus. $50.00 each. Uncle Paul was a U.S Marine and very knowledgeable about these wonderful Weapons. We searched through all they had and found 2 FTR guns. He's passed on now but I still have my 303 Brit. Wouldn't take a millions bucks for it. Thanks for this video.
I have a No4 Mk 1* manufactured by Savage. It does have the “US Property” stamped on the receiver as it was indeed made under the Lend/Lease agreement. I am in Canada and these are rather common here. It is still with the full military configuration, but regardless I have used it for deer hunting, it has put a lot of venison on the table over the years. Now that I am 59 years old, I have switched over to a much lighter, modern hunting rifle with a scope that is more conducive to my aging eyes. Every once in a while, I do like to take my old Enfield out from time to time for nostalgia sake. What a wonderful rifle.
I have one my grandfather "sporterized" in the 1950's that has put 100's of deer in the freezer over the years and 3 generations. I always try to find the Norma brand of hunting ammo for it in 150 grain as it seems to like that Brand the best.
Australian here, my first 303 was a No 5 Mk I, otherwise known as the jungle carbine. It had a great barrel on it, which was pretty unusual for surplus stuff because the ammunition was corrosive (murcury fulminate) and the charge burned very hot (cordite). Though I could buy 1943 ammo for about $10 a bandolier, I learned to reload them to get away from the general nastiness. The cordite gave a lot of blokes headaches when shooting them (nitro poisoning). The ammo always had the year of manufacture stamped on the head, and the mercury fulminate primers were always copper so at least you always knew what you had. I never ever had one misfire on (at the time) fifty year old ammunition. Reloading involved making a tool that was a claw to puncture and pull the Burden primer out of its pocket, but you had to be careful not to damage the anvil which was part of the case. This was easier and quicker than trying to go through the two tiny off center flash holes to punch it out. There was no tool available off the shelf, you had to make your own out of silver steel and harden it. The problems you're alluding to with widespread manufacturing were things like the Canadian version of the No 3 not being able to chamber .303 British - you couldn't lock the bolt. For this reason the general advice was to only buy Lee Enfield made rifles to avoid problems. The word was that people had been injured by firing the Canadian versions out of battery on British WWII era ammunition, and I believe that's why the "British" designation was added to the ammunition name. The British just called it "three oh three" of course. The No 5 was a lot lighter half wood version so the recoil was a little on the savage side with the brass butt plate. I remember often going home a bit bruised but it was a heck of a lot of fun to shoot.
You can tell that is a British made one, there is a bolt release catch rather than a detent in the breech wall to allow you to align the bolt head for removal. The Long Branch (Canadian) and Springfield made versions had the detent, BSA, RSA Enfield and Fazackerley fitted the catch. Adopted in 1941, but the SMLE (No. 1) was still used by Australia (they never adopted the No. 4), and the SMLE was used throughout the war by all British Empire armies. I think that only the 21st Army Group were completely armed with No. 4’s, 8th Army was still using No. 1’s in Italy in 1944/45, and in Burma the No. 1 was the main rifle used by the British.
Those lend lease rifles are beautiful too. I like the US Property marking on them along with the many British proofs. A wonderful piece of history that shoot great too!
Both of my grandfathers and their respective brothers carried these rifles in WW2 for the British Indian Army. Kind of sad I never had the chance to hear their stories firsthand.
Hickok is such an OG always does his videos in only one take. This is such a great channel it's almost like a TV show except with history lessons and teaching safety at the same time, with shooting too! So much fun to watch and listen.
Interesting segment. This brought back some memories for me. I grew up in the UK and spent some time in the army cadets as a teenager during the 60's and the .303 Enfield was the rifle we learnt to use. Both my grandfather and father served in the British army in WWI and WWII respectively. The .303 round was also used in the British Bren gun which made it a versatile round. Thank you for this video. Paul, Adelaide, South Australia
well there was the HMS Edinburgh a cruiser sunk by the germans traveling back from russia, she had 4.5 tonnes of Russian gold onboard as partial payment for war materials being sent by the Allies. at the time it was worth £1.5million (or £40million when it was recovered in the 80's). so at least at the time they had the intention of paying for it lol
Watched this 4 years ago, drooled over that ww2 1942 model you reviewed and showed in the video. I just found a 1942 No4 Mk1 converted to mk2 in 1948. Thanks for these videos, it keeps us busy searching for new toys :) Stay safe out there!
I know a lot of US subscribers to this channel don't like comments from UK Firearms enthusiasts because of our ludicrous and repressive gun laws - but it's nice to see Hickok shooting this along with other era British weapons (and everything else of course!)
'Liberal', like Left & Right differs greatly in US & UK Politics. But yes, I agree - the best I have is a Mossberg Maverick 88 and it's a great gun I enjoy shooting immensely.
Mostly not, David Cameron was a centrist at 'best' (depending on your point of view) think it's too early to say on Theresa May yet, just think, Tories have been in power for what, 6 years? Barely anything has changed in a right wing point of view, including gun laws. But hey, glad to see another Briton who spreads the word (we are still allowed guns -_-)
This the first fullbore I ever shot.it was 1977 and I was 13 and I'd just joined the Army cadets back in the UK It put a massive smile on my face and left me with a massive brush on my shoulder I later went on to join the British Army.im 60 now😂 great video Mr H😊👍
i own a couple. about 20 years ago i got a second in an nra match where all the other guys had m1a. the 303 is the fastest in the world if ya roll the bolt in your palm. never grab the bolt roll it. that swiss straight pull is pretty slick to but ya still hafta grab it pull and come back to the trigger, but when ya roll the 303 bolt forward your fingers come down by the trigger which is a short distance and thus faster. have fun gare
No, you don't. You use your thumb and forefinger, and keep the butt in the shoulder whilst doing it. It was never ever instilled into a British or Commonwealth soldier to 'palm-roll' the bolt. The middle finger can and was also used to pull the trigger.
what you should do for these older rifles that not a lot of people get to use is you should let the camera have a look through the sights when it is aimed down sights so we can see what it looks like when you aim it. I think that would be a cool idea. Im a really big fan of WW1 and WW2 weaponry and this is a really cool rifle
First deer i shot ever was up in Scotland with a number 4 lee. A family friend's father went through France with it and it's still going strong to this day
I am so glad to see you doing a video on this excellent piece of history. This was my first rifle, and I took my first deer with it about 15 years ago.
Not as nice as the good ole SMLE Mk III. Those are really beautiful guns, although this isn't too far behind. I love Lee Enfields, they're my favourite bolt action rifle.
I really wish I could own both a lee Enfield and a webley they are true pieces of art, there is so much history behind them, and to think my grandfather and great grandfathers used them, it's so strange.
Saw widest use by the British Army. We in the Commonwealth, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans etc. We kept on with the No1 Mk 3 and Mk 5. Right up til the late '50s when the L1A1 SLR in 7.62 NATO was adopted.
Paladine I know, it’s ridiculous. We can own some but nothing semi-auto in a calibration larger than .22. I’m still annoyed that most of the tyrannical gun legislation was passed before I was born.
I have a No.1 mk3 and a No.4 mk1/2. The Mk4 is a late referb used in Korea. It has the short barrel with flash arrester like a jungle carbine but without the lightening cuts that made the Jungle Carbine not hold zero. I’m proud to have the rifles my grandfather carried in the Great War and my uncles carried in WW2 for Canada. They are an absolute joy to shoot.
I have two of these rifles and they are indestructible instruments of warfighting. I think my No4.Mk1 would make an excellent bush rifle for someone far away from civilization. The British did everything with these rifles.
+hickok45 you can tell you spent your professional life as a teacher. I am not American but I am a WWII buff. Your love for guns and your responsible use of them has to be the most convincing argument for the 2nd I have ever seen. Keep the videos coming and maybe try to get your hands on a bren. Cheers from Canada
Bought back fond memories of my time as an army cadet, this was our main training weapon along with an original bren gun all deactivated due to the stupidity that reigns over firearms here in the UK.
You can own and shoot pretty much any bolt action rifle in the UK. No pistols except section 7.3 exempt examples or any over a certain length and no semi-autos over .22lr. And of course no full auto.
As a Brit and i mean this honestly, what you guys call black paint evil contrast etc, i call distinguished purpose, timeless, immortal :D And thanks for your help yanks, we love you xx
@@seanhartigan2003 my dads has an original bayonet on it or it looks original it's as old as everything else and it's one hell of a Army knife with serious blood grooves, My father just got this gun from his friend who unfortunately passed away recently, but he always told stories of his father killed lots of Germans in WWII with it. my father said that 303 was his pride and joy, and it was his home protection sitting by the couch for as long as he can remember! It took me quite a bit to get the bolt open and the cartridge out of the chamber, I guess he would have got one shot off, but he would have had to rush them with that bayonet that's for sure! And I'll tell you it would surely do the job!
Over the years I have owned every 303 Enfield model rifle, at one time a 1903 SMLE with the split charger bridge on receiver & bolt, fantastic rifles. At this time I now shoot a P14 303 still with volley sights 1916, an Army & Navy Martini Henry 303 1910 and a Lee Speed sporting rifle 1896 ( new barrel ).
Hi Mr Hickok, don't change the magazine, it's the W spring needs to be changed , you can pick them up for a few bucks I think mine was around 7 pounds fifty . I had the same problem with my No4 mk2 the last two rounds would not feed... all battle sights on british Rifle are standard set for 300 yards since way back in the 1800s , the leaf sights are set one click for 25 yards, its designed like that so you can set your sights in the dark..low light.. would be nice to see a woods walk. or a long range shoot. with the old War Horse.
I learned to shoot with one of these SMLE Mk 1 when I was a kid at the end of the war, but with a Morris tube to run it with .22 LR. We were living in Chatham (UK) dockyard at the time and had our own range. We also had a little Savage 22 which was very sweet. These SMLEs could use a small metal clip to load 5 rounds at a go (303). A lot of people used to think that the SM meant it had a short magazine but the real definition was: Rifle Short Magazine Lee Enfield. It was my job to clean the guns after a session using boiling water and the string pull through with a bit of " four by two" This was a roll of cloth four inches wide marked off with a red line every two inches. Nice job for an eight year old. Happy days!
It's interesting to think off all of the machinery that went behind the making of all these different rifles during a time of war. Thank you both for your videos.
Really good video, I'm so glad I saw this. During my service in the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment in the 70's and 80's, (we used the 7.62 FN SLR) and even still today this rifle was, and remains, a legend and an icon due to its quality and history. You are dead right about the reputation for the ability for rapid fire in the hands of experienced troops. Thank you for your gracious review of this rifle.
I now have one! A No4 Mk1 Long branch made in Canada 1943. Such a capable cartridge to shoot, I have recreated (sort of) Mk7 ammo with Sierra HPBT 174 GN pills with an almost full case of ADI 2209 Powder. Awesome historic rifle to shoot and enjoy. Great video as usually Hickoc 👍
The Lee Enfield has been recognized as one of the best military rifles. I fondly recall shooting these when I was in Army Cadets during my high school years in Toronto. We'd fire the .303 "trainers" (Enfields with a .22 bore at the school's indoor range. In the spring, we'd be bused to the army range at Winona (near St. Catherines, Ontario) and fire the "real McCoy" at 100, 200 and 300 yards. Beautiful firearm. Good memories.
Just like the one that's been in my family for 40 years or so, and it's taken quite a number of moose and caribou here in Newfoundland. .303 isn't as good as 30-06 or 7.62x54r but it does get the job done!
I have a 43’ lend lease savage…it was sporterized but I’m working on restoring a donor stock. I just finished going through it and finally found some ammo, shot it for the first time a week ago…yep it hits pretty good! Had to do some trigger work the sear to get the first stage back. Spent more time talking about it at the range then shooting it. The action is extremely fast…and it’s a dream to shoot. I wish my grandpa was still around to restore it with me!!
we used them as cadets right up into the 1990's ! the charger clips work great when you load them correctly three rims down two up in the charger. My grandfather carried one in WW2 and my dad in the 1950's.
I don't think there's anything wrong with your magazine. I encountered the same problem (last round not feeding) and tracked it down to using soft point ammo. They are designed for FMJ. The soft point drags and misfeeds. I could run a mag of softpoint, as long as the last round was FMJ, and they would all feed. Yrs, Chris F.
You could try that but for me the problem was the spring. It hung up on the last round with both soft point and FMJ. Replaced the spring and it was fine.
Love those old No. 4's I have owned maybe 6 over the years and wished many times I still had them. The most I ever paid for one was $150 in the early 2000's and the first one I bought was $89 in the 1990's Lol. If I remember right almost all of the ones I had shot 1 foot low at 100 yards. As you mentioned I believe they were set up at 300 yards.
Yeah if its an 'M' as a stamp, it will be from Maltby, South Yorkshire. As I have just purchased one of these 'M' stamped and live in next villiage on from Maltby.
I passed my Lee Enfield MK 4 to my son he is 4th gen in the family to own it. It was one of the specials modified by Santa Fe Arms for USA issue. I must say it's still deadly accurate out as far as you can see.
I got a relic no. 4 MK 1*..with no wood on barrel and no parts of the receiver and has the wood butt..it’s a short length over all…why so? Special model?
STILL ?! Holyyyy well made, Batman ! i thought they'd fazed them out in the mid/ late 80's. Wow. i could shoot the balls off a horse fly with mine back in my days in the cadets.
hairy badger unfortunately there all but completely fased out of all cadet branches now apart from a few CCF detachments. Shame really as the replacement (the CBTR) isn’t really liked or wanted by anyone
Great video, I have several of these Mark 4's including a jungle carbine and a US made Savage. The Savage is by far the best made and most accurate of all the Lee Enfields I have had. The problem with the magazine is easily repaired with a new spring (after 70+ years they tend to tire, like me!) Try some of the Canadian shops, we have a lot of these old rifles here.To rapid fire just keep the rifle on your shoulder and hold the bolt knob with your thumb and index finger and pull the trigger with your middle finger. With a bit of practice you can get off ten rounds in about 10 seconds!
I got one a few months ago at an auction for $400. It’s a 1944 that was armory refurbished in the 1950s , and it shoots great. I have terrible eyesight (and I wanted to hunt with it) so I put a no-drill-tap scope mount on it (the kind that replaces the the backsight) It’s now heavy as hell, but I love shooting it
This is the rifle my Granddad carried on his National Service in the British Army. He told me a story where he was on patrol in Egypt, by the Suez Canal, standing guard on his base with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Next thing he knows, there's a crack in the distance and an enemy took a pot shot at him - and hit him in the butt of his rifle, slung over his shoulder. Without this rifle I may not be here writing this comment today
Your channel is like a breath of fresh air lots of history and judging it on if it's a fine firearm and not where it was made a lot of flag waving like some other channels " It's made in the USA so it's the best" yes the US make a lot of great weapons but so do a lot of other country's. keep up your good work your the best
I've never shot this or the M1. My dad, who fought in Burma during WWII, said this was a superior rifle in terms of reliability and use. He said they hated the M1. Have you ever heard this?
The No4 was strong enough to be converted to 7.62 NATO, in fact the sniper version was converted into the L42A1 (7.62mm NATO) and was used up into the late 1970's or early 1980's.
Saw you on NRA All Access last night Hickok! Good show! Guys like you get the good about guns across in a nice calm manner that everybody can understand. Great job!
I like mine a lot. Got it for $250 at a shop 9 or 10 yrs ago. Looked refinished, which didn't matter. Finally got around to shooting it a yr ago with 50's era surplus and PPU. Performed great, as expected. I much prefer peep sights, like many people, and i like the extra sight radius. Shot my 3 digit M1917 (Rem built) the same day, and i think i have a slight preference for the SMLE. I didn't know the #4 was stronger than the #3, but it makes sense. Take advantage of the newer steels, etc. We know the design was strong enough to be chambered in 308 in the 50's and early 60's, so i should not have been surprised. Great video, as always
I have one of the Savage made rifles great shooter and I love it. Some thing that can help with your action hang up. No4Mk1 like to have the bolt run briskly, If you run them to slowly you have hang ups like you did. She was built for speed so run her fast. It will function better for it.
Yeah I have a 42 savage. If you don't rack it quickly it drags. Doesn't matter what your intended ROF is, you have to slam that bolt closed as quick as possible. It's what it was built to do.
hickok45, you are correct, a number of Lee Enfields were made in the USA under the terms of Lend Lease (same as tanks , aircraft etc). The weapons were then sent to the UK, Canada and trickled down to the rest of the Commonwealth. I own a Savage Lee Enfield No 4 MK1, 1942, down here in, Australia. The Australian and NZ military forces mainly used the SMLE Lee Enfield MK3 during World War Two as they remained in production in trickle numbers since the end of WW1. They did not make full adoption/production of the No 4 as it would require re-tooling production lines etc. Cheers.
When I move back to the U.S. I will probably buy this or a Springfield 1903 due to my interest in ww2 and your videos, thx a lot for what you do! Also I will one day buy a self defense gun, do you recommend a manual safety on a pistol or no?
Fantastic rifles. We used them as army cadets up until the 1980s. Some of the 13 year old kids that carried them were only just as tall as the rifle! Stirred up some great memories.
I enjoyed seeing this. I am now 71 but remember the No4 well from my cadet days at school in Yorkshire. We drilled with them and shot them on a military range on the moors. Most of our rifles were No 4s but we had some earlier models. Most were produced in the UK but we had some Canadian (Ross) Rifles in the armoury. They were very reliable actions in terms of feeding, chambering and ejecting the spent case. Loading with the 5 round strip could be a fiddle with skinned thumbs. With a little more time you could load directly into the magazine in the rifle. The 303 round was punchy but not over the top for a rifle. . Accurate over 600 yards on a man size target with standard iron sights. The no 4 had an ugly pig stick bayonet....basically a steel spike.. but it was cheap to produce. The number 5 was a chopped Jungle Carbine version. I never saw one in the flesh though I did the armourers course at York REME workshops. Thank you.
I have 4 of these including one my grandfather bought in 1955 for $11.00 mail order here in the US. Crazy how cheap some of these old military surplus guns use to be. Love the Enfields though. Best bolt action battle rifle ever.
Hey, I was wondering (without doing much research) mine is that I inherited from my dad, it's the jungle carbine you mentioned. Great rifle!
Used it in cadets good kick
I remember pokey drill with them as a skinny 13 yr old
My Nan worked in a munitions factory in the war making .303 bullets for those
I've shot a fair amount of surplus ammo; maybe I've fired some ammo she made. :-)
I am surprised to see you here I love your videos it got me started in leather work
Hey hickok, thanks for another interesting video. I live about four miles away from Fazakerley where a lot of those things were made. I think it was the only factory where they made the jungle carbine version but i am not 100% sure. They are stamped with the (F) markings on the frame.
@@hickok45 there is a 1 to 1 chance you shot his nans ammo, considering how much you shoot.
Tell that to people saying that women had no part in wars.
The combination of great sights, fast bolt, and 10 round capacity make this the best bolt action rifle of WWII in my opinion.
Best bolt action "Battle rifle" of the era I would agree.
Plus removable magazine rather than top loading with a clip so faster to reload
@@Mark-lj1dj clips were used alot dating back to 1900's because box magazines for rifles are very expensive back then
No. The Mauser was better
@@MG-ks1qg any particular reason?
"Let's go on over the hill, and see if that red plate's awake"
This guy is the Mr. Rogers of shooting stuff.
haha, you win comment of the day!
My Uncle and I bought 2 of these at a Roses department store in the 1980s as surplus. $50.00 each. Uncle Paul was a U.S Marine and very knowledgeable about these wonderful Weapons. We searched through all they had and found 2 FTR guns. He's passed on now but I still have my 303 Brit. Wouldn't take a millions bucks for it. Thanks for this video.
I have a No4 Mk 1* manufactured by Savage. It does have the “US Property” stamped on the receiver as it was indeed made under the Lend/Lease agreement. I am in Canada and these are rather common here. It is still with the full military configuration, but regardless I have used it for deer hunting, it has put a lot of venison on the table over the years. Now that I am 59 years old, I have switched over to a much lighter, modern hunting rifle with a scope that is more conducive to my aging eyes. Every once in a while, I do like to take my old Enfield out from time to time for nostalgia sake. What a wonderful rifle.
I have one my grandfather "sporterized" in the 1950's that has put 100's of deer in the freezer over the years and 3 generations. I always try to find the Norma brand of hunting ammo for it in 150 grain as it seems to like that Brand the best.
These rifles just bring a SMiLE to my face.
I am so stealing that
you have my permission.
+1 this gentleman
this guy..haha
They bring a k98 to my hands c:
hickock45 in a nutshell:
Well I'll probably miss that tiny target far away with this tiny .22 pistol...
*PING*
*PING*
*PING*
*PING*
*PING*
“Let’s see if I can hit that, probably not.”
*hits quarter at 200 yds.*
The "Black Paint" is called Suncorite, a protective coating the Brit's used back then.
Australian here, my first 303 was a No 5 Mk I, otherwise known as the jungle carbine. It had a great barrel on it, which was pretty unusual for surplus stuff because the ammunition was corrosive (murcury fulminate) and the charge burned very hot (cordite). Though I could buy 1943 ammo for about $10 a bandolier, I learned to reload them to get away from the general nastiness. The cordite gave a lot of blokes headaches when shooting them (nitro poisoning). The ammo always had the year of manufacture stamped on the head, and the mercury fulminate primers were always copper so at least you always knew what you had. I never ever had one misfire on (at the time) fifty year old ammunition.
Reloading involved making a tool that was a claw to puncture and pull the Burden primer out of its pocket, but you had to be careful not to damage the anvil which was part of the case. This was easier and quicker than trying to go through the two tiny off center flash holes to punch it out. There was no tool available off the shelf, you had to make your own out of silver steel and harden it.
The problems you're alluding to with widespread manufacturing were things like the Canadian version of the No 3 not being able to chamber .303 British - you couldn't lock the bolt. For this reason the general advice was to only buy Lee Enfield made rifles to avoid problems. The word was that people had been injured by firing the Canadian versions out of battery on British WWII era ammunition, and I believe that's why the "British" designation was added to the ammunition name. The British just called it "three oh three" of course.
The No 5 was a lot lighter half wood version so the recoil was a little on the savage side with the brass butt plate. I remember often going home a bit bruised but it was a heck of a lot of fun to shoot.
My grandfather was a drill instructor in the Indian Army and he got pretty pissed when they had to switch over to semiautomatic rifles.
Okay, I totally forgot about putting the paper target up on Ebay. It's there now. See link in description.
hickok45 are you ever going to fire a berret .50 cal?
Why don't you make a video about revolver Webley Mk 6? .455 Webley?
I'm not a big fan of the Lee Enfield and I'm British.
you should try to find an Irish Enfield called the R.I.C. its interesting.
how many gun you have got ?
You can tell that is a British made one, there is a bolt release catch rather than a detent in the breech wall to allow you to align the bolt head for removal. The Long Branch (Canadian) and Springfield made versions had the detent, BSA, RSA Enfield and Fazackerley fitted the catch.
Adopted in 1941, but the SMLE (No. 1) was still used by Australia (they never adopted the No. 4), and the SMLE was used throughout the war by all British Empire armies. I think that only the 21st Army Group were completely armed with No. 4’s, 8th Army was still using No. 1’s in Italy in 1944/45, and in Burma the No. 1 was the main rifle used by the British.
My Grandad carried this type of rifle during World War II. Thanks for showing me some of my family history.
same here mate. parachuted into arnhem and got his knee blown off.
still rode a motorbike into his early 60's. what a legend
@@BUSHCRAPPING sounds like an awesome amazing man
Australian here, I have a No.4 MK1*, made by Savage in 1942. Great rifles.
Those lend lease rifles are beautiful too. I like the US Property marking on them along with the many British proofs. A wonderful piece of history that shoot great too!
I have one to has the (s ) on it don't know the year though
LOVE my #4 Mk 1!!!
Bought it in 1990 for $75.00.....and it remains, to this day, as one of my favorite rifles!
Just purchased a No4 Mk1. Your video made me all the more glad that I did! Thanks for showing us all how fun shooting can be.
Both of my grandfathers and their respective brothers carried these rifles in WW2 for the British Indian Army. Kind of sad I never had the chance to hear their stories firsthand.
I love the feel of these guns, the Brits really outdid themselves on these.
This is ok but when they used the fal in their army RESPEC
my grandad carried one from Normandy to germany
kieron webb your grandad was a badass.
@@nejlaakyuz4025 My dad carried his from North Africa to Austria. Hampshire Regiment.
my grandad used various marks of Enfield from 1914 to 1921 and a Martini Henry easlier, the italian looter he shot didnt survive to complain
@Jon Tron Germany aint to good either mate
@Jon Tron follow your leader and off yourself, pal.
Hickok is such an OG always does his videos in only one take. This is such a great channel it's almost like a TV show except with history lessons and teaching safety at the same time, with shooting too! So much fun to watch and listen.
Interesting segment. This brought back some memories for me. I grew up in the UK and spent some time in the army cadets as a teenager during the 60's and the .303 Enfield was the rifle we learnt to use. Both my grandfather and father served in the British army in WWI and WWII respectively. The .303 round was also used in the British Bren gun which made it a versatile round. Thank you for this video. Paul, Adelaide, South Australia
The Lee-Enfield is one of my favourite rifles of all time.
As far as the Russians were concerned, once they got their hands on a bomber or a gun - it was 'lend-keep'
Reverse engineered Studebaker trucks after the war.
*Tu4 intensifies*
well there was the HMS Edinburgh a cruiser sunk by the germans traveling back from russia, she had 4.5 tonnes of Russian gold onboard as partial payment for war materials being sent by the Allies. at the time it was worth £1.5million (or £40million when it was recovered in the 80's). so at least at the time they had the intention of paying for it lol
it was cheaper for the u.s. to either let them keep it or destroy the stuff than have it shipped all the way back home for refurbishment anyways.
Lend-keep-reverse engineer.... almost put S&W out of business in the 1800s doing that...
You might be able to replace the spring in the magazine to overcome that eject/feed problem.
Don Barker yes you can. I replaced leaf spring and it functions 100 percent now.
I did some tweaking of the original spring on mine. Works perfect.
Sometimes the "lips" at top of magazine become deformed over time, usually if they are bent back then normal service is resumed.
Yup change the spring. I was trained on the Lee Enfield. Ours were 50 years old. the only issue we had was the spring.
ESPADA 507 new spring > new mag
Watched this 4 years ago, drooled over that ww2 1942 model you reviewed and showed in the video. I just found a 1942 No4 Mk1 converted to mk2 in 1948. Thanks for these videos, it keeps us busy searching for new toys :) Stay safe out there!
Thanks for a great video. The Mk4 was the first centre fire rifle I ever fired, striped and cleaned as a 14 year old cadet.
this rifle's bolt makes such a satisfying, and iconic, deep crunch with each time you work it
I know a lot of US subscribers to this channel don't like comments from UK Firearms enthusiasts because of our ludicrous and repressive gun laws - but it's nice to see Hickok shooting this along with other era British weapons (and everything else of course!)
like the comments, can't stand your liberal politicians.
'Liberal', like Left & Right differs greatly in US & UK Politics. But yes, I agree - the best I have is a Mossberg Maverick 88 and it's a great gun I enjoy shooting immensely.
Mostly not, David Cameron was a centrist at 'best' (depending on your point of view) think it's too early to say on Theresa May yet, just think, Tories have been in power for what, 6 years? Barely anything has changed in a right wing point of view, including gun laws. But hey, glad to see another Briton who spreads the word (we are still allowed guns -_-)
by all means comment away, it's good to know there are like-minded gun owners in the UK .
I think most will agree we don't care if you comment. We care about the people who make fun of the US and talk bad about guns and gun owners.
This the first fullbore I ever shot.it was 1977 and I was 13 and I'd just joined the Army cadets back in the UK It put a massive smile on my face and left me with a massive brush on my shoulder I later went on to join the British Army.im 60 now😂 great video Mr H😊👍
i own a couple. about 20 years ago i got a second in an nra match where all the other guys had
m1a. the 303 is the fastest in the world if ya roll the bolt in your palm. never grab the bolt roll it. that swiss straight pull is pretty slick to but ya still hafta grab it pull and come back to the trigger, but when ya roll the 303 bolt forward your fingers come down by the trigger which is a short distance and thus faster. have fun gare
No, you don't. You use your thumb and forefinger, and keep the butt in the shoulder whilst doing it. It was never ever instilled into a British or Commonwealth soldier to 'palm-roll' the bolt. The middle finger can and was also used to pull the trigger.
what you should do for these older rifles that not a lot of people get to use is you should let the camera have a look through the sights when it is aimed down sights so we can see what it looks like when you aim it. I think that would be a cool idea. Im a really big fan of WW1 and WW2 weaponry and this is a really cool rifle
my favourite rifle of all, as a royal Canadian air cadet this rifle bears so much ceremonial significance and is so sentimental to me
I hunt with a lee enfield no4 mk1 made in 1942
First deer i shot ever was up in Scotland with a number 4 lee. A family friend's father went through France with it and it's still going strong to this day
MrcabooseVG first deer I shot I used a Remington 700. It was a 5x5 Shot in Saskatchewan and scored 151.
remington stacey I'm not really a trophy hunter so i have no idea what that means. How it tastes is all i'm worried about
I hunt with a Chinese SKS made in about 1979. Not quite as elegant, but it gets the job done.
#BroncosCountry Huge fan
I am so glad to see you doing a video on this excellent piece of history. This was my first rifle, and I took my first deer with it about 15 years ago.
I have one of these that was factory thorough refurbished in 1955. Looks like new and a very accurate rifle!
Not as nice as the good ole SMLE Mk III. Those are really beautiful guns, although this isn't too far behind. I love Lee Enfields, they're my favourite bolt action rifle.
Just needs a Webley to back it up, and then you're sorted!
I really wish I could own both a lee Enfield and a webley they are true pieces of art, there is so much history behind them, and to think my grandfather and great grandfathers used them, it's so strange.
Who's your pot sponsor, Hick?
+Toby Wood A Hi-Power over a .445 Webley? Do you have a room temperature IQ?
rowsdower I said I'd rather have the Webley, not the Hi-Power.
Saw widest use by the British Army. We in the Commonwealth, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans etc. We kept on with the No1 Mk 3 and Mk 5. Right up til the late '50s when the L1A1 SLR in 7.62 NATO was adopted.
That was the first big bore rifle I ever fired. A lovely weapon, accurate and comfortable. I hit everything I pointed it at.
I have one, but got it on poor condition. Slowly looking for parts and cleaning it up.
Got to love the Lee Enfield, us Brits know our rifles.
nano4778 except you can own only a handful with the permission of the Queen... : (
@@andrewkenseth4814 no school shootings
Worth it.
@@andrewkenseth4814 we can own a large variety of rifles with background checks. Semi autos are still out of reach though.
And you got canada to dig you out of scraps!
Paladine I know, it’s ridiculous. We can own some but nothing semi-auto in a calibration larger than .22. I’m still annoyed that most of the tyrannical gun legislation was passed before I was born.
I have a No.1 mk3 and a No.4 mk1/2. The Mk4 is a late referb used in Korea. It has the short barrel with flash arrester like a jungle carbine but without the lightening cuts that made the Jungle Carbine not hold zero. I’m proud to have the rifles my grandfather carried in the Great War and my uncles carried in WW2 for Canada. They are an absolute joy to shoot.
I have two of these rifles and they are indestructible instruments of warfighting. I think my No4.Mk1 would make an excellent bush rifle for someone far away from civilization. The British did everything with these rifles.
I have a No4 Mk1/2 (Mk1 upgraded to Mk2 specifications) manufactured in '44. I love it, so smooth.
That video was fun to watch. I love my No4 Mk1. The action is smooth and fast to keep firing right from the shoulder.
+hickok45 you can tell you spent your professional life as a teacher. I am not American but I am a WWII buff. Your love for guns and your responsible use of them has to be the most convincing argument for the 2nd I have ever seen. Keep the videos coming and maybe try to get your hands on a bren. Cheers from Canada
Great vid, Brought back some memories from long ago.
Fired it in .22 conversion, 303 & 7.62 as a sniper rifle.
Thanks for sharing.
My Lee-Enfield was manufactured in 1943, then FTR'd at Fazakerley (to a No. 4 Mk 1/2) in the 1950s. It is absolutely my favorite bolt-action rifle.
Finally I get to see you talk about and shoot my all time favorite rifle!!!!! Thanks hickock45!!!
Thank you for always taking about the history of these firearms. Especially the historic firearms. It makes the content so much more interesting.
Bought back fond memories of my time as an army cadet, this was our main training weapon along with an original bren gun all deactivated due to the stupidity that reigns over firearms here in the UK.
UK has gone soft.
+Deep South that's funny the US is soft now too
sean vance Not the south ;)
The Bren gun is a no go but thankfully the Lee Enfield is still legal to own and shoot in the UK. I own a No4 mk2, very fun rifles.
You can own and shoot pretty much any bolt action rifle in the UK. No pistols except section 7.3 exempt examples or any over a certain length and no semi-autos over .22lr. And of course no full auto.
As a Brit and i mean this honestly, what you guys call black paint evil contrast etc, i call distinguished purpose, timeless, immortal :D
And thanks for your help yanks, we love you xx
He should have fixed bayonets and charged across the hill, they don't like it up em you know.
Lance Corp. Jones. Dad's Army?
Jacob3605 M yes there was
@@seanhartigan2003 my dads has an original bayonet on it or it looks original it's as old as everything else and it's one hell of a Army knife with serious blood grooves, My father just got this gun from his friend who unfortunately passed away recently, but he always told stories of his father killed lots of Germans in
WWII with it. my father said that 303 was his pride and joy, and it was his home protection sitting by the couch for as long as he can remember!
It took me quite a bit to get the bolt open and the cartridge out of the chamber, I guess he would have got one shot off, but he would have had to rush them with that bayonet that's for sure! And I'll tell you it would surely do the job!
When I was in the Sudan
Over the years I have owned every 303 Enfield model rifle, at one time a 1903 SMLE with the split charger bridge on receiver & bolt, fantastic rifles. At this time I now shoot a P14 303 still with volley sights 1916, an Army & Navy Martini Henry 303 1910 and a Lee Speed sporting rifle 1896 ( new barrel ).
Hi Mr Hickok, don't change the magazine, it's the W spring needs to be changed , you can pick them up for a few bucks I think mine was around 7 pounds fifty . I had the same problem with my No4 mk2 the last two rounds would not feed... all battle sights on british Rifle are standard set for 300 yards since way back in the 1800s , the leaf sights are set one click for 25 yards, its designed like that so you can set your sights in the dark..low light.. would be nice to see a woods walk. or a long range shoot. with the old War Horse.
I learned to shoot with one of these SMLE Mk 1 when I was a kid at the end of the war, but with a Morris tube to run it with .22 LR. We were living in Chatham (UK) dockyard at the time and had our own range. We also had a little Savage 22 which was very sweet. These SMLEs could use a small metal clip to load 5 rounds at a go (303). A lot of people used to think that the SM meant it had a short magazine but the real definition was: Rifle Short Magazine Lee Enfield. It was my job to clean the guns after a session using boiling water and the string pull through with a bit of " four by two" This was a roll of cloth four inches wide marked off with a red line every two inches. Nice job for an eight year old. Happy days!
The lee enfield was the most beautiful bolt action rifle ever made.
Spanish gewehr 98s are quite elegant in my opinion as well as the 93s
Argentine Mausers, and Pattern 14 American Enfields are right up there with the SMLE’s. Having 10 rds had a little edge on the other bolts from ww2
It's interesting to think off all of the machinery that went behind the making of all these different rifles during a time of war. Thank you both for your videos.
Plenty of these in New Zealand. Love my no4 mark 1. Mines ex NZ army 1942 and its a long branch from canada i wonder how many ex NZ army is canadian?
Really good video, I'm so glad I saw this. During my service in the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment in the 70's and 80's, (we used the 7.62 FN SLR) and even still today this rifle was, and remains, a legend and an icon due to its quality and history. You are dead right about the reputation for the ability for rapid fire in the hands of experienced troops. Thank you for your gracious review of this rifle.
The nose cap on the Mk III really makes the rifle look way better over all.
Yeah. Just weighs half a billion pounds though. XD
It feels alot more ergonomic to me, I lift 50 lb dog food bags all day so a few pounds doesn't really bother me.
I now have one! A No4 Mk1 Long branch made in Canada 1943. Such a capable cartridge to shoot, I have recreated (sort of) Mk7 ammo with Sierra HPBT 174 GN pills with an almost full case of ADI 2209 Powder. Awesome historic rifle to shoot and enjoy. Great video as usually Hickoc 👍
its the first rifle i was trained on in the irish army 1985. love them
The Lee Enfield has been recognized as one of the best military rifles. I fondly recall shooting these when I was in Army Cadets during my high school years in Toronto. We'd fire the .303 "trainers" (Enfields with a .22 bore at the school's indoor range. In the spring, we'd be bused to the army range at Winona (near St. Catherines, Ontario) and fire the "real McCoy" at 100, 200 and 300 yards. Beautiful firearm. Good memories.
Just like the one that's been in my family for 40 years or so, and it's taken quite a number of moose and caribou here in Newfoundland. .303 isn't as good as 30-06 or 7.62x54r but it does get the job done!
In your opinion sir.... 🇬🇧
I have taken deer with .303 and it works just fine.
السلام. عليكم ورحمت. الله. وبركاته. الحمد. الله علا السلامه. والله معرفت. اي. كلامه. علا كلان. شكرا. لك.
I have a 43’ lend lease savage…it was sporterized but I’m working on restoring a donor stock. I just finished going through it and finally found some ammo, shot it for the first time a week ago…yep it hits pretty good! Had to do some trigger work the sear to get the first stage back. Spent more time talking about it at the range then shooting it. The action is extremely fast…and it’s a dream to shoot. I wish my grandpa was still around to restore it with me!!
Love these Enfields, powerful round that's fun to shoot. I feature a Savage made No4 Mk1 that's in mint condition.
we used them as cadets right up into the 1990's ! the charger clips work great when you load them correctly three rims down two up in the charger. My grandfather carried one in WW2 and my dad in the 1950's.
I don't think there's anything wrong with your magazine. I encountered the same problem (last round not feeding) and tracked it down to using soft point ammo. They are designed for FMJ. The soft point drags and misfeeds. I could run a mag of softpoint, as long as the last round was FMJ, and they would all feed.
Yrs, Chris F.
thanks for the tip. I'll try that.
Agreed my Savage no 4 mk 1 '42 has issues with soft points.
You could try that but for me the problem was the spring. It hung up on the last round with both soft point and FMJ. Replaced the spring and it was fine.
This warms my Canadian history buff heart.
i feel like hikock is a video game character with his one liners like "that woke him up" and "nice!"
Love those old No. 4's I have owned maybe 6 over the years and wished many times I still had them. The most I ever paid for one was $150 in the early 2000's and the first one I bought was $89 in the 1990's Lol. If I remember right almost all of the ones I had shot 1 foot low at 100 yards. As you mentioned I believe they were set up at 300 yards.
I love the way he laughs when he hits his target
It makes me feel like I'm next to him
Thank you America for "lend lease", helped save our bacon! Thank you Hickok for another great video.
Don't mention it. Thank you for the superb mil surplus rifles (especially p14s)
In the BBC comedy program "Dad's Army" the platoon of home guard are armed with US lend lease P14's........"don't tell him pike"
Malta struck me as odd, especially as it's not "in England". Perhaps you meant Maltby, South Yorkshire, where there was an ordnance factory. :)
YEah, I think I corrected myself later in the video.
+hickok45 where can i get one and how much cost? plz nd thx
Ah. Right you are. Cool.
white rose.
Yeah if its an 'M' as a stamp, it will be from Maltby, South Yorkshire. As I have just purchased one of these 'M' stamped and live in next villiage on from Maltby.
I passed my Lee Enfield MK 4 to my son he is 4th gen in the family to own it. It was one of the specials modified by Santa Fe Arms for USA issue. I must say it's still deadly accurate out as far as you can see.
Man, I like these bolt-action ex-military rifles.
Just picked up a Canadian Long Branch No. 4 Mk 1 * so excited
I got a relic no. 4 MK 1*..with no wood on barrel and no parts of the receiver and has the wood butt..it’s a short length over all…why so? Special model?
They still use them in the cadets in the uk
STILL ?!
Holyyyy well made, Batman !
i thought they'd fazed them out in the mid/ late 80's.
Wow.
i could shoot the balls off a horse fly with mine back in my days in the cadets.
hairy badger unfortunately there all but completely fased out of all cadet branches now apart from a few CCF detachments.
Shame really as the replacement (the CBTR) isn’t really liked or wanted by anyone
I did but it was in 1956 , part of my schooling
JROTC still use the 1903 Springfield.
Some afghans still use em. Not sure if they were pakistani knock off's.
Great video, I have several of these Mark 4's including a jungle carbine and a US made Savage. The Savage is by far the best made and most accurate of all the Lee Enfields I have had. The problem with the magazine is easily repaired with a new spring (after 70+ years they tend to tire, like me!) Try some of the Canadian shops, we have a lot of these old rifles here.To rapid fire just keep the rifle on your shoulder and hold the bolt knob with your thumb and index finger and pull the trigger with your middle finger. With a bit of practice you can get off ten rounds in about 10 seconds!
Wonderful to see this today! I just bought one of these yesterday!
I always enjoy when there are several slow-mo shots at the end, and when it captures Hickok's laugh
Have its cousin. 1943 No. 4 mk 1 long branch . Made in Canada 🇨🇦
Holy cow! I don't know if I have ever seen John interrupt his dad's rambling before 😄
I got to hold one at the Bovington tank museum in the UK
Cpt. Shmitt same
Get a license and go buy one then you can shoot it :) .
I got one a few months ago at an auction for $400.
It’s a 1944 that was armory refurbished in the 1950s , and it shoots great.
I have terrible eyesight (and I wanted to hunt with it) so I put a no-drill-tap scope mount on it (the kind that replaces the the backsight)
It’s now heavy as hell, but I love shooting it
This is the rifle my Granddad carried on his National Service in the British Army. He told me a story where he was on patrol in Egypt, by the Suez Canal, standing guard on his base with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Next thing he knows, there's a crack in the distance and an enemy took a pot shot at him - and hit him in the butt of his rifle, slung over his shoulder. Without this rifle I may not be here writing this comment today
This is the best channel on UA-cam, no debate
Man I'll never get tired of pot smoking ;)
the local garden center must think that he reaaally reaally likes pot flowers xD
Your channel is like a breath of fresh air lots of history and judging it on if it's a fine firearm and not where it was made a lot of flag waving like some other channels " It's made in the USA so it's the best" yes the US make a lot of great weapons but so do a lot of other country's. keep up your good work your the best
I've never shot this or the M1. My dad, who fought in Burma during WWII, said this was a superior rifle in terms of reliability and use. He said they hated the M1. Have you ever heard this?
The m1 is a thoroughly superior battle implement. That being said, I've shot both and I find the Lee Enfield more comfortable
@Jacob3605 M my favor for it is merely recreational. The sensation of the bolt slamming forward on the Garand is strangely discomforting to me
@Jacob3605 M pretty sure it's not
@Jacob3605 M look up the stats if you don't believe me
My 303 has a weird stock on it. My dad bought it in 1987/88
The No4 was strong enough to be converted to 7.62 NATO, in fact the sniper version was converted into the L42A1 (7.62mm NATO) and was used up into the late 1970's or early 1980's.
I would love to get my hands on any type of Lee Enfield, especially the No.4 Sniper version!
I'd kill for the chance to get my hands on a No.4 MK1 T. Said to be one opt the best Sniper rifles on the Battlefields in WW2
Matthew Moses; I did not know that, thanks Matt. 🇺🇸/🇬🇧/🇨🇦/🇦🇺/🇮🇱
Liberty Valence I got one I will sell you at a good price
Vabasser 1 Good price eor not, My Bank account still probably can't afford it
Saw you on NRA All Access last night Hickok! Good show! Guys like you get the good about guns across in a nice calm manner that everybody can understand. Great job!
Just recently got my No 4 MK I. Love it to death.
If I buy a decent no.4 from ww2 how much am I looking to spend in the U.S.?
Mackenzie Japan Anymore, they are going for $200-300.
$400 and up. Mine was dated 1943.
that is awesome! is it in nice condition?
Yeah, it's great. Good bore on it and sharp rifling.
I like mine a lot. Got it for $250 at a shop 9 or 10 yrs ago. Looked refinished, which didn't matter. Finally got around to shooting it a yr ago with 50's era surplus and PPU. Performed great, as expected. I much prefer peep sights, like many people, and i like the extra sight radius. Shot my 3 digit M1917 (Rem built) the same day, and i think i have a slight preference for the SMLE. I didn't know the #4 was stronger than the #3, but it makes sense. Take advantage of the newer steels, etc. We know the design was strong enough to be chambered in 308 in the 50's and early 60's, so i should not have been surprised. Great video, as always
I have one of the Savage made rifles great shooter and I love it. Some thing that can help with your action hang up. No4Mk1 like to have the bolt run briskly, If you run them to slowly you have hang ups like you did. She was built for speed so run her fast. It will function better for it.
lol
Yeah I have a 42 savage. If you don't rack it quickly it drags. Doesn't matter what your intended ROF is, you have to slam that bolt closed as quick as possible. It's what it was built to do.
Donovan Shovan
sure ;)
hickok45, you are correct, a number of Lee Enfields were made in the USA under the terms of Lend Lease (same as tanks , aircraft etc). The weapons were then sent to the UK, Canada and trickled down to the rest of the Commonwealth. I own a Savage Lee Enfield No 4 MK1, 1942, down here in, Australia. The Australian and NZ military forces mainly used the SMLE Lee Enfield MK3 during World War Two as they remained in production in trickle numbers since the end of WW1. They did not make full adoption/production of the No 4 as it would require re-tooling production lines etc. Cheers.
NUMRICH has your magazine follower spring, part # 486590. $4.75 each, NOS.
Thank you.
When I move back to the U.S. I will probably buy this or a Springfield 1903 due to my interest in ww2 and your videos, thx a lot for what you do! Also I will one day buy a self defense gun, do you recommend a manual safety on a pistol or no?
Fantastic rifles. We used them as army cadets up until the 1980s. Some of the 13 year old kids that carried them were only just as tall as the rifle! Stirred up some great memories.