No4 Sniper (?) rifle

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have just picked up a No4 Mk1 Sniper rifle with a No32 Mk1 Telescopic sight.

I got it very cheap because there is some concern about the fact that it is a genuine one. I think it is and even if it isn't, the scopes I have seen for sale here in Australia, sell for at least four times what I paid for scope and rifle.

I think it is a rifle that has been rebuilt by the Aussie army. The scope is dated 1941 and comes in a tin which is dated 1955 and both the serial number of the rifle and scope have been stencilled on the outside. This has been done many years ago by the look of it.

At the moment you pay about $400-450 and more for good No4s here. I picked up both for $550 Australian. The gun dealer was going on about the guy tring to rip people off by stamping the numbers on. I don't think that is the case. I think the guy must have picked it up years ago when they were very cheap here and is obviously not aware of the current value (either is the gun dealer, you gotta get a win every now and then). Since mil rifle shooting has taken off over the past few years the prices of these things has gone through the roof. I think if he was trying to rip someone off, he would have been asking for more money.

Does anybody know much about these?

I think it is an aussie rebuild, because we were not so particular when rebuilding and didn't worry about matching numbers, etc wheras the English were very anal about it. These guns in England were not serviced by field units, but were sent back complete with scope for repair I am told. We just got them shooting apparently.

It was my intention to sell it as soon as I could get a good price for it, but now that I have it home and had a good look at it, I'm beginning to grow fond of it. It has lovely walnut wood work with a very straight grain.

The scope is out of focus. Is there a focus adjustment, or am I up for a rebuild.

I know a gun writer who paid nearly $3000 Australian for one of these in spectacularly poor condition and the scope was in pieces. He was happy to get it.

I would appreciate any help.

Mick.
(ex Australian Light Horse in the Centurion Main Battle Tank era.)

[C1PNR]

I can't help with any information about your find, but I'll sure agree with:

"It was my intention to sell it as soon as I could get a good price for it, but now that I have it home and had a good look at it, I'm beginning to grow fond of it. It has lovely walnut wood work with a very straight grain."

I've thought several times that "I can make some money on THIS deal!" Buy now at this ridiculously low price and then sell it at the next Gun Show and make some MONEY!

Then I get it home, take it apart, clean it up. Handle it a little bit. Look at it sitting against the wall. Realization hits - How can I SELL it? It's WAY too nice! Maybe if I buy one that isn't quite as good, I can make some money on THAT one! YEAH, RIGHT! Now I've got two of them!http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Oh, well, I guess we're helping the economy.

[Buckshot]

...............Mick, I sure wish I had the answers for ya but I don't. I always dislike refering people elsewhere off the board as I like to think of us a THE board, but this board IS really about cast bullets, afterall. If someone doesn't pop up I'd suggest Gunboards.Com as they have dedicated SMLE and military sniper rifle forums. As a rule there are guys who live for the various models and can tell you what it should and should not have, plus legitimate markings.

I think also Parallax's milsurpshooters board would also be a good reference spot.

I have a friend who has a couple of the British sniper SMLE's. These are in a wooden chest containing all the foofaraw they came with. I believe BruceB has one also.

.................Buckshot

[Urny]

From one old (OLD!) tanker to another, have you tried 303British.com?

[Maven]

4Finger, Also search out Steve Redgewell on the shooters forum.com and/or gunboards.com as he's a former armorer and SMLE maven.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I forgot that one of the guys at work was in the Aussie Navy unitl a few years ago and is a SMLE/No.4 nut and has a reasonable collection of bot and actually owns a very similar rifle.

He came around and identified it as a genuine No.4 T sniper rifle. He aso lent me some books to help and showed me how to focus the scope, which we did yesterday. I now have a lovely rifle, with a pretty clear scope.

I have some milsup ammo and am off to the range the ay after tomorrow, can't wait. I will run it on cast after I get organised, have to use condom bullets at the moment though.

I am actually a M17 and mega mad 3006 nut, but I will have to digress for a while and sort out these 303s. I actually carried a SMLE and the drill we did at the time was at the slope (carried on the left shoulder) in the aussie army cadets, that's how old I am.

Might be getting on, but I'd hate to be running away from me!

Thanks for all of your ideas, I will check out some of those sites inthe near future. Thanks. Mick.