Ordered a #4 MKI today

[Tracy]

Well, I just placed my order with Springfield Sporters for a #4 MKI. It's restocked with the beechwood stock set and is supposed to be in "like new" condition. Bore is good to very good. Cost is $120.00 plus shipping. It includes the bayonet and scabbard. I asked how long it would be--TWO WEEKS! She said that they ship by FedEx so that it gets here faster. I'm thinkin' "Honey, at the rate you ship these things, it won't make much difference who you ship them with." I hope the wait is worth it. I don't have any Enfield's yet.

I also orderd 200 rounds of the South African .303 from AIM. It was $7.50 per 50 with a little over a dollar in shipping cost per box. At that price, I was afraid they might sell out if I didn't order soon. They want almost $20.00 a box for this stuff locally. It'll be here in two days.

What'll I do with 200 rounds of ammo and nuthin' to shoot it with? Pick up sticks? Does the Guiness people have any categories for how many .303 shells you can shove in your mouth? I've got the time.... :D

[zouavexx]

Good for you!

[zouavexx]

Make sure you post when it comes :)

[Tracy]

I got my ammo from AIM in two days. I'm still waiting for the Enfield. Springfield Sporters took my information so quickly that it reminded me of the drive through at one of the local burger places. I always ask them to repeat the order. I wish that I had asked her to do the same thing. Also, the fact that they don't have catalog numbers bothers me too. Disorganization bugs me. Come to think of it, they way they did eveything buggged me! Maybe I should have just driven up there. I'm thinkin' about 18 hours (one way) would probably do it.

On the other hand, maybe I'll just sit here and wait a little longer.... :(

[GMB74]

When you're waiting for that something special to arrive it seems to take forever! Springfield Sporters is a great place to do business with, however. They are slow because they do things all by hand. The lady was undoubtedly writing down your order as she talked to you. The upside of this is they are honest and accurate with their information,unlike some companies who can be rather "creative" when describing the condition of a rifle or expected shipping time.I'm sure you will be happy with your purchase. Let us know what you get!

[Tracy]

Originally posted by GMB74
When you're waiting for that something special to arrive it seems to take forever! Springfield Sporters is a great place to do business with, however. They are slow because they do things all by hand. The lady was undoubtedly writing down your order as she talked to you. The upside of this is they are honest and accurate with their information,unlike some companies who can be rather "creative" when describing the condition of a rifle or expected shipping time.I'm sure you will be happy with your purchase. Let us know what you get!

I appreciate the assurance. Monday will be two weeks and it does seem forever. I know they got the credit card information correct as it was credited over a week ago. You are correct about the shipping time also. I would rather they tell me two weeks and take that long as to tell me two days and take two weeks!

I'm as jittery as when I bought my first box of condoms.

[zouavexx]

Originally posted by Tracy
I'm as jittery as when I bought my first box of condoms.

Thanks!

You just made me spit up my tea! LOL!


Have patience it will come. :D

[Tracy]

Originally posted by zouave
Have patience it will come. :D

:sleeping: :D

[Schuetzenman]

This is a funny thread! In these days of instant messaging and cell phones and TV shows that have resolutions to world ending problems in 1/2 to 1 hour time increments . . . 2 weeks seems like a sentence to hell for eternity! LOL!

Springfield Sporters has to be run by a supremly old FART they way the do business. No computers, no database of inventory. I think they do everything with a file cabinet and a not pad and probably a manual typewriter from the way the invoces look when typed up. All the letters don't line up on the same plane left to right. :D

Someday I'm going to go to them with a wad of cash and my license and start picking stuff out in person just so I can see this fossilized antique business structure. LOL!:D

[zouavexx]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman
Someday I'm going to go to them with a wad of cash and my license and start picking stuff out in person just so I can see this fossilized antique business structure. LOL!:D

Sounds like a fun C&R Field trip!

[Tracy]

I have always been interested in how they ran businesses in the 1940's. I hope that she said Federal Express and not Pony Express!

:sleeping: Still waiting...2 weeks today.

[oldstyle244]

Tracy,

Let me know when you get it and what condition it is in. If it shows up in good shape and for $120, I may have to order one, so if its all you thought it would be let me know and how to get a hold of them.

oldstyle244

[Tracy]

Originally posted by oldstyle244
Tracy,

Let me know when you get it and what condition it is in. If it shows up in good shape and for $120, I may have to order one, so if its all you thought it would be let me know and how to get a hold of them.

oldstyle244

I'll drag out the el cheapo digital camera and take a few pictures as soon as I get it. If it's worthwhile, I'll give you their LONG DISTANCE phone number (nope, no toll-free numbers either). Gee, I hope the pony didn't break a leg.

Still waiting...2 weeks and 1 day. :sleeping:

[Tracy]

Here are some pictures. There should be three. MAYBE this time they'll show up.

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/IndianaTLH/Enfield2.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/IndianaTLH/Enfield3.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/IndianaTLH/Enfield4.jpg

Okay, barrel looks good--no pitting. It looks pretty shiney (this is an amateur talking, of course). The stock was supposed to be beachwood. Knowing as much about wood as guns, I have to ask, "Isn't that a light colored wood?" If the pictures show up, you can see that the buttstock has been poorly stained in an attempt to look like the rest of the wood. Other than that, the gun seems to be very nice. I guess that it was reblued as well as restocked since I can see an occasional mark in the metal but the blueing remains. It has 1943 stamped on it. I assume that is the date. It also has SPR SP IR RN PA (or something like that stamped on the receiver). Is that the Century import mark? Moreover, on the receiver, at and below the "woodline" it has a green coating on it. Is that a rust inhibitor?

Also, the scabbard is, I swear, plastic on the outside. What's up with that? And the final question is "What do I do with the wood now?" It has some stained and some not, some rough and some smooth, some dirty and some clean. Do I use Purple Power? Do I just clean it with Murphy's Oil Soap and apply BLO? I am definitely baffled about that.

Though I know nothing about Enfields (has anyone noticed?) I would say that $120.00 is a good deal for this #4, Mark 1. For anyone who is interested, the number for Springfield Sporters is 1-724-254-2626. It took exactly 2 weeks and 2 days to receive it from Pennsylvania to Southern Indiana.

Any help would be appreciated, especially input on the wood. Thanks in advance. :wave:

[Tracy]

Helloooooooooooo! Is there anybody out there? Newbie here with silly questions--needing answers. Pleeeeeeeeeeease?
[Look I quoted Pink Floyd and Roger Rabbit].

[Schuetzenman]

LOL Tracy! It's the weekend and not all of us live forever on these forums. However, you're in luck cause I'm here. :D

First off your pictures show a very nice looking No. 4 MKI. The buttstock looks like a replacement. The main stock, the bit that runs from the magazine to the forend cap is probably the original stock and it looks like Birch. The buttstock looks beachwood. Beech and Birsh are both light maple like looking woods. All would have been stained. Top handguards can't tell. If you want the buttstock that looks dull to match the sheen of the stock I'd suggest using tung oil and sanding with 400 wet n dry paper and lindseed oil as a lubricant. wipe off the residue with a lint free rag between coats. Eventually you'll build up a finish that will be smooth as plastic.

The bayonet scabard being plastic . . . yes some of them especially late war production if I'm remembering correctly were molded plastic to save money and speed up produciton. Plastic didn't rust either. ;)

SPR SP PR RN PA is Springfield Sporters Penn Run Pensylvania. So no that's not Century (bygod) arms International of St. Albans Vt. :p :D Is Springfield Sporters who you bought the rifle from? Never mind reading further you say that's where you bought it. So why did you think the importer mark was Century Arms International?

A green coating below the woodline you say?! Well it sounds like Zinc chromate paint and yes it would be a rust inhibitor.

On the metal, it probably isn't bluing. Most Enfields that we see have been painted with a baking Lacquer. It's more rust proof than bluing. Bluing is very poor in rust prevention.

BTW, what arsenal made this Enfield? I don't see that mentioned. Looks like a good one I think you'll have a lot of fun with it if it feeds ammo.

Just remember that you can tweak the feed lips on the mag with plyers to make the ammo feed. I've done it on just about every Enfield mag that I've ever encountered. None have ever fed ammo as purchased. Try the South African .303 Surplus from AIM. It's noncorrosive and reasonably accurate. Price isn't bad either. Good luck with it.:cool:

[Tracy]

Well, Schuetzenman, I'm glad to see that someone is alive out there. I know that these posts can get "lost" in all of the other postings.

I've got the linseed oil and the correct sandpaper to do the job. I don't have any tung oil, however, and am not sure where to get it. Could I do without it? The description said that it was a new beechwood stock set, but it's obvious that did not apply to all of the guns as this is not all the same wood.

As far as the Century Arms part goes, I was not aware that Springfield Sporters was an importer and I was suffering from a little dementia at the time of the writing. I am unsure about the rifle's manufacture. I haven't found many markings at all. There is an FTR (factory reburbished?) on the receiver. There's also some A's inside some circles with numbers. Could the fact that it has been refurbished have something to do with the lack of marks? There is a really light and doublestamped mark that tells the caliber and has some letters after that--never mind (cal .303 British). It also looks like there is an (F) after the MK1. That's about it.

It's also funny that you should mention the feeding problem. This is the first C&R rifle that I've had this problem with. I'll try my hand at tweaking the feed lips.

I showed the gun to my Dad, who is a WWII vet from the Navy, and he was as surprised as I was that the scabbard was plastic on the outside. Maybe this was one of those times when he'd forgotten more than I had learned.

It is a nice gun. I'm pleased with my $120.00 purchase. Thanks for the reply. :)

[Schuetzenman]

Tung oil is best obtained by squeezing a tunge really hard into a little jar! :D

Well, not really actually you can get what I use at Walmart in the paint dept. I use Formby's low gloss Tung Oil. Yes you really need it to fill in the pores and build up the depth of finish. You might put on two coats as they are thin before the 400 and BLO sand out before each coat. Don't over do it in one area as the stained stock could be sanded enough to create a light colored spot.

[Tracy]

Awesome! I know the stuff you're talking about. I've looked at it before and wasn't sure about buying it since it said something about stain and it is a little expensive. The sanding part is going to be toughest for me. I overdo EVERYTHING. Thanks again Schuetzenman. :)

[zouavexx]

enjoy the new rifle Tracy!

[Tracy]

Originally posted by zouave
enjoy the new rifle Tracy! Will do. This Enfield isn't at all like my Mausers or M44.

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by Tracy
Will do. This Enfield isn't at all like my Mausers or M44.

Yeah, it holds twice as many rounds as a Mauser or M44 Mosin and sure is faster and smoother to cycle than any M44 or other Mosin rifle ever could be. :D

[Tracy]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman


Yeah, it holds twice as many rounds as a Mauser or M44 Mosin and sure is faster and smoother to cycle than any M44 or other Mosin rifle ever could be. :D AND you could carry a dozen ready-to-go magazines with you if you wanted. :duece: