Tell me about my new No4MkI, I know nothing

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My wifes uncle had this sitting in his closet for the last decade or so and gave it to me and said to get back to him with a fair price. Its been sitting in a leather sleeve for some many years and as such has light surface rust and has seen better days.

Havent had a chance to look at the bore yet. Appears to be all matching numbers. He bought it down south at a gun shop some many decades back.

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Thanks in advance.

Mike

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Nice, no idea of what to offer him. I paid 325$ for mine and it's not any better than that.
 
350 seems to be going rate for overhauled smle's, 450-500 for matching original unoverhauled, bit more for still in mummy wrap [irish mk2 no4 for example]
 
Took a look at the bore this AM. Definitely rusty as I expected though w'ell see how it cleans up.

Mike

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I'd go about $275-300 for an FTR with a rusty bore. See what else he's got hanging around in that closet.
 
It needs a hardcore cleaning. The action is really sticky.

Ive heard I should scrub the stock with a 50/50 mix of BLO and turpentine, then put a couple coats of BLO on it.

Mike

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It needs a hardcore cleaning. The action is really sticky.

Ive heard I should scrub the stock with a 50/50 mix of BLO and turpentine, then put a couple coats of BLO on it.

Mike

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I really have liked how my crusty stocks come out with just a mild warm dish soapy rag and soft brush.
Also very surprised how well just rubbing with paper towels gets grime off.

Once I get the crud off the stock the tip from cmp using tung oil and cheese cloth gets a little more gunk off them. I like the as I get them look so I don't go to crazy.

Also sometimes you end up with some blotchy uneven color. You got what looks,like in the pictures some nice even color there.
 
The only stocks I have redone were a new production CMP, a remington 550 which got sanded as it was really bad, and the stock on my M1 Carbine as it was really really rough and cracked a few places and needed epoxy.

This just look likes it could use a good cleaning and I figured some more oil wouldnt hurt.

The action feels like there is glue in it.

Any good tips for the surface rust? I was going to use an AP brush and WD-40 with a lot of elbow grease.

So it sounds like telling my uncle in law $275 would be fair? I think he figured it was worth 50 bucks or so.

Mike

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I agree the lower value estimates in the $250 range, as it is a little rough and is an FTR (Factory Thorough Repair). Not quite the same as the non-rebuilt/repaired guns.
 
For the rust, use 0000 steel wool and CLP. NOT a lot of elbow grease needed for surface rust. Brass wool is another option if you have that around.
 
After a complete disassembly;

I like to clean my milsurp stocks with denatured alcohol and bronze wool. I usually dump the alcohol in a pail, stick the butt stock in and wipe (with little pressure) with the saturated bronze wool. After it dries I'll then lightly oil with either BLO or PTO.

0000 steel wool and Kroil for the surface rust and solidified gunk. More heavily rusted parts get an electrolysis bath.
 
Here is what I can tell you about your Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1/2. It was made by the Royal Ordinance Factory (ROF) at Maltby, UK. It was later in 1952 FTRed (Factory Thorough Repaired) at the ROF Fazackerely. At that time it was converted from a MK. I to a Mk. 1/2. What that means is the receiver was altered to accept the trigger. Mk. Is have the trigger mounted to the trigger guard and Mk. IIs have it mounted to the receiver. Converted Mk. Is are called Mk. 1/2 and converted Mk. I* are called Mk. 1/3s.

Based on the butt stock and the FR mark, I would hazzard a guess that it saw service in other parts of the Empire after it was FTRd. The way to tell is to look for the out of service English proof marks. In England, when a rifle was sold from military stores to the private market, it had to by law be proofed out at one of the two proof houses. If it was, you would find the proof marks under at the muzzle end of the barrel, on the bottom. IF those marks are not there, then it was sold out of service from a different country, possible India or Pakistan.

Are there any import marks? Either the pre-1968 England mark or the later marks?

The cross bolt at the butt end of the fore end does not look standard. The screw looks too large and the bolt on the other end looks odd. Can you post a pic of the whole rifle and the markings on the underside of the muzzle end of the barrel?

A rusty bore just might clean up real nice. I bought a Carcano M91 2 weeks ago with what looked like a rusty bore and it cleaned up real nice.

Does the serial number on the flat back of the bolt handle match the receiver? If so, and if the bore cleans up I think it would have a retail value of $300-350. If the bolt does not match, I would say $250-300. I see prices on these vary greatly these days. My pricing is for local Maine. I think they go for more in MA.
 
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Ill try to get some more pics up tonight or tomorrow. I've been out of the house for most of the day.

Any part that specific pics would be helpful for?

Mike

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Ill try to get some more pics up tonight or tomorrow. I've been out of the house for most of the day.

Any part that specific pics would be helpful for?

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...

Just the whole rifle on both sides and the markings, if any, under the muzzle end of the barrel. Thanks.
 
Ill get the muzzle end pics tomorrow as I just saw this and dont want to piss off my wife by getting up. The bolt serial appears to match.

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Mike

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That looks like a very nice No. 4. It will be interesting to see if it was proofed out of England. That would looks like Paki wood, it is just an educated guess.
 
Are there any import marks? Either the pre-1968 England mark or the later marks?

Some of the post-1968 marks, before ATF started requiring certain font sizes and depths, can be microscopic.

I had one that I swore didn't have any import marks, until I broke out the magnifying glass and found that the inch-long "scratch" near the muzzle actually said, "CAI, ST ALBANS, VT"
 
Sorry I took so long to get back to you, I have been busy with family visiting. I do not see the standard proofed out of service marks that the English would have put on the bottom of that muzzle. That means that we can most likely assume that the gun was sold out of service from a different country that was once part of the Empire. What county? It is hard to tell. It also looks like you have a Savage fore end with the Square S mark on the bottom of the forward mettle bit. Nice matching rifle! I would put that at $350 around here easy.
 
I'm in the process of cleaning it up now.

There is green paint on the barrel. At first I thought it was some type of cosmoline but it appears to be some time of paint or laquer.

It is cleaning up decently thus far, some parts more easily than others. The sight has a good ammount of rust. I also need to try to get some more of the oil out of the stock before it starts getting rubbed down with BLO. There is definitely a boxed in "S." Also, any idea what the GG cartouche means?

Mike

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Leave the green paint. That was standard post war finish for guns serving in the tropics. I cannot remember if it was put on by the Brits or one of their affiliated countries. The green paint is part of its history and further evidence that it served over seas.

IMHO, do not try remove the grease from the stock. Just rub and rub until you get all the surface grease and oil off and then get 000 steel wool and rub lightly but vigrously and you will get a beautiful BLO finish. If you remove the oil and dirt, you will just ruin the patina of the stock, it will look new and out of place. I have never done that to any of my Enfields, and they all look great like they should for such old guns.

I have no idea what the GG mark is, can you post a pic?
 
The green paint came off when I was cleaning the receiver. All over my hands actually. I cleaned up the wood but it certainly doesnt look new. Its pretty dinged up and some of those oil stains are really in there. 0000 steel wool buffing and BLOing now. The bore cleaned up nice but there is some pitting from the rust. Probably neglect on my wifes uncles part.

I have to call my wifes uncle today and see what he wants for it.

Mike

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The traditional BLO routine is to pour a few drops into your palm, and rub a section of stock until it starts to get uncomfortably hot. Move onto the next section and repeat. The BLO has to polymerize, plus you want very thin layers.

Apply BLO frequently at first. As the old saying goes, "Once a day for a week. Once a week for a month. Once a month for a year. Once a year forever."

Married guys may recognize the similarity between BLO jobs and the other kind. ;)
 
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