Next New Project. #4 Mk1* Longbranch.

[W.R.Buchanan]

As the title says this project revolves around a recently acquired 1943 Enfield #4 Mk1* Long Branch.

I thought that all of the Long Branch guns were made in Canada?, however this one has Long Branch stamped below the model designation and England stamped into the wrist of the action.

Serial #'s on the receiver and bolt handle match.

The gun had been sporterized by someone. and then I think it was "refurbished" by someone else. It has a Parker Hale ramp type front sight soldered on slightly cockeyed.

It also has a two groove barrel that has been cut to 22" and upon closer examination it has had a little cosmetic welding done on it and subsequent grinding to fair in the spots of weld. (probably done to fill rust pits.) I hope I can sand all of this bubba work out and after bead blasting the barrel have the bluing hide the weld spots. Or maybe this one will get the Cerakote Treatment. Or maybe a different barrel.

The intention on this gun was to have the barrel rebored to .35-303, but if the exterior won't clean up then it will get replaced as I'm not going to spend $250 getting a ugly barrel rebored.

The action is sweet! it is much smoother than my other gun is and the trigger doesn't have all the creep that the other one has.. Also the machining on this one is much nicer than the other gun.

The wood is garbage and I wouldn't even burn it. It might taint my fireplace.

More as I progress. and I'll put up a before pic soon.

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK,,, Here's some pics:

What I got here is something that will make a good base for a hunting rifle. How high up the "Hunting Rifle" Food Chain I can push it remains to be seen.

Pros: it has a nice action and it is much smoother than My Mk1,,, better trigger too. Also the finish on the action and the machining is much better than on my other gun. I am pretty stoked about that as it will take minimal finish work before the final finish whatever that may be.

I originally thought the barrel was shot out, but closer examination when I got it home revealed that it is a two groove barrel. Unlike the Remington Springfield barrels, on this one the lands are three times the width of the grooves. The grooves appear to be about .060-.080 wide! It might actually shoot well like it is.

Cons: Cosmetically I think my first one was better at the start. This one has some metal work to be done and the problem that I see is that whomever welded on the barrel didn't use the same filler rod as the barrel material. This will show up as a spot if polished. If I matte finish it, it may take the bluing and not show as a spot. If it doesn't take the bluing right, which is a better chance than not, I'm left with having to Cerakote it which definitely will cover up the booboos.

The problem with this treatment is that it generally is not used on really nice guns. IE: proper Sporting Rifles, even though by all rights the finish is as good as anything there is as far as durability and looks. It's just not traditional,,, Hell the matte finish isn't traditional either, so maybe I'm sniveling about nothing. Probably need to save those snivels for when I really need them.

I am not concerned in the slightest with the integrity of the barrel so don't be saying you wouldn't trust it since it was welded on, I've been doing TIG Welding for 30+ years and there is never a problem with strength, and that's why we do it.

This was supposed to be first real attempt at above average custom gun. Nice wood and the effort to fit it would not have as much effect on the upward value as a blued matte finish would have.

In the end it must be worth more than what I've got into it. I paid $235 for it out the door.

The Rebore is another $250 plus shipping one way. So that's $500. Wood for the thing will be about $50,,, got my eye on a great piece of Paduk which I can get both the Buttstock and Fore End out of the same piece. (Learned that on "How's it's Made!") I also will fit a Redfield or Lyman Rear sight to the gun. Hope I get one of those I have bids on tomorrow. I'm seeing a total of $650-700 out of pocket before its done.

So I guess we'll see what happens with this one. I'm sure there will be plenty of relatively entertaining whining on this thread,,, so stay tuned.

Randy

[303Guy]

I am not concerned in the slightest with the integrity of the barrel so don't be saying you wouldn't trust it since it was welded on, ...

It's not the integrity of the barrel that might be of concern, it's the stresses induced by welding that might affect accuracy. I'd guess there won't be any problems.

I have one or two Long Branches myself. Three actually. The one is what I call my 'rust textured bore' gun. I kid you not. It's a two-groove too. I chopped of about half an inch of the bore after fire-lapping it to clean out the rust and dull the pits. The form of the bore is sound. I load it with boat tail j's (Highland 180gr) which I dip the base of into molten waxy lube and let set before seating so the boat tail becomes a lube reservoir. The idea is to coat the interior of the fixed suppressor with oil so as to preserve it. This thing has never copper fouled and is as accurate as can be. Sub-MOA. The rust pits hold lube I'm sure and the suppressor interior hasn't rusted. I also don't clean this ones bore.

I made a keyed scope base for it which has stood the drop test. I dropped it. On concrete. It went down breach end first (no stock) and landed on the scope eyepiece. Both scope and mount survived! New scope too. I made the scope base from an alloy bicycle crank arm.

Anyway, I'm hoping you will give yours a try with j's just to see how it does.

[Multigunner]

I thought that all of the Long Branch guns were made in Canada?, however this one has Long Branch stamped below the model designation and England stamped into the wrist of the action.

The "England" stamping is likely a import or re-import marking of some sort. In some cases a Savage No.4 or a P-14 action might be found with "Not English Made" which was required if sold commercially in England.

[Love Life]

I'd put it back in full military furniture. Not because I'm a purist, but I think it looks better.

[Multigunner]

I'd put it back in full military furniture.

The barrel was already cut to 22" before he got it, so unless he found a good No.4 barrel along with all the other goodies restoration to military trim is not in the cards.

[Love Life]

I missed that part. Thank you.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I bought the gun to attempt something like this.

Randy

[303Guy]

Another option is to fit a top wood like the M10. I personally prefer the Monte Carlo type comb and the comb in line with the bore or with a drop off toward the front so as not to kick the shooter on the cheekbone so much as the comb recoils away from the face instead of into the face.

[Multigunner]

I bought the gun to attempt something like this.

Randy

Well you started with the wrong action to duplicate the rifle in the top photos. Thats either a modified No.1 or built on an LE action body.
The other looks to be a modified No.4.
You should look into the Golden State and similar UK conversions of the No.4 rifles that have the rear sight mounting points and charger guides ground off and barrel mount rear sights. Those look very nice when properly finished out.

I'd go ahead and try bluing the barrel and see if the welded spots actually do show up badly. Then if they do, remember a baked on laquer surface finish can look very nice and protects the steel better than bluing in very damp climates.

Have you looked into the cost of a new barrel in the caliber you want?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Multigun: The one on the Buffalo is a #4 in .45-70. the other one is a #1 in .348 Winchester. If I was looking at a different barrel then I'd be doing the .348 conversion as it at least is a Factory Loaded caliber and as such would command a higher resale value. .35-303 will only appeal to a small market. Like me.

After I found the barrel then it would have to be threaded to the action, and then chambered and head spaced. Whereas I could probably do this work, I don't have an engine lathe to do it on. The chamber end of the barrel is too big to go thru the spindle of my Chucker so that's out as well. Finally all of this would cost more than reboring if I had to farm it out. Barrel, Reamer, and time added up.

The up side of rebarreling is that I would be able to have a 26" barrel. As It sits I will probably make this one 20" as I hate 22" barrels since they can't make up their minds if they want to be a Carbine or Rifle.

I am trying to isolate this build to a minimum of change to the metal work, and concentrate on the Wood work as that is the area I am lacking in skills. I have several books that will give me all the information I need to inlet the stock, it is just a matter of sitting down and formulating a plan, and then working thru it.

I am always looking for ideas to integrate into my work, could you provide a link to Golden State and some of the other UK conversions of these guns you spoke of? I have Googled them until I'm blue in the face and have come up with very little in the way of decent pictures of Enfield Sporting Rifles. In fact the only ones I've come up with are above.

Randy

[Wayne Smith]

Paduk for gunstock use? I've used small pieces - open pore and relatively light in weight and very red that turns to brown if it is the same wood that I have used by that name. Closer to Oak than Walnut in my mind. Have you any experince in useing it thusly?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Wayne: Padauk is considerably denser than Walnut. Thus it is heavier and that's why I'm using it. The board at Woodcrafters that this is coming off of is 8-10" wide and 2" thick. about 12 feet long. I can't lift it! I can barely move it at all in the rack.

There is a recent article in Rifle Magazine and one of the woods discussed is Padauk

Figure in this piece is excellent. It is very orange and will stain darker easily. The piece in question is right at Turnbull's Winchester Red before finishing.

It is supposed to checker well however I don't know if I will go that far as building a stock from scratch is new to me, and I want to have a significant win on that portion before I advance to the final stage of gunstock work which is ,,, Checkering. Probably figure that out on a Marlin or something a lot less expensive to replace.

On another note: The action on this gun is absolutely smooth as glass! It is much more so than the #4Mk1 I started with a couple of months ago. I have deduced that the bolt fit in the bolt race on this gun is a little tighter than the other one and as such it doesn't allow the bolt to flop around as much. Thus it slides much smoother.

It is going to make a real nice sporting rifle.

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

Well I may bypass that chunk of Padauk for this one as I have found an outfit that makes semi inletted stocks for this gun that are shaped close to what I want out of decently figured Walnut. Previously all I had seen were not that great.

The more I thought about it the more I realized that I'm not ready for a "From Scratch" stock project on an Enfield. Maybe something one piece instead for a first one.

It is hard to justify putting large amounts of time and money into a gun that is never going to be worth anything close to what I'd have in it,,, and this reality is rearing it's ugly head once again in my life.

I came to this realization 35 years ago when I first had this point driven home by another gun project, and realized that I didn't want to be a gunsmith and make a few cents an hour. High level projects require a very high level of Attention to Detail, which is something I am capable of.

However I also know that high a level of Attention to Detail requires a large amount of time to execute, and that's the rub. time is money.

I can have nearly as much fun building this with a little less attention on the major part of the stock work and concentrate on the fit and finish on the gun. Thus producing an attractive and functional piece that someone else may want and actually be able to afford.

I can definitely see this gun ending up in Canada someday.

Looking at ordering wood tomorrow.

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

Got my Redfield Series 80 rear sight in yesterday. I got a nice one and it only cost me $79 off Ebay.
It is for a round receiver but there is enough area to mill flat so it will mate up to my adapter plate. and sit in the correct position on the gun.

I have to get a new Safety Lever for that gun before I finish the adapter plate as the Long Branch one won't work right.

So this project is moving towards an end someday. Lots left to do.

Randy

[303Guy]

None of my Enfield SMLE safeties work very well, even on the new No4. They lock the firing pin and the bolt but come off very easily. Not to be trusted. Yet others seem to have no problems with theirs and use them in the field without incident.

[robertbank]

Randy $225 is about what they go for up here and no more. I have seen better commercial wood ie Monte Carlo stocked ones go for not much more. Lots of those guns can be found around rural Canada serving up moose and deer every fall for their owners. Within the limits of the .303 Brit the guns do well taking game and yours likely will too, as is. Guzzed up and pampered it will be worth about $225. Maybe more maybe less. The Longbranch you have was made in Toronto, Ontario on Longbranch Street. Not all were destined for Cdn troops. Marked as yours is, it likely was shipped over to the Brits for use in their army during the war. In full uniform they go for around $500. They are shooters and do well when scoped. With my eyes at 100 yards mine will hold six inches using irons. I put a scope on it and it now will shoot one inch groups of five at that distance using my reloads and Lymans 314299 boolit.

Take Care

Bob

[Dan Cash]

Padauk, God help you, get some iron wood instead, it is easier to work. Seriously, having worked padauk, it is the last wood I would select for a gun stock, especially on as comples as an Enfield.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Bob: what powder and charge are you using with that boolit? I have about 400 of them cast but so far my trials with 5744 in my #4 Mk1. BSA Shirley have been less than encouraging . It's bore is right on .303/.313

The Long Branch #4 Mk1* has a loose bore at .306/.316 so it's getting bored out to .35-303, it is also a 2 groove with very small actual grooves that are only .090 wide? I've heard of cutting costs but .090 grooves is a bit ridiculous. I also doubt that it was worn this way,, I think after my inspection, that IT WAS MADE THIS WAY!

Maybe they deliberately made it that way to lower pressures since the lands were so wide? The grooves themselves are less than 20% of the total circumference of the bore. The Springfield 2 groove barrels on Remington built rifles are 50/50.

I'll figure this one out when I shoot it soon with some factory ammo and some cast loads.

Randy

[303Guy]

Maybe they deliberately made it that way to lower pressures since the lands were so wide?

Both of my two-grooves have bores of .304/.318 (both Longbranch's). The one is very accurate with jacketed but hopeless with cast at any reasonable velocity. I haven't fired the other one yet but that one has a mint bore so it should shoot OK with cast. The biggest problem I found with the two groove and cast is the amount of swaging my boolits undergo. It cause the boolit base to distort with two uneven 'ears'.