303 Envoy
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14293
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 8:19pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 303 Envoy
Posted By: Jakkel2003
Subject: 303 Envoy
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 2:33pm
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he!!o friends, I picked up this rifle the other day and was hoping someone had some more information on it From what I have been able to find myself, Envoys were made from No4 Mrk1 and Mrk1* rifles but were re-barreled into 7.62x51 for competition shooting. This one was marked at the gun store as being in 303, it chambers 303 without any issue, and it is marked as 7.94mm instead of 7.62mm. I have not shot it yet. Has anyone seen a configuration like this before? Were some Envoy rifles left with their original 303 barrels? Or did a gun smith re-re-barrel it? The barrel is 22" from closed breech to muzzle Thanks in advance!   |
Replies:
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 8:01pm
I'd suggest more research, as in let those on here who know the L39 & L41 & such guns wade in. .------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 10:24pm
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I don't think that's original! The Envoy was a civilian version of the L39A1, fitted with a Monte Carlo style stock. They are all 7.62 NATO as far as I know and al have a long hammered heavy barrel. The L39A1 was built from either the No4 Mk2 or in some cases the Mk1/2. Basically that's the trigger hung from the receiver, not the trigger guard as on the No4 Mk1. Seems odd to me that it's marked Envoy and L39A1! Plus I don't think a .303 would be labeled with the metric equivalent, but I could be wrong. It needs some investigation. The serial number and year marking look similar to my L39A1, so is it a trials version?
------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 11:16pm
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It doesn't help that I cannot find any ammunition anywhere designated as 7.94mm other than a WW1 German anti-tank round (7.92×94mm Patronen), but it chambers standard 303 perfectly |
Posted By: lance
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 2:00am
| It is not original, but nice attempt. Besides the caliber error and the fact that it has both Envoy and L39A1, the highest s/n'd Envoy is E526. Note all serial numbers assigned to the Envoy begin with "E". |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 3:29am
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At the least it's been sportered - barrel cut down, different/sportered fore-end. Hard to tell for sure, but that does not look like the heavy hammer forged barrel used on the Envoy and L39, looks like a cutdown standard service weight barrel. You should be able to tell from the surface of the barrel if it's hammer forged or machined. I've never seen markings like this either. The metric nomenclature for the .303 British is 7.7 x 56R. |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 4:14am
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7.94mm is about 0.3125" So maybe someone slugged the bore to measure for the diameter of the grooves. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 12:38pm
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Wild thought some kind of fake South African thing? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 2:23pm
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Or maybe a Phoenix, Arizona “special”?
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Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 2:37pm
| We are known for our outlaws out here... |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 4:30pm
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im not up on these but if it started as the L39A1 and was owned in a country that prohibited military cartridges might it have been c\"civilized" by remarking as envoy and rechambered to non- military ? could also have been an attempt to make a fake for profit
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Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 1:12am
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A real Envoy & its markings:   |
Posted By: M@tt
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 3:59am
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What action is Jakkel2003's made from? I can't tell from the picture. This is my Envoy. A lovely rifle, although I don't shoot it as much as I should. The markings are the same as terrylee's, it's slightly older brother, going by the serial numbers. It is 7.62NATO and all the numbers are where they should be. It even came with a full set of fore sight inserts.   |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 4:26am
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Any chance this rifle is chambered for 7.92 X 57? The .303 British cartridge will chamber in an 8mm Mauser chambered rifle and I remember years ago reading about an "Enfauser" rifle that would fire both cartridges in an emergency. Apparently the Turks altered captured SMLEs to 7.92 Mauser to match the service ammunition of their Mausers. I imagine it's possible that someone had an Envoy converted to 8mm Mauser? Just a WAG.
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 5:08am
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UE is the letter code for Enfield, introduced in 1955/56. If legit (not saying it is) UE68 signifies UK, Enfield manufactured in 1968. The L39 rifles had similar markings, and supposedly initial rifles built for trials were in 1968. The serial number A1568 exceeds the highest known L39 serial number. My guess is that a previous owner thought it would be fun to make something up and confuse us all!
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Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 7:12am
| Sapper740, I actually gave that a shot with a few different rounds. 7.62X54R, 30-06, 8mm Mauser, and 7.7 Jap, none of them even slightly fit, but good ol 303 fit perfectly |
Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 7:23am
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From what I can find, the stock is from Parker Hale, but all the pictures I can find of their rifles still have iron sights. They did make them in 303 though  |
Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 7:25am
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Posted By: Jakkel2003
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 7:26am
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Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 5:34pm
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Dang that's a nice rifle!! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 6:30pm
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Is that cocking piece normal for this model/mark? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: DisasterDog
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 10:25pm
| It’s a MkI* or MkI/3, cocking piece is early Savage or LB. |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 05 2025 at 11:22pm
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The charge bridge has been removed and material removed from the receiver. I'm not sure that's a great idea, it would be worth getting it "proofed" to be safe. It looks remarkably like a rifle made by an ex member here. He was also from Arizona if I remember correctly. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 3:18am
Look back up this thread for my previous comment. Might be a “Phoenix, Arizona Special”  One thing is certain, it’s not an Envoy or L39. |
Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 3:42am
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A genuine L39A1and its markings.   |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 3:47am
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Terrylee, I never get tired of seeing the photos of your rifles! Have you shot any of your heavy barreled 7.62 rifles? On my wish list is a L39 and L42, but not likely will be so lucky. |
Posted By: terrylee
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 6:38am
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Hi Britrifles, Never personally shot the L39 but did once lend it to a friend who liked it. Over the years have shot the other three quite a bit, but the Enforcer is by far my favorite. Nothing wrong with the remaining two - both perfectly accurate. My L42, with its obsolete scope cannot be compared to the Enforcer and is now just a valued wall-hanger.  L42, L39, Enforcer & Envoy.
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 6:47am
| Absolutely beautiful! |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 06 2025 at 7:24pm
| very nice , to the OPs rifle - if it wasnt as nice as it is id suspect a kyber pass |