New aftermarket Aussie Enfields

I was at Gander Mountian in North Little Rock today picking up some supplies. I seen one of those Enfield Clones, Beware I did not like it.

The workmanship looked ok. The one I seen looked to be a No5.  What I found was a few things I would have designed differently. For instance the they tried to incorporate the old look of the magazine and trigger guard assembly, in doing so there magazine did not fit in the mag well like the original design. There was a gap around the new mag. Had they of not tried to imitate the Enfields I think it would have been a better rifle. Their mistake in my opinion was most people will compare it to the Enfields which there is no comparison

Price was beyond comprehension. Caliber was .308 Winchester

I believe the receivers (and maybe other parts) are cast in Vietnam. Not too long ago a man in New Zealand said he bought a "new" Enfield in 303 that was from Australia. At first I thought he meant one commercially assembled from Lithgow parts but maybe he meant one of these Vietnam-made ones from an Aussie company. He said the first time he took it out he used S&B 303 ammunition and either one or two shots and the receiver "blew up". I don't remember if he got more than one shot but I know it wasn't more than two shots. He thought it might have been the ammunition or a tight chamber. At first I thought maybe the barrel was blocked but maybe the receiver was defective. I never heard what happened after that or if his internet story was even true.

I think I've seen them for sale as well.  I can't remember the price, but it was near $1,000.  I wasn't impressed.  The metalwork wasn't that well done and the wood to metal fit wasn't that good either.  I thought it very overpriced.

ArcherSix wrote: That stinks that they're not good rifles. Some day the supply of good milsurp rifles will dry up. One would think that with today's manufacturing methods that classic rifles could be built affordably....Oh well, next month, a Gander Mountain will be opening in my hometown, that gives me a place to eyeball one.....

Take a look at the quality reproductions made by Davide Pedersoli, There is the skill and the interest out there all you have to do is put them together

ducaninfrance wrote: Take a look at the quality reproductions made by Davide Pedersoli, There is the skill and the interest out there all you have to do is put them together

Despite what we say about the Italians they do make some really good weapons.  I have a Fias shotgun 20 years old bought from new and it's brilliant, recently got a second hand Fias 222 for fox shooting and the workmanship is superb.