Something new to me

[NickSS]

I was trying to work up a load for a N4 Mk1 Enfield that was made in India. This rifle slugs out at .315" and would not shoot any of my fat bullets well at all. So I was thinking about trying paper patching some. Meanwhile I had to fix a pipe in my sink and used teflon tape on the threads. This gave me a brainstorm. I wrapped two turns around some unsized 200 gr lyman bullets and heated the teflon with a lighter. This caused it to shrink into a tight fit. I then seated a gas check in my 314 sizing die only inserting the bullet base far enough to put the check on. I loaded them with 20 gr of AA5744 into some 303 brass and took them to the range to try. Well my groups went from 7 or 8 inches to 2 inches for five shots I tried. No leading and the load seamed to generate more velocity as I had to drop my sights a little as the group printed high with the sight setting I used last time. I have to try more of these to see what they really will do.

[rikkit]

Nick, I use teflon tape on my bullets when shooting my 577/450 Martini. I too have good results with no apparent problems, I do use LLA prior to wrapping them.

[dromia]

I was trying to work up a load for a N4 Mk1 Enfield that was made in India. This rifle slugs out at .315" and would not shoot any of my fat bullets well at all. So I was thinking about trying paper patching some. Meanwhile I had to fix a pipe in my sink and used teflon tape on the threads. This gave me a brainstorm. I wrapped two turns around some unsized 200 gr lyman bullets and heated the teflon with a lighter. This caused it to shrink into a tight fit. I then seated a gas check in my 314 sizing die only inserting the bullet base far enough to put the check on. I loaded them with 20 gr of AA5744 into some 303 brass and took them to the range to try. Well my groups went from 7 or 8 inches to 2 inches for five shots I tried. No leading and the load seamed to generate more velocity as I had to drop my sights a little as the group printed high with the sight setting I used last time. I have to try more of these to see what they really will do.

Any chance of a photo of the markings on that rifle?

[NickSS]

The are so warn that I really can't phootograph them and get anything that you can see. I think it was made during WWII at the Ishapor arsenal in india but I am no expert on makings.

[Bret4207]

The tef tape idea came out....geeze, maybe 25 years ago? I used to do it with a 7x57 before I had a lubersizer. It works, but it's a pain. I wouldn't heat it either, that supposed to release some gas that'll kill you. The idea kind of fell by the wayside after a while and then the whole "TEFLON COP KILLER BULLETS!!!!" scare took place. Go over to the High Road or Graybeards and mention this and you'll have 115 guys warning you the FBI and ATF are on their way to your house already!

[BerdanIII]

I tried wrapping some 0.310" 170-gr. plain bases up to 0.314" for my .303 and ran the bullets through a 0.314" Lee sizer die. That really didn't anchor the tape and I saw the patches blow off at the muzzle every time. Even at 50 yards accuracy was awful. I didn't think about shrinking the tape on with heat. A heat gun or blow dryer might get you there without the possibilty of setting your bullets on fire, which is frowned on in some circles.

[Bert2368]

Don't worry about setting Teflon on fire, it doesn't burn.

[Dutchman]

Never heard of a No.4 being made in India. They made No.1 Mk3 rifles.

If the rear sight is up on the barrel in front of the receiver its a No. 1 Mk3.


Dutch

[MilSurpFan]

Perhaps some other nation's No4 rebuilt at Rifle Factory Ishapore (R.F.I 19xx)?

[dromia]

Never heard of a No.4 being made in India. They made No.1 Mk3 rifles.

If the rear sight is up on the barrel in front of the receiver its a No. 1 Mk3.


Dutch

Thats why I asked for photos. My understanding is that there were no No 4s made at Ishapore although they could have done FTRs, I have an Isapore FTR'd No5.

In the 50s No4 machinery was shipped out to the Wah arsenal in Pakistan and they did make a No 4 variant on based on the Mk2 action. I have heard the number 40,000 mentioned but don't know how true that is.

Nothing is for certain with Enfields and just because we don't know that any No4s were made at Ishapore doesn't mean to say that they weren't. The lack of examples however would indicate that if any were made they were not done in any quantity.

I'd still like to see some photos of the rifle.

[NickSS]

As I said above the markings are rather faint but I was told it was from India by the dealer who sold it to me It is definitely a No 4 Mk 1 and it originally had a L shaped receiver sight but I replaced it with a milled ladder sight. I could be wrong about the origin of the rifle as I really can't read the markings on the receiver where the butt bolts on.

[dromia]

Sounds like its been FTR'd as they scrubbed all the original markings.

Is there anything like RFI on the reciever sides under the bolt rails?

Also is there a screw through the forend under the barrel ahead of the reciever?

[docone31]

If the barrel specs out at .315,
Then the Lee .303 mold, sized to .308, wrapped in notebook paper might just fit. When I do mine, after useing the roller, I get .317.
That might just work. You will need to bed the foreend though. Paper heats us the barrel, at least it did with mine, and the POA moves around a lot.