Best Sniper Rifle of WWII? Not what you think!
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Extremely hard to find, ORIGINAL and MATCHING, Canadian Long Branch No4 Mk1* T is here! We are going to shoot it past 700yds, talk about history and try to answer the question: was this the Best Sniper Rifle of WWII?
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Targets Layout
01:06 150Yds
11:09 710Yds
11:36 Debriefing
13:24 Best Sniper Rifle of WWII?
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What ammo are using rob. I've had s&b 180 gr dropping 20" low in all my lee enfields. Not sure what's up
@@et9625 yep, same ammo here. It acts strangely to say at least
dude... if you ever wanna sell it... come to me first!!!
Once upon a long time ago I got to handle one that a Friend of mine received in his shop. Who does paint was really just absolutely what I would have loved to have owned. Because I always liked the s m l e,
Of course, four thousand dollars even today would be a bit more than I could afford for a rifle.
I did just recently buy an s m l e an Ishapur model in 7.56. Or whatever. It actually has the caliber stamped on it so there's no problem there.
Great as the old #4 Sniper was it doesn't hold a candle to the slick lines of your spotting assistant, though I bet she is a bit harder to handle.
You sir are an incredible shot! As a Canadian, we are quite proud of those rifles, the 303 saw us through 3 wars, and after the wars it has been used from the 49th to the Artic, and from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland to fill Canadian freezers with moose, deer and bear. Your high praise of our national treasure is humbling. Thank you for your kind words.
Trudeau wants to take them away from us!
I picked up one of your recently decommissioned.303, the gunsmith I bought off said it was used by rangers , amazing rifle .
@@13infbatt Our artic Rangers only retired their 303's in about 2015 or so, glad you are pleased with your purchase.
Love my mark3 here in 🇨🇦
We also used a variant of the Lee Enfield during the 2nd Boer War, we also used them in our involvement in the Russian Civil war 1918-1919. So they've seen use with our army in at least 5 wars and likely several peace keeping operations aswell!
My Father was a Sniper and Small Arms instructor in the 45 Commando, Royal Marines 1950 - 64, he Iived and breathed the Corp. He swore by the No 4 T using it in Korea, Suez and Aden. I do remember him talking about using a Canadian No 4 T at an imperial meeting (?) in 1960 or 62 where he was runner up. "The best bolt action rifle I've ever used" apparently. He would have absolutely loved this film... thank you
The ‘Imperial’ meeting sounds like Bisley ranges in Surrey
Just a point about single round feeding of the Lee action; if you place the round in or level with the chamber - the extractor claw has to snap around the rim of the cartridge - which requires force, both reducing the smoothness of the action and wearing the extractor claw, which is a fairly delicate component. Best way of single round loading is to press the cartridge into the magazine so it catches under one of the feed lips. Then the bolt scoops up the cartridge and tucks it effortlessly under the extractor claw with no mechanical strain. Superb demonstration of shooting - very enjoyable.
A subtle but very important point. Why match load. Set perfect for no free board and then Ramming it into battery.
@@robertdeen8741- the throats of Lee Enfields are usually long so the bullet cannot be placed in the cartridge at max OAL. Mileage varies with each rifle of course.
thank you for that excellent observation!!
Agree with you.
I owned them 303 rifles over the years. I can say they are great guns
That wood looks insanely good. Such a comfortable looking rifle for being from 1944 with a nice cheek rest. No chin weld required.
You beat me!! LOL I came down to comment the same thing about that wood!!
@@GrumpyGenXGramps Too slow! 😃
They were very comfortable and used on the L42 the follow up 7.62 version of this rifle, great bit of kit..
@@shaunmcmillan6791 Nice to hear. That's a badass last name, quite apt for this topic also.
That's what makes them a great deer rifle ,pretty sure it got Bambi!
The selection of these rifles to be "sniper grade" had to do with "new tooling". When the tooling was changed "brand new" the rifles produced for the first 7 days were considered "sniper grade".
So às time goes on the quality of the rifles goes down?
Is this true with today's firearms?
@@ClickClack_Bam Yes, because over the production run time the tooling used wears so tolerances increase until a new change out.
I trained with that rifle 8 weeks at Shiloh Manitoba. I have measured off every rifle I have had since Sako, CZ, Remington ect.
Swedish Mauser was another in 6.5 very good machining little more refined than the Enfield 303 .
That is one beautiful rifle. While synthetic stocks are better over all, wood is so much sexier. And the action on the MK4 is like butter.
Hi Larry, I couldn't agree more. There is nothing what comes even close to the wood when we are talking about "look and feel"!
I actually prefer the laminated wood, better damping without warping
@@VintageRiflesShootersClubhave you used the L42 the 7.62 version of this, great rifle but not a great sight..
Larch I belive, such beauty.
If you are a week from where you can source a replacement stock, the wood is better, you can carve a new one in a day, the synthetic you are stuck until you get a replacement.
Long Branch Small Arms Factory was located west of Toronto, some of the buildings are still there. Enfield No.4 Mk1*T rifles were also used by Canadian Snipers during the Korean War. There are also examples of the Long Branch No.4 Mk1* rifles that are receiver marked MP, when issued to the RCMP as service rifles.
I have a long branch my 4 no 1 star a 1950’s it’s a keeper
Bottom of Dixie road and lakeshore ... became the Post Office BMF Annex. There were piles of scrap weapons there in the 70's ...
I have a very nice No4 mk1* 1943 Longbranch in Australia, has come a long way 😍👌
Got one...including a T with no 32 scopes all original except the scope mount..rare because mine was on the bench at the end of the war and was only half converted...( No scope drilled mount on breach)
@@davidduckworth7264After my release from the RCN in early 60's as an ERA, I worked as a set-up and tool proving guy on a variety of production lines there until 1969 and some of the ladies and men working there during the war years were still there running lathes, mills, 50 ton broaches, punch presses etc.. The Deep hole drills and button broaches used on the latter .303's were still cranking out barrels for the FN's, American M-14's & later M-16's. A particular woman operator of mine would break off a conversation mid sentence upon her amazing knack of telling if a Deep Hole drill was wandering off center by hearing a change in tone and immediately make an adjustment to the oil pressure going down the center of the drill to push the carbide tip back on line. That plant had a stellar reputation for quality barrels. On site DND inspectors didn't let anything slip by that was substandard.
I am a CDN infantry veteran and proudly own a 1942 Longbranch.
Wow...congrats.
Hits at those ranges with S&B ball ammo is very impressive. And we here in Kentucky appreciate your windage adjustments!
Great episode. My Dad bought a .303 Enfield with a Savage made barrel in about 1960 for $40. I still have it and it still shoots great. Ammo is getting hard to find so I've been loading my own with 150 gr soft points.
That face shot was fuckin' ruthless, absolutely beautiful. =) Some love from Canada my friend! Thanks for the great video. 🇨🇦
Man was sick and still maintains this infectious enthusiasm? What a channel to discover tonight! I love this. Finding myself rooting for you every shot lol
Your enunciation and use of English is stellar to say the least. A sign of very high intelligence.
I have a Longbranch No4 Mk1* manufactured in 1945. It’s a beautiful rifle and shoots like a dream. I also have a No4 Mk2 in a light coloured stock that was mummified when I purchased it. Beautiful rifle that looks in unissued condition. That sniper T example is gorgeous. Nice shooting as always.
As a point of interest the same build rifles minus the scope was use for the Cadet Service Rifle, Central Command, at Connaught, Range, ORA and DCRA, we shot 200 to 1000 yards. It was great fun. Five of our company went on to Bisley the following year. I was age disqualified as the following year I would be 19 and I was in my 18th year (Last) These rifles were the top of the line #4 Lee Enfield, Long Branch. I have one here at home, which dad assembled, no serial numbers, as it was assembled from parts and never issued. he also converted it to his hunting rifle. I would rather he had re-barreld his original Lee Metford. As my Staff Sergeant said non of these rifles were of the quality built by my Dad for the Navy Team. Staff Smith had the last rifle made by Dad, before dad retired, and by that time the barrel was shot out. He had another rifle built rather than tamper with the one built by Dad. These rifles all had a personality of their own. I chose mine because it had a light coloured stock, known to be slightly heavier compared to the Darker coloured stock. I used an AJ Parker Sight given to me by my uncle Doug, Dad's older brother.
Hi Dave, thank you for sharing this! Outstanding post!
Beautiful rifle. Its amazing you keep finding these old rifles that shoot so well. The No.4* I had was so shot out the bullets would tumble after leaving the muzzle.
That is utterly beautiful, it looks as if it literally just came out of stores. I grew up on the .303 (British Cadets) and whilst I never got to handle a *T, it's on my bucket list. Thanks for Sharing! 👍
Me to in the Cadets. Happy Days.
@@davesaunders568 I loved using the No4mk2 during my time in the cadets, a lovely smooth bolt unmatched by some modern rifles. We also got to fire the Bren too, no wonder it stayed in service in rechambered 7.62 until the 90's. Light, accurate and so well made.
@philhawley1219 We still used them in the TA when I joined in 1975, until mid 80's. L4A1, I think 7.62.
I had a 1954 .303 in the Cadets, CCF, in 1972. Used it to get my Marksman badge out on the Army range.
Great days on the ranges on Salisbury Plain. Those of us in our cadets shooting team once shot at 600 metres with leaf sights. We got most of the rounds on a 3 foot square target. I use to arrive home with a big smile and a big bruise on my shoulder.@@davesaunders568
I had a Long Branch standard rifle 20 years ago. It’s definitely one of those that I wish I had back. It shot MOA, with slow fire and open sights. Of course, my eyes were 20 years better back then. Great video.
Beautiful weapon.
Finest bolt Battle Rifle ever fielded, full stop.
Thank you for covering Canadian rifles!
Great film work and nicely presented. Loved seeing the round go all the way down the range.
Beautiful rifle nice shooting with that old scope. Proud Canadian to see our weapons doo well
Loved it, as a Canadian living near the long Branch small arms building and having my own 1944 long Branch no.4 mk.1 that has brought home lots of moose and other game
I am a proud Canadian (ashamed of my government) thank you!
I would love to see an episode on the 6.5x55 swedish
I know the feeling! With you all the way.
The photos of Calgary Highlanders & other Canuck snipers in action was a nice touch. Thx. ;) Serving as a Reserve unit in today's army, it has a long, distinguished history.
Hi Mike, i was just trying to highlight little bit Canadians contributions during WWII. Unfortunately, mainly because of Hollywood, people think that only very few selected nations participated in the WWII...ha!
@@VintageRiflesShootersClub Well thx again, let Hollywood be Hollywood. It's entertainment. Folks that experienced these conflicts in real life know entertainment vs reality. I believe it's still a Canadian sniper that holds the longest kill shot today. Then there's the Finnish sniper that made life difficult for the enemy during the Winter War. There are many army units in the Canadian Military that have distinguished themselves in various battles in both World Wars & the Korean conflict. If you've never read about the battle of Kapyong it's a good example of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. The PPCLI held a hill against multiple waves of Chinese attacks.
I was looking forward to this! This is going to be a good one as always!
GREAT VIDEO! I just found your channel and thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. Liked, subbed, and can't wait to peruse your previous offerings.
Another excellent video as always. I always enjoy seeing these old surplus rifles perform, and the Enfields are my favorite surplus rifles.👍👍
Beautiful! And for sure rare! I have been a fan of your AK Operators union channel for years. Didn't even know this channel existed. Just found it by chance today. So glad I did. Excellent content. Thank you.
I remember when these were 50 bucks in the box, all matching, but it was a hell of a price when normal rifles were half that. LOL Had I known what they would be worth fifty-five years later...! I scoped quite a few No4s and had an ersatz sniper which were appearing later when the value of the genuine article began to rise. I hunted with a No4 for some while when I was younger (It was the first rifle I ever bought, $25 from Army & Navy Store when I was 18) but later I preferred my M1 for service and no need for a scope at the ranges being encountered. By that time I had a Ruger heavy barrel bolt-action rifle in .308 for target shooting and hunting. As always, another great video to enjoy! Thank you.
Stop thinking about it! It will just make you crazy. Lets just call those better times.
Nice to see the No4 on your programme, I know it's a sniper but it takes me back to when I was an Army Cadet . Thanks Rob 👍
Hi Dave, thank you for watching and commenting!
I have to say that the wood on that rifle is incredible. I've seen a few Long Branch Ts in person but the one you have here is remarkable.
Truly is beautiful.
I've got a Lithgow SMLE, mk4.. made here in Australia. She's like a new rifle still, hardly used really. Shoots very straight, better than my old eyes can see nowadays..great video, nice shooting mate.
My late Father owned a No4 which was made at Fazakerley. We both used at Bisley. I shoot 7.62mm and shot the No.4 at 600 yards on Century range. I was suprised how accurate it was for its age. Superb rifle. My Father also had the bayonet for it.
Excellent shooting and great video, Robski. You're making me really regret selling my 1944 No4 MkI(T) 6 years ago! Mine was not all matching like your beauty is, mine had a No32MkI scope despite the serial stamped on the stock being the serial for a No32MkIII. Still the glass was sharp and groups were very tight. Anyone wanting a great read about the No4T rifle in service should get a copy of 'WIth British Snipers to the Reich'.
Great shooting and very nicely videoed. The vapor trail is very cool to watch.
Great shooting. That's an awesome rifle. The information that you provided about the use and features of that rifle were top notch.
Thank you Craig!!!!
Another great video, Rob! Thanks
Lovely rifle, I have an affinity with these, we Brits were still using them in .303 in the 1970's up until it was rebarrelled and refittred and reissued as the L42 - I could say a lot more but dont want to ramble.
I’d be interested to read a ramble :)
The single biggest problem with shooting ANY pattern of Lee Enfield is obtaining the correct ammo.
There seems to be a "relative" abundance of PPU "Ball". Nice ammo, BUT it is commonly loaded with a boat-tailed bullet; as used in Mk 8 ammo for machine-guns. The boat-tail does NOT make it more 'accurate" but, by reducing aerodynamic "drag" caused by base turbulence, allows an extended useful trajectory AND stability as it goes "trans-sonic / sub-sonic" WAY downrange..
The other big catch is the original .303 barrels, themselves.
As per original barrel "blueprints", the bore / land dimension is .303 plus a couple of "thou'.
BUT, the groove diameter is defined by the specification for the DEPTH of the rifling. Thus, it is possible to have a brand-new barrel with all the correct acceptance stamps, that has a ,304 bore diameter, but "groove diameter" exceeding .319, and this with service-spec .303 ammo that are loaded with bullets of ,311" / .312"
What this means is the bullet must either "bump-up" on firing and try to fill the grooves for a good gas-seal, OR it will be a "bore-rider" with significant gas blow-by around the boat-tailed base. This second condition means rapid throat / leade erosion, even in a new barrel. The open-based FLAT-based Mk 7 bullet actuall DOSE bump-up a little on firing; shades of the Minie Ball!.
Worse situation is if you have a "pre-loved" Lee Enfield that has existing throat erosion from a steady diet of "service" Mk7 CORDITE-fueled ammo, there will already be throat erosion. This will be a problem if slinky boat-tailed bullets are then used. The "larger than spec" throat will allow even greater erosive blow-by with boat-tailed bullets.
There seems to be little interest by the ammo "majors" in tooling up to make a modern "substitute" for the correct Mk 7 projectile.
The same bullet would also work well in 7.7 Japanese, (all three versions) and 7.65 Argentine / Belgian cartridges.
Fantastic shooting Rob! The wood on this one is 🔥🔥
G-Day Rob, great video, I really enjoyed the briefing/history lesson, very interesting. Cheers.
Thank you for watching and commenting John!
Man I love this new channel you’ve got! “AK operator” was good but this is better.
My No.4 Mk1 walks in elevation as the barrel heats up. After about 10 shots I’ve got my rear sight elevation set all the way up to “500”
From what I can tell it was remanufactured in the 1950s and has a new looking barrel on it. As a kid, I used to shoot my grandfathers No.1 Mk3. That Rifle started the addiction for me. The barrel is shot out now, bullets smaller than 312 in diameter tumble, so I don’t think it’s safe to shoot anymore.
Keep up the good work! the historical photos was the was one of my favorite parts of the video
Thank you Jeff!
GREAT vid as always
Sir! 👍
Outstanding and well done.
Thanks for the upload Robski 🙏The Long Branch No4 T MK1 * 303 ‘Ready?…. ‘Ok let’s go‘ and ‘Yes we are’ Ula is not messing about🔥👍
Thanks for another great video, and making great content even when you’re not feeling fantastic.
excellent mini doc...thanks very much.
That’s a true beauty! I have a sporterized MKIII and I love it; it’s still a great rifle for deer despite the stock being pretty rough compared to your version. (I bought it from my neighbour who said it was his grandfathers. It was an actual service rifle that had seen extensive action in Europe before it came home to Canada.) Amazing history in these rifles!
Nice shooting, Rob! Always enjoy your content.
Excellent and very informative video full of facts and points of interest I never knew about or had considered. 🤜🤛
Good job as always. Thanks for the journey
Loved the video! What a beautiful rifle!
Absolutely a looker and a bolt n action smooth as Teflon taking out the primary and easily pick targets of opportunity . Great system 😊
Great video Rob, And thank you for serving our country!
Excellent presentation!!😀
I had the same rifle in the standard open sight version, great shooter
Thank you! Beautiful Rifle and a great shooter!
It was good to see a bit of triumph over adversity with the weather being so different. The drop on the 700 shot was amazing. I was admiring the grain on the stock as well, that wood is beautiful. I wouldn't mind seeing that in better conditions.
Thank you for watching and commenting Richard!!!!
Beautiful rifle / scope combo! And you made it proud with your shooting abilities. I love that rifle! It has so much more personality to it, compared to the plastic ray guns used today. Kudos to that great spotter, too!
Hi,good shooting, But you should always put the cartridge into the magazine to prevent the extractor riding over the cartridge rim. To prevent breaking the extractor spring.
A friend of mine, was in the 2nd Battalion, PPCLI during the war in Korea, and served as a sniper there sometime around 1951 to 1952. You are firing a rifle that looks identical to what he used.
In later years, Ian (when he would open up after a few beer), often stated that this was his favourite rifle. He was also of the opinion, that it was one of the best sniper rifles in use during the Korean War.
I wish I could have learned more about his experience, but the only time he would talk about his service in Korea, was when we had been drinking.
I served 10 years in the military, but in the RCAF, and the only sniping, we did, was with 20mm, or missiles. (not quite the same thing, although as a cadet and reservist in the late 1950s, we did fire the Enfield, until it was replaced with the FN, sometime in 1961, I think).
Thanks for the interesting video.
Great vid from a true expert. Thank you, sir.
Good stuff Rob!!
I use to have this very same rifle but without the optic. I found it at a pawn shop in 1989 when I was stationed at Ft. Polk Louisiana. I needed a deer rifle to hunt with and didn't realize what I had until my SGT informed me. I had it until 1996 when someone broke into my apartment and it was stolen along with my pawpaw's Browning A5 12ga. They were never found I think the local police department found them but kept them for themselves. It was an accurate and sweet shooting WWII rifle.
I have a British example and love it. I'm working on getting the complete kit that the snipers of the period would have been issued.
Great shooting Rob with a beautiful rifle!
Rob, you are a treasure. Great work.
Pretty good considering not the best ammo on the market!
Found your channel a while back great shooting and great attitude have fun and Hello to your partner
Great run.
For your next series of videos I'd love to see you do load developments for each rifle to get each one to be as accurate as possible. I think with an optimized round, as well as becoming more familiar with each scope, that every rifle would become even better. It would take a lot of time to develop loads for each rifle, but I think it would be a very interesting, informative and educational series. Regardless, excellent video as always! The Lee Enfield, especially the Canadian-made ones, will always be my favourite. Only because I am Canadian, so I am biased. 😉 Cheers.
Another great video.
Really neat rifle, great video
I spent time with this rifle in the 80’s
It was converted to 7.62mm.
None as L42 A1.
With a good line of site and half decent weather I found it it was great working around the 500m mark
Which to me is the best range for a sniper to be working.
A great piece of kit
Thank You Robert. I Iove old rifles. I have argentine mauser 1891 and mosin 1928. Both good shooters.
Great vidio thanks, love those rifles.
Hi Sir, I am found of your videos. Thanks a lot in advance to specify what ammo you use, for this review, and for the next ones. Best regards from New Caledonia
Great rifle! Well presented!
You are a great shot no doubt about it. Nice to hear your expert comments. Great example of the LB sniper Lee Enfield
I live in the "People's Republic of New Jersey" and believe it or not I have some rifles which you can totally purchase but can't use for hunting. I should move out of here. Your videos and your marksmanship are sweet! Good Luck & God Bless!!!
Great shootin bro 😎
I have ownr a 303 enfield most of my life, best deer hunting rifle, i have used,I was a Canadian armourer for 25 years.😊
Great content, great shooter.
Great Vid!!!!
I used to shoot red bricks with a sporterized version at about 200 yards. The bricks would turn into a cloud of red dust about 8 feet in diameter. Thanks for the memories.
I have one of those rifles. My father bought it for $30 when we lived in Northern Ontario Canada in 1957. They were very common at the time all of which were WW II Canadian army war surplus.
I wonder if Long Branch might mean it was made in Long Branch which is in the east end of Toronto?
@@MrCanadaveYes. Exactly that.
You are an inspiration to us all.
Windage is "Kentucky Windage", but it's "Arkansas Elevation" not "Kentucky Elevation".
Ale zrozumiałem, co miałeś na myśli!
I always enjoy your videos. I'm talking with some of the farmers I know in the area to find some land with a safe backstop to use for long range rifle shooting like your range. I have 11 gun clubs within 40 minutes of my home, four within 15 minutes, but they are all limited to either 100 or 200 yards.
Really enjoy your video! I love my mosins!!
Great video of the projectile. I'm assuming that we are seeing it's supersonic shockwave as it flies to the target. Very cool.
You used to be able to buy these for $10 in New Zealand back in the 1960s/70s All fully wooded and covered in grease. Not with a scope of course.
The sniper cheek rest was a few dollars and were a common add onto a cut down rifle for hunting.
The Lee Enfield was re-barreled for 7.62mm NATO rounds, the wood cut down to about half the barrel length, and it stayed in service until 1990 as the L42 A1 sniper rifle.
The powder is temperature sensitive, obviously. Rob, I just got over the flu after a week and a half of it kicking me down. It started with sneezing then a runny nose and then the freight train of fever, chills, aches came. Hope you are better!!
Cool find ! I live in the area and drive past the old Long Branch armoury (or what's left of it)
The wood on that stock is beautiful !
My first rifle I pick up at age 19.. from a Vietnam veteran 303 Mark 4 .and still have it 42 years later..I never missed what I was shooting at.. with out a scope iron sights 😊
I wasn't aware of the armament factory in Long Branch. I spent a lot of time in my childhood going there to visit with family. My father was in the Canadian Army during WWII but in the tank corp. But having gone through basic training he may have used a rifle made just down the street. Thanks for the demonstration and information. By the way the area called Long Branch is now a neighborhood in Etobicoke (part of Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada). It runs along the shore of Lake Ontario.
The plant was in an area west of Marie Curtis Park. Also there was a rifle range there.
First of all, excellent video as always! As for WW2 sniper rifle preferences, personally would prefer the K98k with a high turret mounted Zielsechs scope on it, esp. during WW2 when considering only the Germans issued purpose manufactured sharpshooting ammunition for its snipers during the war (Anschuss patrone, with a 198 gr FMJBT lacking the typical cannelure and featuring an extra carefully measured propellant charge) and as you know the quality of the ammunition is half the equation. German K98 sniper rifles were also picked out of factory line for their exceptional accuracy.