I can relate to your dilemma. The story of my sporterized 1943 Lee Enfield No 1 Mk III * is exactly the same as yours. My late brother-in-law left it to his son. He kept if for years, didn't know what it was and didn't want it. So he gave it to me. I cleaned it up, checked head space and took it to the range. Turns out it is a good shooter. Since it is numbers-matching and has the original butt stock I fantasize restoring it to military configuration. There was no attempt to mount a scope. Getting new furniture would be easy. Getting the missing nose clip and other missing metal parts, not so much. I don't know if buying a drill purpose gun is worth it and comes with some risk. As it is, I have a fun-shooting gun for zero cost.
About 3 years ago I started buying sporterized no 1 and no 4 rifles from gun shows and pawn shops ended up with three each. All with very good to good bores with light bubba damage. Got drill rifles for the no 1 and those are all back to mil specs although the drill rifles for those are drying up the last one I got was missing parts. Just presently Centerfire Systems got no4 wood and drill rifles for $99
Sounds like a potentially fun little project, if you can find a deal on an Ishapore with a complete stock/handguard set, or even a demilled drill rifle with all the wood (not sure that's even possible anymore). If you can do that, it would be interesting to see if you could improve accuracy by bedding the barrel. Of course, it'll always be bubba'ed, but it'll certainly look better hanging on the wall...
I have same, 303 aquired same way you described. Except the reciever isnt ground. I think a simple stock swap to go back to milsurp on mine but geez that wood is expensive!
I have an ishapore 308 jungle carbine copy. It was 4 to 6" groups. I forward mounted a fixed 2.75 burris fixed power on an M1A scout mount (perfect fit with little top wood alteration and removing rear sight assembly).. but it now shoots consistenly under 2". I think a short coming to the enfield are the sights.
I have one of those. Unfortunately the metal was also altered. It’s my understanding quite a few military rifles were converted post WWII. Too bad, I’d rather have the original.
If it was a No.4 Id say go for it but Id avoid it. I had two messed up No.1's before the whole coof thing and I couldnt find any parts anywhere, Fore stock was the hardest to find. If you do go for it I wish you well.
I can relate to your dilemma. The story of my sporterized 1943 Lee Enfield No 1 Mk III * is exactly the same as yours. My late brother-in-law left it to his son. He kept if for years, didn't know what it was and didn't want it. So he gave it to me. I cleaned it up, checked head space and took it to the range. Turns out it is a good shooter. Since it is numbers-matching and has the original butt stock I fantasize restoring it to military configuration. There was no attempt to mount a scope. Getting new furniture would be easy. Getting the missing nose clip and other missing metal parts, not so much. I don't know if buying a drill purpose gun is worth it and comes with some risk. As it is, I have a fun-shooting gun for zero cost.
If you’re in the US, Liberty Tree Collectors has most of the metal parts, including nose caps. Not terribly cheap but available.
About 3 years ago I started buying sporterized no 1 and no 4 rifles from gun shows and pawn shops ended up with three each. All with very good to good bores with light bubba damage. Got drill rifles for the no 1 and those are all back to mil specs although the drill rifles for those are drying up the last one I got was missing parts. Just presently Centerfire Systems got no4 wood and drill rifles for $99
Sounds like a potentially fun little project, if you can find a deal on an Ishapore with a complete stock/handguard set, or even a demilled drill rifle with all the wood (not sure that's even possible anymore). If you can do that, it would be interesting to see if you could improve accuracy by bedding the barrel. Of course, it'll always be bubba'ed, but it'll certainly look better hanging on the wall...
I have same, 303 aquired same way you described. Except the reciever isnt ground. I think a simple stock swap to go back to milsurp on mine but geez that wood is expensive!
I have an ishapore 308 jungle carbine copy. It was 4 to 6" groups. I forward mounted a fixed 2.75 burris fixed power on an M1A scout mount (perfect fit with little top wood alteration and removing rear sight assembly).. but it now shoots consistenly under 2". I think a short coming to the enfield are the sights.
I’m very interested in how much the accuracy improves, …when, not if, you replace the stock😂
I have one of those. Unfortunately the metal was also altered. It’s my understanding quite a few military rifles were converted post WWII. Too bad, I’d rather have the original.
Doing that to a military rifle is a crime 🎉😅
If it was a No.4 Id say go for it but Id avoid it. I had two messed up No.1's before the whole coof thing and I couldnt find any parts anywhere, Fore stock was the hardest to find. If you do go for it I wish you well.
Thanks for your thoughts!
If you are still looking for No.1 parts, Liberty Tree Collectors has almost every single part in stock. They’re not cheap, however.
Suruban i say no the receiver has been drilled out and all the parts you need will cost 3/4 hundred and you have a drilled receiver. Thanks RUSTY
Thanks for your input!
If you already have an original I would leave it as it is..but either way do whatever you like