Enfield Enforcer

[Lever357]

Just thought I would pop a few pictures up of my Enfield Enforcer, number 298. Receiver, magazine and bolt all have matching number and it was originally issued to Durham Constabulary in Jan 1974. I purchased it about 16 months ago whilst looking for a No4. The seller was local, a really nice guy and to be honest when I first saw it I just thought well it's a nice old rifle. Few days later my wife asked what I was going to do about it - it was local, good condition, my 50th birthday was the following week so I decided to buy it.
I must say I have never regretted it - every time I take it out the cabinet it puts a smile on my face. The smile gets bigger when I pull the trigger!! And every one who shoots it seems to come under it's spell.
It is one of five in our club which considering how few are left is quite an achievement. Hope you enjoy the photos.

 

[riflerob]

Very nice. Currently looking for a No.4 T, but the Enforcers are massively more rare than even those !

 

[HandB]

Thanks for posting these beauties!

 

[enfieldspares]

Thank you for sharing that. In those days they'd have used Radway Green "Green Spot" ammunition. In the picture of the two rifles side by side the one on the left has the screw knobs on the correct side. The bolt handle side. The one on the right hand rifle aren't! But I'd reckon one of your club members will help you with that! I did have a No4(T) that cost in its chest with correct 'scope (ex Royal Green Jackets) cost all of 240.00 UK Pounds when I bought it.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

In the picture of the two rifles side by side the one on the left has the screw knobs on the correct side. The bolt handle side. The one on the right hand rifle aren't!

Ok, at the risk of making myself look rather dim, is there any effect? Are the rings asymmetrically keyed in some way that makes one way around better, closer to the bore axis maybe?

Whatever the answer to that, thank you Lever357 for posting the pictures and story. I for one love to see these rifles getting some continued use....

 

[enfieldspares]

Well, yes. Folk like me will point fingers and tell you! But it's a rifle "thing" the screws and knobs should be on the bolt handle side. As when you lay it down you then lay it down on the side that has no bolt knob sticking out. The No4(T) is the exception though that proves the rule. Logically you hold the thing in the left hand and attach the 'scope and its mounts with the right hand from the right hand rear side of the rifle. As you'd do with those expensive German Apel mounts.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Well, yes. Folk like me will point fingers and tell you! But it's a rifle "thing" the screws and knobs should be on the bolt handle side. As when you lay it down you then lay it down on the side that has no bolt knob sticking out. The No4(T) is the exception though that proves the rule. Logically you hold the thing in the left hand and attach the 'scope and its mounts with the right hand from the right hand rear side of the rifle. As you'd do with those expensive German Apel mounts.

Fair enough. Assumed there would be a reason! Are they a Weaver type ring or some sort of proprietary design?

 

[enfieldspares]

Parker Hale 4 as the Pecar 4-10x44 that I believe was usually fitted is a 26mm diameter. But I forget which particular. RALS4 I think? But I may be wrong.

 

[Laurie]

I did have a No4(T) that cost in its chest with correct 'scope (ex Royal Green Jackets) cost all of 240.00 UK Pounds when I bought it.

Even that is pricey compared to some time before. An old friend, dead a good few years now, was a Scottish country GP and part-time RFD. As an RFD in the 60s he was able to partake in the large scale disposal of 4(T)s by HMG. I assume they first went in either a single lot or a few large lots to the big boys in the surplus arms trade, or maybe Parker-Hale Ltd. They were then offered to the UK gun trade at large with a trade price of £30 or maybe a little more for a single rifle with a declining unit price as the order size grew. He bought four for around £100 total cost, sold three off and kept the fourth, his profits of the other more than covering the cost of the one he kept. This rifle stayed in his family until the late 90s when it was sold for around £1,500 to fund a holiday in China for him and his wife. I shot it in August 1968 and found it an impressive rifle.

Some years later York Guns acquired maybe 12 or 15 Enforcers with mounts but without scopes and sold them in mint condition for £350 each. I bought one and kept for three or four years and really enjoyed shooting it. Sadly in that period which must have been not that long after Hungerford and the semi-auto rifle ban, many ended up going to the surviving PR shooters and being shot out pretty quickly, so if they survived will either be clapped out now or more likely have been rebarreled with something other than a genuine Enfield Lock heavy barrel. At the time I marveled at the fact they were quite obviously not regarded as 'particularly special and/or collectable', just another 7.62 Enfield in the views of most people in the trade and among shooters and graded way below the later P-H M84, but thanked my good fortune that this meant I could get hold of one and afford it.

 

[alberta boy]

Very nice , thanks for posting .

AB

 

[jthyttin]

But it's a rifle "thing" the screws and knobs should be on the bolt handle side. As when you lay it down you then lay it down on the side that has no bolt knob sticking out.

Some prefer leaving the bolt side clean.

 

[LuckyEddie]

Well, yes. Folk like me will point fingers and tell you! But it's a rifle "thing" the screws and knobs should be on the bolt handle side. As when you lay it down you then lay it down on the side that has no bolt knob sticking out. The No4(T) is the exception though that proves the rule. Logically you hold the thing in the left hand and attach the 'scope and its mounts with the right hand from the right hand rear side of the rifle. As you'd do with those expensive German Apel mounts.

Unless you're left handed in which case the gun on the right is the way I'd be looking at it.

Atb
Ed

Ps they are nice looking rifles for their age.

 

[Greener Jim]

Gorgeous things. What's the barrel length? Looks shorter than the norm but they are facing away from the camera so could be that.

 

[Lever357]

Thank you for sharing that. In those days they'd have used Radway Green "Green Spot" ammunition. In the picture of the two rifles side by side the one on the left has the screw knobs on the correct side. The bolt handle side. The one on the right hand rifle aren't! But I'd reckon one of your club members will help you with that! I did have a No4(T) that cost in its chest with correct 'scope (ex Royal Green Jackets) cost all of 240.00 UK Pounds when I bought it.

Good spot, I never noticed that!!
£240!!!!! With chest!!!!!

 

[Lever357]

Even that is pricey compared to some time before. An old friend, dead a good few years now, was a Scottish country GP and part-time RFD. As an RFD in the 60s he was able to partake in the large scale disposal of 4(T)s by HMG. I assume they first went in either a single lot or a few large lots to the big boys in the surplus arms trade, or maybe Parker-Hale Ltd. They were then offered to the UK gun trade at large with a trade price of £30 or maybe a little more for a single rifle with a declining unit price as the order size grew. He bought four for around £100 total cost, sold three off and kept the fourth, his profits of the other more than covering the cost of the one he kept. This rifle stayed in his family until the late 90s when it was sold for around £1,500 to fund a holiday in China for him and his wife. I shot it in August 1968 and found it an impressive rifle.

Some years later York Guns acquired maybe 12 or 15 Enforcers with mounts but without scopes and sold them in mint condition for £350 each. I bought one and kept for three or four years and really enjoyed shooting it. Sadly in that period which must have been not that long after Hungerford and the semi-auto rifle ban, many ended up going to the surviving PR shooters and being shot out pretty quickly, so if they survived will either be clapped out now or more likely have been rebarreled with something other than a genuine Enfield Lock heavy barrel. At the time I marveled at the fact they were quite obviously not regarded as 'particularly special and/or collectable', just another 7.62 Enfield in the views of most people in the trade and among shooters and graded way below the later P-H M84, but thanked my good fortune that this meant I could get hold of one and afford it.

I paid quite a bit for mine but did get quite a lot of extras with it

 

[Lever357]

It is widely accepted that only 767 Enforcers were built, those numbered over 700 were not issued and sometimes not assembled. The one on the left is one of these. From that 767, it is thought half were destroyed when forces upgraded so possibly only 370 odd left world wide. My friend has been collating a list of rifles and there owners and only has about 135 world wide. As rare as hens teeth compared to No4Ts which were made in their thousands

 

[enfieldspares]

Here's a link to a picture:

http://firearmsworld.net/britain/enfield/l42a1/enforcer2.jpg

Ok, at the risk of making myself look rather dim, is there any effect?

I'm guessing also that the block for the optional iron sight would make access to undo the knob on the rear rings difficult also.