.45 Enfield "Tanker".

Well, I "Butchered" another No. 4 Mk, III today!

It was the most fouled-up rusty lump of incomplete ordnance I have ever seen that was not classified as a Relic or complete scrap.

It's marked C.A.I. on the barrel, I hope he got it cheap.

The action was a lump of rust, but the bolt still moved.
I had to replace almost every spring and several screws.
The bore is worse than junk barrels I leave outside until they can be used as re-bar when a friend pours concrete for his patio.
The stock was so bad I would not use it to insult a good camp-fire.

The hung trigger and vernier rear sight were this units only redeeming features.

A list of my butchery.
1. I dismantled it to the last nut, screw, and pin, including the seized up rear sight.
2. Converted it to .45 acp and a 16.5" Match barrel using one of my kits.
3. Per the buyers request the muzzle is threaded 5/8-32 for a brake, flash hider, or maybe a future sound suppressor.
4. Grit blasted and Parkerized all steel components.
5. Put a new ATI stock and CAD-Technik scope mount on it.

I was handsomely rewarded for this diabolical activity, a greedy $150.00 for that trifle of labor.     

Now the gun looks like new, and is an inexpensive pleasure to shoot.
The rust pits in the receiver and trigger guard are well hidden below the stock line.
Instead of being parted out and scrapped this gun should still be in use a hundred years from now.
(If it's taken good care of and not confiscated by a future generation of "our" Gov. Org.)   

Because that is not what the owner wanted, he wants a nice .45 Carbine, and now he will have one.

This was the ugliest, most ruined, Enfield I have ever seen, most 'smith's would have refused to touch it.

I tried a little levity in my post, but I am serious that the gun has a new lease on life.

Cost of restoration would have been more than just buying a nice one.

David! you traitor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf8dlHMHOxs

Vid of one of my most recent .45 conversions.

I thought I had already seen the most ruined Enfield's ever, until the dozen I just bought!

Mostly No. 1's, only 3 No. 4's.
The No. 1's will become .45 DeLisle replica's.

I will have to find a lot of missing parts to complete more than a couple of these, even for my conversions.

I traded the only decent Lithgow #1 Mk. III off, for two ratty "DP" #1's.
So I'm set for No. 1's for a while.