Springfield vs Enfield

When I buy a milsurp I buy for the history and the collecting. I have seen it said of WWI that the US had the best target rifle, the UK the best battle rifle.
Some of the design features of the Lee Enfield to consider:
1. The No. 1 Mk III (I know for sure)-came with different butt sizes-Short, Normal, Long and then Bantam. The M1903 was one size fits all.You may get a rifle that doesn't quite fit you, then you have look for another buttstock and learn to install it.
2. The Lee Enfield bolt has a separate bolt head that is reasonably easy to replace. If you get a rifle with incorrect headspace correcting it is mostly a matter of getting the right parts. Correcting a headspace problem on an M1903 is a job for a gunsmith.
3. The UK-and the Empire-put the serial number on far more parts than we did, hence finding a Lee-Enfield that is "all matching" is really a matter of luck, since so many were repaired in the field or went through "FTR"-Factory Thorough Repair. M1903s were number on the receiver, that's about it. Many were rebuilt over the years of course, you will find a WWI receiver with a WWII barrel, etc.
 
SIGSHR wrote:

SIGSHR
Senior Member


Join Date: September 13, 2005
Posts: 1,440 When I buy a milsurp I buy for the history and the collecting. I have seen it said of WWI that the US had the best target rifle, the UK the best battle rifle.
Some of the design features of the Lee Enfield to consider:
1. The No. 1 Mk III (I know for sure)-came with different butt sizes-Short, Normal, Long and then Bantam. The M1903 was one size fits all.You may get a rifle that doesn't quite fit you, then you have look for another buttstock and learn to install it.
2. The Lee Enfield bolt has a separate bolt head that is reasonably easy to replace. If you get a rifle with incorrect headspace correcting it is mostly a matter of getting the right parts. Correcting a headspace problem on an M1903 is a job for a gunsmith.
3. The UK-and the Empire-put the serial number on far more parts than we did, hence finding a Lee-Enfield that is "all matching" is really a matter of luck, since so many were repaired in the field or went through "FTR"-Factory Thorough Repair. M1903s were number on the receiver, that's about it. Many were rebuilt over the years of course, you will find a WWI receiver with a WWII barrel, etc.

What he said in item 1 was correct, different length butt stocks, for the 2 piece Lee-Enfield stocks. I knew about 3 differwrent lengths, didn't know about the 4th mentioned.
 
If you are going from short to long on the stocks, Bantam is on the other end, being shorter than Short.

Jim
 
SIGSHR
Senior Member
Join Date: September 13, 2005
Posts: 1,440
When I buy a milsurp I buy for the history and the collecting. I have seen it said of WWI that the US had the best target rifle, the UK the best battle rifle.
Some of the design features of the Lee Enfield to consider:
1. The No. 1 Mk III (I know for sure)-came with different butt sizes-Short, Normal, Long and then Bantam. The M1903 was one size fits all. You may get a rifle that doesn't quite fit you, then you have look for another buttstock and learn to install it.
2. The Lee Enfield bolt has a separate bolt head that is reasonably easy to replace. If you get a rifle with incorrect headspace correcting it is mostly a matter of getting the right parts. Correcting a headspace problem on an M1903 is a job for a gunsmith.
3. The UK-and the Empire-put the serial number on far more parts than we did, hence finding a Lee-Enfield that is "all matching" is really a matter of luck, since so many were repaired in the field or went through "FTR"-Factory Thorough Repair. M1903s were number on the receiver, that's about it. Many were rebuilt over the years of course, you will find a WWI receiver with a WWII barrel, etc.

Re the above, a good bit of my response appears to have gone lost along the way, so I will try once more.

Re item 2, I was aware of the replaceable bolt heads, used to adjust headspace. I would wonder re these items, as to their availability in the U.S., these days. As to adjusting headspace in most bolt action rifles, military or commercial varieties, this involves turning the barrel in, rethreading the shank and rechambering, definitely a job for a competent gun smith or the equivalent. As to this entire business of headspace, it might be somewhat overdone, for with unfired ammunition, in a rifle with excess headspace, how bad is it, I suspect that nothing is going to break on the first firing, and the case will end up fire formed. As to reloading these cases, either adjust a full length die so as not to set the shoulder back or neck size.

Re item 3, I don’t think that what is mentioned there would present a functional problem, though collectors might be interested.

Re buttstocks, I was aware of 3 lengths for the back end of the LE’s 2 piece stocks. I was unaware of the Bantam. One lives and one learns.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top