40 years to get my Enfield |
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Dr. Hillbilly
Groupie Joined: April 08 2021 Location: Oregonia Ohio Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Posted: April 08 2021 at 7:28pm |
40 years ago in the mountains of NC I was hunting boar (in the wild, not in cages) and I had concluded that a No5 Mk1 carbine would be the perfect rifle (in dense woods and short range). I found a nice one and was going to buy it when I got a job in the city. Having no use for guns in an urban setting I passed on the rifle and put my guns in storage. Now I am retiring and bought some forest property for my new home, far from civilization. So last week I finally took delivery of a carbine:
Background on Russian Boar in the Smokies... A Colonel White got very rich during the first world war (how does a colonel do that?), and after the war he established his own private game reserve near the Smokies (on the other side of "the dragons tail" from the smokies (for you bikers), closer to Robbinsville than any other town). It included Elk, various bear, and just about anything that could survive in the climate, imported from around the globe. He lost his money during the depression and gave the reserve to his caretaker. The caretaker was able to sell all the critters to zoos, except for the Russian Boar, so he invited his friends over for a pig hunt. Their dogs chased the pigs into the fence, the fence failed, and the pigs escaped. As I recall the death toll was one pig and six dogs, leaving the hunters without their planned dinner. And now our wild pigs have a bit of Russian blood. The only surviving element of the reserve is the concrete feeding troughs. My first game will be a wild turkey (I have lots of them). A little small for a 303, but I never liked picking out the birdshot, or chewing it, so the 12 ga can stay home.
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Dr. Hillbilly
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Pukka Bundook
Senior Member Joined: February 02 2015 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1369 |
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A very warm welcome to the forum, Dr Hilbilly.
Thank you for your nice and interesting introduction. :-) We would like to see photos, not only of your finally acquired No 5, but also some of the area you will be hunting. It adds such a lot to see each others local scenery. All the best from western Alberta, Richard.
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Dr. Hillbilly
Groupie Joined: April 08 2021 Location: Oregonia Ohio Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Thanks for the warm welcome!
After this post I discovered the thread for introductions. So I will provide you with photos there. Greg
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Dr. Hillbilly
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Welcome aboard. Unlike some forums we consider sporters part of the Enfield family. We do prefer they weren't chopped up new minty ones though. Here's mine It had already been (well) refinished & the bayonet lug removed & the stock internally butchered before I got it. (this is a Santa Fe "5 round" magazine but I also have the original 10 rounder.) |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Welcome from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada! Your move sounds like heaven. I wish I had the guts to do the same. I think turkey hunting with the No5 is a great choice! If you miss with the bullet, the muzzle blast will give the bird a heart attack! I've taken rabbits with mine... and squirrels. Not much left of the squirrel though.
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Welcome from Paris France. Sounds great getting a retreat for your retirement.
If the .303 is too much you could try a .22 Enfield. Cheaper ammo, but a more expensive rifle though!
Look forward to your photos.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Dr. Hillbilly
Groupie Joined: April 08 2021 Location: Oregonia Ohio Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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OK, here are the photos
My place runs from the river up to the bluff which is out of view on the left, 220 ft. above the river. My No5 above, and damage to the flash suppressor below. Someone removed the sight protectors recklessly, abrading away much of the bluing in the process. I will reblue this weekend, and look for a replacement long term. The sporterized stock below. Serial No As a machinist I love the lightening on the No5, but I must hate on Fazakerley just a little as they let their milling tool get dull! I like to maintain my old cars, and now guns with period-correct machinery. Most of my shop is in storage waiting for completion of the new shop, but these are three of my old machines still in IL. |
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Dr. Hillbilly
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303 Hunter
Senior Member Joined: December 14 2019 Location: Alberta, Canada Status: Offline Points: 316 |
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Welcome from east central Alberta, Canada.
Good luck with the turkeys šš»š, look forward to seeing some pictures of your rifle and hopefully of your future table fare! |
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The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west. Cal Bablitz
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 6539 |
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Welcome from Atlanta, GA. You have done what I plan to do when I retire. Iām moving up to the Blue Ridge mountains...never living in the city again.
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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You have a lovely place there. Is there trout in the river? for a bit of fly fishing!
You can't beat old machinery! be it cars, guns or machine tools. That's a nice set of workshop hardware you've got there. I have a small Relmac Lathe from the early 1920's; but it is currently in storage. I'm still working so haven't found the time to set it up in the workshop yet. But I'd like to get a milling machine and sand blast cabin as well. Oh and maybe a small forge!
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Dr. Hillbilly
Groupie Joined: April 08 2021 Location: Oregonia Ohio Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Sadly no trout (I grew up with trout in the Smokies), but we have Sauger for fly fishing. They are interesting as they are migratory like Salmon, they just do not go all the way to the sea.
My approach to machines and cars is the same as for my No5 Carbine - forget mint at high prices, but accept flaws and buy lots of toys! If this works as well in France as in the States you can buy old machines for scrap-metal pricing if you are willing to do a bit of restoration work. My total collection includes 2 lathes, 2 mills, 1 drill-press, 1 shaper, and 3 grinders (it may have become an obsession!). And I have 3 cars built prior to 1930 (again, not worth much, but fun) Just pick them up and put them in storage until you have time for them. Hopefully it will not take 40 years for you! |
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Dr. Hillbilly
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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They removed your bayonet lug too. Those are tougher to remove than you might think. 2 blind rivets & a tight friction fit.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Marco1010
Senior Member Joined: February 04 2020 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 400 |
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Those flash hiders are right sods to remove !
I had one butchered very similarly, wow you wouldn't believe how much effort was needed to get the thing off, found repeated heating and quenching got it unglued from the barrel, but took some serious persuasion finally with a brass block and very heavy hammer. I have no idea how they were installed but they sure never intended them to be changed out in the field.
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Dr. Hillbilly
Groupie Joined: April 08 2021 Location: Oregonia Ohio Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Thanks for the warnings regarding removal of the flash hider.
I do not need a bayonet, so perhaps I will settle on touch-up of the bluing.
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Dr. Hillbilly
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lyman1903
Groupie Joined: August 12 2018 Location: Beach VA, Status: Offline Points: 93 |
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with a mill and a lathe, that old flash hider will come of in no time,
Welcome from RVA
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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I'd be interested to see the cars. Maybe post in the "Off Topic" part of the forum.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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