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Your Pal,

LSP

Lee Speed

 

You may scoff and wag your heads saying "Lsp is a fool," and that's as maybe, but I do have a liking for Lee Enfield rifles. That's partly nostalgia, they were a part of my youth, and partly because they're cool, especially the early sporter Lee Speeds.

Safari sights, elegant wood, hand checkering, the redoubtable and smooth as silk Lee action all combine together to make a beautiful weapon at a fraction of the cost of an equivalent Mauser. And guess what, the rifle has that Edwardian awesomeness we all love. God save the Tzar King. Result.

That in mind, I put in a call to a pal, "Hey, you're kinda in the business. Can you find me a Lee Speed? It must work, not interested in a wall hanger." Which brings us back to art philosophy.

Guns are works of art, good or bad, the Lee Speed being good. But their potential, as such, is only realized in their use, fulfilling the end or τέλος for which they were designed. Parse that as you will.

OK, discussion of matter, potential and act over, I won't be shooting majestic Lions or furious Cape Buffalo with my Speed, more's the pity. But exercising ballistic Edwardiana against paper's no bad thing either, to say nothing of unexpected targets of opportunity.

Don't brake for Communists, readers, all two of you.

Gun rights,

LSP

March of the Lees

Just Some Lees

One of the first things I did when I moved to the countryside was go to the local pawn shop, the Gold Nugget. Why? Well, there wasn't much else to do here and it seemed like most of the town were there, so I figured it was a pastoral duty to visit. Fly the flag, kind of thing. Also they had guns and that was a big draw. Especially the Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk. I that stood on the rack, beckoning. Matching serials, bright bore, good rifling and a whole lot of nostalgia. So I bought it and before long the Lees were multiplying, partly because SBW was saying, "Go on! Sort out a Lee Sporter!"

That's How It's Really Done (not by me)

$100 later I was into an SMLE Mk.III porch project, stripping paint, sanding (and sanding and sanding and sanding and...) and generally fixing up an old 1917 battle rifle. I wanted to get something like a Lee Speed, which I didn't because I don't have the skills but still, I was pleased with the result. I've put an ATI rail on it and mounted a used Burris Fullfield. The scope's died, so I figure I'll get something cost-effective, maybe a Nikon.

Willie Nelson Loves Lee Enfields

That leaves a spare No. 4. Speak to a smith and get a Scout Rifle, that's what I'm thinking.

If you don't like Stardust by Mr. Nelson you're a fool.

LSP

Sporterizing the Lee Enfield - Porch Project Pt. I

I had a choice. Buy a plastic stocked sporting rifle for around $400-500 or buy a sporterized Lee Enfield for $150, fix it up and have some decent wood and steel with Empire History. Your pal and mine, the Suburban Bushwacker, told me that I was "required by law" to go Empire and so I did. Several weeks later I had two sporters, a No. 4 and a Mk. III, both in the price range and crying out for further enhancement. For me, that means using the Lee Speed as a template; at least for the III, which is a Speed action.

Lee Speed

What next? I started work on the III. The objective being to practice finishing/refinishing the furniture (gun stock) before buying a new stock -- and preparing the metal prior to bluing. Why? Because I can't afford hundreds of dollars to send the thing off to Turnbulls for the blue and a thousand dollars for the custom stock. No. I have to save those $$ for a 4x4 pickup. So, I figured I'd do it myself and here it goes, first things first, by way of the porch.

Here's the III.

Mk. III

It's a BSA from 1917, factory refurbed in '31 and '53. Bore's bright, serials match and it's covered with thick black baked on paint. The stock's a mix of Walnut (butt) and something else at the forend.

what a filthy gopping mess

Cheaper than a handy set of double soled Veldtshoen (by far) and obviously ready for porch re-sporterization.

Say your prayers,

LSP

Speed Freak!

Lee Speed - note safety

The excitement builds as Monday draws close and with it the collection of a new Lee No.4 Mk.1. That in itself is a fine thing. Lees are good, unlike, say, Nancy Pelosi, or Jefferts Schori. But even better, for me, is the project of recreating the old No.4 into something like a Lee Speed.

Express

Dark wood. Serious checkering. Express sights. A new trigger. Maybe a re-barrel and, you never know, there's always the option of .375 Flanged Nitro Express. 

Greatness

SBW (top blog) also recommends a shotgun style safety; he thinks it's more "Sandhurst" and I have to say I'm inclined to agree...

Now some of you might say, "Don't be silly LSP, just go out and buy one." But that's not the point, is it.

Keep pulling the trigger and, as always, have a blessed Sunday.

LSP

For The Bushwacker

SBW

Despite the often frivolous content of this blog, with its emphasis on the ridiculous ACoC, fighting apes and come as you may horse riding, I do take some things pretty seriously. Namely, admonitions from the Suburban Bushwacker - who by sheer creative energy went "from fat boy to elk hunter" in one fell swoop of finger to keyboard.

SBW had this to say:

"Very pleased to hear about further riflery. If anyone should by law be

required to be in possession of a sporterised 303 it's you (LSP). chop chop,

get on with the first one."

BSA Lee Speed

Bushwacker was and is right. I have no choice but to get on with the first one. That means getting a Lee that's already been sporterised, because I'm not about to desecrate a rifle in original condition. It means bluing the barreled action, upgrading the wood - Black Walnut with plenty of checkering. The barrel will have to be trimmed and crowned; it'll have to be optics ready and in possession of a new front sight. It must, of course, reflect its owner - a Brit in Texas.

That's the project and thanks to Tom a start's been made, a No. 4 Mk. 1 sporter at a very reasonable price. I'm looking forward to collecting that in a week or so and getting right down to it.

Thanks, SBW, for the mandate and serious attention to detail.

Good shooting,

LSP