British 303 help - The Firearms Forum

knightly1 · 11-22-2012, 12:53 AM

Greetings

My son got a British 303 Lee Enfield from his grandfather. I am having problems finding out anything about it for him. We know it was made in 1942 or that's what is stamped in to it and it says its No. 4 MK?. I am needing to find out because it has a broken extractor spring. Anyone have a idea on how to find out what Mark it is. Also I think the stock might have been sporterized because the ones i have been finding on the web have a top to the forehand but ours doesn't. Any help is welcome.

James

Diamondback · 11-22-2012, 09:45 AM

Wecome to the forum knightly. Pictures are a necessity for any help in identifying the rifle. I am not an expert on .303's but I believe that the extractor spring should be interchangeable between the various Mark's. If I am wrong about this one of the experts will be more than willing to tell you and me what a dolt I am.

Jim K · 11-23-2012, 07:32 PM

The extractor springs are the same for all variations of the Rifle No. 4.

Try www.gunpartscorp.com for the spring; their part number is 486800; cost is about $6. For many years, gunsmiths have been modifying those extractors to take a coil spring, but of course the cost of the modification has to be balanced against the cost of one or more regular springs.

Jim

JustinHotHands · 01-27-2013, 12:03 PM

Post all markings you find on the rifle (both stock and steel) and maybe we can help. Pic helps a lot.

11-22-2012, 12:53 AM	#1
knightly1 Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 1	British 303 help Greetings My son got a British 303 Lee Enfield from his grandfather. I am having problems finding out anything about it for him. We know it was made in 1942 or that's what is stamped in to it and it says its No. 4 MK?. I am needing to find out because it has a broken extractor spring. Anyone have a idea on how to find out what Mark it is. Also I think the stock might have been sporterized because the ones i have been finding on the web have a top to the forehand but ours doesn't. Any help is welcome. James -->

11-22-2012, 09:45 AM	#2
Diamondback Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Silver City, Oklahoma Posts: 660	Re: British 303 help Wecome to the forum knightly. Pictures are a necessity for any help in identifying the rifle. I am not an expert on .303's but I believe that the extractor spring should be interchangeable between the various Mark's. If I am wrong about this one of the experts will be more than willing to tell you and me what a dolt I am.

11-23-2012, 07:32 PM	#3
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: British 303 help The extractor springs are the same for all variations of the Rifle No. 4. Try www.gunpartscorp.com for the spring; their part number is 486800; cost is about $6. For many years, gunsmiths have been modifying those extractors to take a coil spring, but of course the cost of the modification has to be balanced against the cost of one or more regular springs. Jim

01-27-2013, 12:03 PM	#4
JustinHotHands Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Maine Posts: 39	Re: British 303 help Post all markings you find on the rifle (both stock and steel) and maybe we can help. Pic helps a lot.