NZART ID No: 25, Arm Type: Rifle, Date of Draft 6/3/2012, Compiled by Phil Cregeen & John Osborne.
Pattern: Lee Enfield No 4 Mk I & I *, Introduced into NZ Service 1942, Withdrawn 1962 to 2009
Makers: Long Branch, Canada and Savage Stevens, USA. ROFs Fazakerley & Maltby and BSA Shirley in the UK.
Details of Arm:
Calibre: .303 British, Rifling: 2 or 5 grooves 1:10 LH Twist, Barrel Length: 25.18 in.
OA Length: 44.4 in. (1128 mm), Action: Bolt with 10 round detachable box magazine. Weight 8 Lb 10 oz, (3.9 Kg)
Sights, 300/600 flip over aperture battle sight or a ladder aperture sight graduated 200-1300 yds. of various marks.
Bayonet: (NZART #139) Socket spike type- No 4 Mk I, II, II*, III, (WWII Production) and blade type - No 7 and No 9. (Post WW II)
Markings: Long Branch: NO 4 Mk I* LONG BRANCH 1942, Serial No: xxLxxxx
Savage: [S] No 4 Mk I*, US PROPERTY, Serial No: xxCxxxx
Fazakerly: ROF(F) or FY or (F) or UF
Maltby: ROFM or RM or M
BSA Shirley: M47C or PS
No 4 Rifle
The .303” Lee Enfield No 4 Rifle was developed by RSAF Enfield in 1929 and underwent troop trials in the 1930s. Full scale production was approved in 1939 at the outbreak of WWII and commenced at the new ROFs Fazakerley and Maltby and supplemented by a new BSA plant at Shirley. The first war time No 4s did not become available until mid 1941. At the request of the British Government No 4 Rifle production also took place at the Canadian Arsenal at Long Branch and the US firm of Savage-Stevens where production commenced in 1941.
As production progressed economies were made to speed up production, the most significant feature being a simplified bolt release by means of a slot at the forward end of the bolt way instead of a catch at the rear, this lead to the No 4 MK I* . The No 4 Mk I* was only manufactured in North America between 1942 and 44 at Savage and until 1950s at Long Branch. Many were made with 2 groove rifling instead of the normal 5.
Most Savage No 4 Mk I* were supplied as part of the lend lease agreement and are marked “US PROPERTY” on the top of the left receiver wall.
The No 4 first entered New Zealand service in 1942 on an ad hoc basis, being acquired by special units serving overseas and some Savage rifles were brought to New Zealand by American troops and issued to Home Guard. At the end of the war New Zealand acquired more surplus No 4s of various manufacture, later new manufacture Long Branch Mk I* rifles were supplied amounting to an estimated 50,000. By 1948 at the time of the Malaya emergency the No 4 was in wide use by the NZ Army and was the general service rifle at the time of the Korean War. With the introduction of the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle in 1960, the No 4 was gradually phased out and relegated to war reserve stock. In the 1970s reserve stocks were further reduced by supplying them to Pacific Island Nations and also sold on the local surplus market. In 2009 the remaining stocks of a few hundred No 4s that had been on issue to the NZ Cadet Force as DP rifles were sold at a public auction in Lower Hutt.
Note: The most common No 4 now encountered in New Zealand is the Long Branch Mk I*, however from observation of rifles offered for sale in recent years Savage Mk I* represent about 1/6 of the stock. 1941 dated Long Branch No 4 Mk I have also been reported with NZ issue marks. British manufactured No 4s with NZ marks are almost non-existent, those found in country are most likely civilian surplus imports.
Acknowledgements:
Photographs: Phil Cregeen
References: Lee Enfield No 4 and No 5 Rifles by C R Stratton
SAIS No2 .303 Rifle No 4 by Ian Skennerton
The Lee Enfield No 4 Rifle in NZ by MS Evans ( NZAHAA Gazette Sept 2010)
The Lee Enfield by Ian Skennerton
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