Back in my teen years, back in good old Blighty, I spent my time in the Cadets and later the “Weekend Warriors” (the Territorial Army). Those were the days of drills, muddy boots, and a lot of time spent on the Company and Battalion shooting teams. Our rifle of choice? The legendary Lee-Enfield .303. I must have sent thousands of rounds downrange through those rifles back then.
Fast forward over 35 years. I’m now a citizen of the USA, living a very different life. One afternoon, I walked into my local gun store, and I swear I heard angelic music. A beam of light seemed to shine directly through the ceiling onto the consignment shelf. There it was: a Lee-Enfield .303.
I didn’t buy it on the spot—I tried to be sensible. But the nostalgia was too strong. I went back three days later and started the paperwork. After waiting out the standard 10-day “jail time” here in California, I finally took it home.
It turns out I picked up a piece of history: a 1943 Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I*. The most interesting part? It was built right here in the States by Savage Arms in Chicopee, Massachusetts, as part of the Lend-Lease program during the war.
I’ve finally managed to get it out to the range. I put 35 rounds through it, and I have to say—she still shoots like a dream. It’s funny how a piece of wood and steel can bridge three decades and thousands of miles in an instant.
– English Bob
