Anvil 078: #4 Mk.1 Truck Gun Carbine Part 1

Showing recent throughput from the rabbit hole.
Support us on Patreon: / anvil
Remember, we are showing you what we do, not how to do it. If you do not possess the necessary skills to perform work at this level, do not attempt to replicate what you see here. If you're going to be dumb, you have to be TOUGH

[@marknovak8255]

Part 2 is up for your enjoyment.....................

[@crankygunreviews]

"because if you're watching this video, you believe in doing maintenance" - That's true Mark, and we love watching your work!

[@jonjames7328]

“It’s got a poplar bottom on it.” I knew a girl like that once.

[@marknovak8255]

Editing a short drop about flash hider effectiveness, how it groups, and necessary sight moves. The gun runs well, groups about 3 inches @100 yds, and the customer is ready to use it as the tool he needs. 99 other Mk4's are gone now due to a total lack of maintenance.

[@notthecoolwhip]

Keep it going Mark, you deserve your own network!!

[@sabre0smile]

If anyone's gonna do this to a gun I'm glad it's you. You actually give a hoot about making it look nice and almost-could-be-official

[@5000rgb]

It's also great that they chose an appropriate donor rifle instead of just grabbing the nearest Enfield.

[@timhoran3887]

@@5000rgb true

[@webtoedman]

According to the book "Lee Enfield", during the panic production of the second world war, it was found that providing the leade (throat) at the barrel breech was of the correct diameter and length, and the last six inches and crowning were as well, then the bit in the middle had little effect on accuracy. The gauges were changed , and only those dimensions were checked. Savage even made barrels with two groove rifling.

[@jamesedkins2823]

Your dead right, I had a savage with 2 groove barrel and it shot great!

[@ADVtheMISSIONARY]

As an Australian ...these sorts of modified No4's and SMLEs are very common..... accuracy well minute of pig as about what most do

[@dozer1642]

Such a shame. I’m pretty sure that gun belonged to Sir Laurence of Arabia and it was used during the battle of the Alamo. It should’ve been in a museum and now all is lost. Just kidding. You’ve made a beautiful truck gun from a heap of garbage and I’m happy for the owner. 👍

[@nobilismaximus]

As a Scotsman living in Texas.......... waaaant it!

[@jeramyw]

If the gun is already "destroyed" then why not modify to your heart's content? I'd like a no.4 with a no.1 nose cap.

[@marknovak8255]

Can do, if you already have the parts

[@jeramyw]

@@marknovak8255 I wish. But I got two projects that you can work some magic on. Can you reline a barrel, or should I go with a specialist like John Taylor or Redman's?

[@john-paulsilke893]

Got a pallet of them just a bit north in Canada if you like.

[@blackirish781]

He did a video a a bit ago where he tells you how to contact him so he definitely sees your message.

[@jeramyw]

@@blackirish781 I'll message him when I can pay for it. Lol It'll be a while.

[@donwilson6617]

Finally someone who actually has the talent to repair, modify and teach. I have found a website that I can not only enjoy but also learn. Love your candidness and matter of fact approach. I can spend my time catching up on all your videos I have missed. OUTSTANDING

[@MitchellCH]

The ATF needs to go away and never come back.

[@BillB23]

In my humble opinion the National Firearms Act of 1934 is a direct violation of the 2nd Amendment.

[@jcota2003]

@@BillB23 always has been, sadly the SCOTUS didn't kill it when it would have been easy...

[@davek5027]

Mitchell Hoffarth Amen!!!!!

[@BillB23]

I've often thought that Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms would be a great name for a country store.

[@randomidiot8142]

@@BillB23 Bob's Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Entertainment.

[@spiv_gennedy]

Your description of its 11° crown got a genuine snicker out of me.

[@das_gruuben]

I like this project for a few reasons: It involves a really cool WWII era gun. It recycles old, clapped-out components. And it makes an awesome, one-of-a-kind gun that didn't sacrifice an entirely matching piece of history. Good stuff, man. I've fallen down the rabbit hole and you've got yourself a new subscriber.

[@rg8521]

Love these videos Mark! really makes one appreciate the art and engineering behind gunsmithing work

[@xgford94]

Bubble Heads and Tankers have “Bumps and Scrapes” in common, comes from living in Steel boxes

[@Uncle_Bob_K]

I have a No. 4 Mk I that was sporterized in the 1960's or 70's and I spent years (beginning in 1985) acquiring parts to restore it. So, when you first started describing what you were going to do, my heart skipped a beat and my mind started racing with images of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King movies. I was horrified! Then, after you described how the barrel was going to be shortened, I watched the threads being cut and how you took a saw to the upper hand guards and then the lower, I nearly cried. OH, THE HUMANITY! When I recovered from nearly fainting and saw the aftermath, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing what was on my screen. Once you spliced the upper hand guards together and put the receiver in the lower fore-end, I finally saw what you wanted to convey to us earlier, a tanker...A TANKER SMLE! I liked what I saw. Now, I can't wait to see how she turns out. I'm gonna need popcorn....maybe some candy....oh and a Coke, can't forget the Coke.

[@marknovak8255]

And, don't forget some smelling salts!

[@donwilson6617]

It's a pleasure to find a gunsmith who knows what he doing. Your bench and shop shows that you are busy and competent...

[@randomidiot8142]

Seems like there's a lot of people out there that missed the comment about there being more than one way to get something done, that haven't actually tried doing anything worth mentioning. Thanks for the motivation to get my own work done.

[@feldweible]

I am loving this evolution Mark! I'm all pins and needles to see the final product.

[@e93bausch]

Great video Mark. This one has really captured my interest. Looking forward to Part 2.

[@Ihasanart]

Stunning stuff as always! Eagerly awaiting the next installment!

[@williamhart4896]

That's going to be a quick and dirty truck gun . Thirty hrs in the shop and most likely many happy years in the truck gonna be a good dear gun in the end

[@jerryshoup1707]

As a retired gunsmith of 40+ years it was fun to watch your ideas. Just a thought I would have used a live center when cutting the threads on the barrel. Anything that you can do to a Smile will help it.

[@marknovak8255]

That setup got the last 3 inches of the bore running true to the muzzle device. I'll take it...there were other things going on here that we didn't talk about, or were edited out. But you get that

[@RLCoombes]

A gunsmith I know has been doing this mod for many years. As we're in Canada, he calls them Tundra Carbines. FWIW, he also makes a very nice takedown No. 4 and does the nicest trigger job on them that I've ever experienced. 50 years ago in Canada, stores used to stock them muzzle down in 55 gal. barrels for under $10.

[@kolakommando]

The poor lathe guy is like "why did you have to film today" lol outstanding word Jarod

[@d3faulted2]

Just to put this out there as to why the barrel wobbles so much. I was listening to a podcast or Q&A (i forget where) that had Bloke on the Range. He said what the British discovered was that you only had to have the last 6 inches of the barrel perfectly straight for it to be accurate. It made gauging and production of the barrels much faster since they didn't have to straighten the whole thing.

[@marknovak8255]

YES

[@jontee3437]

I can't wait for the next episode on this. These kinds of projects really interest me because I like to tinker around with things but have no shop or tools with which to do projects that require machining or a lathe. I'm pretty much limited to hand tools and a drill press and the crappy shot out junkers that I can find on gunbroker. But something like this project I could do almost all of it myself plus the keeping it looking like it was a factory modification is one of my things as well. It reminds me of an M14 tanker version.

[@louislarose4023]

Cool Video ! Those of us in Canada that own number 5 Jungle Carbines use them for moose and bear. My personal jungle carbine was my first center fire rifle. I got it at a woolco store when i was 14 for 32 dollars. 1968 . My mother was the adult that bought the gun ,20 dollars was my own hard earned money. As an adult I used that rifle daily for 30 years on a North Coast BC Canada trap line. It now lives mostly in a safe .and every once in a while it comes out to harvest a bear.

[@jeramyw]

40:33 he's got three hands

[@ZGryphon]

Former nuclear submariner. :)

[@TheBiggestIron]

You have to if your gona be a gunsmith

[@remko1238]

Noticed the same here.. no.4 hand on a sigar ?

[@CMDR.Gonzo.von.Richthofen]

Awesome project! Can't wait to see it finished! I wanted to do one of these years ago, and never got around to it. Ended up selling the rifle I had planned on using. Now my interest is rekindled. Time to dig up another Enfield.

[@bgdavenport]

Preparation, measurement....preparation, measurement.....90% of the work! Thank you for the excellent tutorial!

[@juansimon5802]

how can u quote atf? they cant even quote their own rules.

[@iliap1217]

That flash suppressor looks like it came off of no5 jungle carbine. Great vid as always, keep the creative juices flowing.

[@WRXBase]

I love watching a maker / engineer create. Glad YT suggested this.

[@thebeardprevails5246]

Canadian Rangers retired their No4 mk 1s in 2018, 77 years after it was first put in to service.

[@Des..Perado]

A lot of them are going back to their Enfields unofficially. the new Tikkas aren't holding up as well in the extreme climates. When they bring the cold Tikkas inside moisture is building up on them and then it freezes again locking the actions in place. there was so much slop in the Enfield actions that the frost wasn't an issue.

[@marknovak8255]

Like we said, this design is not all that precise, but it is TOUGH

[@madcratebuilder]

I did this to my first No4, back in 1964. I don't remember who made the rifle was but I recall it was nice. Your 2 vids got me to open the LE safe and dig a few out.

[@Billo1281]

Can’t get enough of your videos. Like a fly on the wall.

[@MichaelJones-tk4xt]

I wish I could spend a few years learning more from you !!!! You are truly gifted with gunsmithing thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us ..

[@peterrobins3708]

Brilliant. Where art meets skill & free thinking takes over. Great stuff, keep on keeping on. :-)

[@rollercam351]

Mark, I love your work. Probably be a fun shop to work in! That said, I think I'd have dial indicated the chamber of the barrel to dead nuts. Then performed a static tram to insure that the steady rest is perfectly aligned 😁👍

[@bobolsen7921]

new to this channel. gotta say i like the snarky attitude (with taste) combined with the overwhelming knowledge. thanks ole kid. ill be back

[@survivalcomms]

Really looking forward to how this comes out. I have a No 5 that someone put into an ebony tipped Reinhardt Fajen forestock and a matching monte carlo buttstock with a poly finish. It's hideous but a decent foundation for a forestock project like this. Thanks for sharing !

[@12gageshot]

Thats looking good. I am looking forward to seeing the final product.

[@piperpa4272]

Great work as always Mark.

[@watrdog504]

I'm not a machinist and usually can't get my fingers to do what my eyes want but it's fascinating to just watch what a master can do. Thx. for your vids.

[@1345medford]

One thing about using a SMLE for a truck gun is the detachable magazine. Many states don't allow a gun with ammo in it while in a motor vehicle and magazine makes it fast to load.

[@kolakommando]

A fantastic channel and a fantastic engineering mind, I could watch for hours

[@gpclipner]

Wow fun project. Can’t wait to see the final product.

[@Algernon_1337]

Really fun project, im excited for the next episode

[@robertos4172]

I love watching this guy. Most entertaining and educational on KZbin. If you ever do a spinoff on anything from cooking to dog barbering, I'll subscribe.

[@guitarsnguns]

Hey Mark, for the type of service that this carbine is going to see, I think the accuracy will be more than adequate. Gonna be a sharp looking, fast handling little gun, nice work!

[@micahreid5553]

Exactly, as a truck gun in Montana it just needs to be minute of bear at a distance of "Oh Shit" and it is pent accurate enough

[@guitarsnguns]

@@micahreid5553 Permission to use the above accuracy specification on my customers....That's great!

[@melvindenny8962]

Slick on the fly, sort of, engineering. Creating a nice creation of someone's perceived dream. Thank you. Insightful

[@danthompson1467]

I love your approach to everything

[@TheIrishAmish]

(psst,,,,,saw all the way around so that the last part to be cut is in the middle,,,,). LOVING the videos!!

[@flintrichards945]

It’s gonna be cool. Looking foreword to the next part.

[@taggartlawfirm]

Mark?? You making a truck gun is like Michelangelo painting someone’s bike.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Spending a lot of money for something that's going to get beat to crap, yes. But fascinating to see Mark's thinking.

[@bend1483]

As Always Mark, Outstanding!

[@blake8210]

As always, amazing work. I’d love to get to your level of knowledge alone.

[@jerryshoup1707]

Hey! Mark, thanks for the answer. I'll keep watching.

[@DuszaBeben]

That's going to be so awesome! Great engineering!

[@robertosoma8483]

40:10 in... bang! “miss me!” as Mark hand saws the front stock and doesn’t miss a beat. LMAO 🤣

[@slowhand1198]

Bubba, stand down. This is how it's done, and what it's done on.

[@Halinspark]

Your attitude towards machining practices makes me thing you and my professor would get along great. He is all about getting us to consider the easier way to get the same results.

[@astridvallati4762]

First, Take the barrel out of the receiver with the Correct Barrel/Receiver wrenches. Then center barrel with 4-jaw and then center muzzle with Steady. Then all the Crowning and Threading With a concentric bore, for correct threading for muzzle brake/flash-hider. Also easier in the first instance to cut the barrel down to Carbine lenght. Doc AV

[@Absaalookemensch]

Agree. It pained me to watch this.

[@mikec6892]

Very interesting always nice to see a skilled craftsman at work. Great video thanks for sharing.

[@u-wot-n8]

Can't wait to see the finished product, looks like it's gonna be pretty rad. e: I sent you an email a little while back about a 10A to 10 Trench Conversion, been a while since I sent it, was wondering if you saw it? Thanks.

[@jimgarrett7078]

Just found your channel and enjoy it. I grew up with an old .303 infield hanging on the gun rack in our basement. My dad finally traded it with money for a Remington model 1100 12ga. Wish we still had the old 303, but glad my dad finally got himself an automatic. I know projects have certain time and financial constraints - seems you might have used a hydraulic press to straighten the barrel. In any case, I’m enjoying the remake of this old rifle!!!

[@kolakommando]

I love it when marks 3rd hand appears

[@markmanwaring3823]

The original front furniture is beech , as was commonly used by the poms for most rifles after WW1 ( ran out of walnut haha . Definitely don't want to shorten a 303 too much , muzzle flash and blast is considerable .The 'woop ' in that barrel haha

[@marknovak8255]

LOTS of woop

[@b9brutality]

And now begins the 72 page long waiting list for all of us that have the parts laying around and pray that Mark makes these regularly... :-)

[@Whitpusmc]

Though one wonders why he didn’t just buy a $500 slightly trashed #5 or a Santa Fe fake #5, would be cheaper I think?

[@rifleman2c997]

Beautiful work, you are like a Rembrandt of firearms.

[@tarstakars]

Can hardly wait to see the finished piece 👍👍👍👍

[@yota4004]

any machinist would have had a stroke watching the lathe portion LOL.

[@marknovak8255]

The barrel was that out of round. All the dancing in the back was necessary to have the last 3 inches of the bore running true.

[@stevendupre2792]

Especially breaking the rule to have no more stick out than 2.5 x the diameter of what you're turning.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@stevendupre2792 is that rule for the chuck or the steadi rest?

[@stevendupre2792]

@@ScottKenny1978 Either, or. Its for any stick out. I also know he's full of it about having the barrel indicated because he has no way of knowing that the OD of the barrel (where its riding on the steady rest) is also concentric with the ID.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@stevendupre2792 so, when the barrel is a corkscrew, how do you determine bore concentricity? The only way I can think of involves stuffing a soft copper rod that is land diameter into the bore and making sure it doesn't wobble as you rotate the barreled action.

[@tangero3462]

Awesome work! I'm really stoked for the end result A little taste goes along way with a conversion, I've found. It's not hard, it just takes time. Perusing the RIA catalog, there are some actually decent sporters out there. There's a whole lot more crap, though. I've been searching for a 1917 of adequate lack of quality to convert to a Chinese short rifle, and stripped receivers for those seem to have utterly disappeared, so a 308 sporter project I have all the other metal for (including a barrel and magazine assembly) is also on indefinite hold. I guess it gives the chunks of ebony I got time to dry out a bit more.

[@googlepissoff5776]

Chinese short rifle?

[@tangero3462]

@@googlepissoff5776 www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/01/16/m1917-carbine/ Here's an article from Othias

[@9023710a]

Looking forward to part 2

[@anthonywagner7648]

Keep the great video’s and work coming 👍

[@stephenmorris490]

This guys work is amazing.

[@murph9935]

If there ever was a No. 4 Mk1 to sporterize, this was probably it.

[@patmancrowley8509]

Looking forward to the next installment.

[@TheNucklehead75]

wow, that wobble is crazy, from a machinists view, but, i bet its accurracy would surprise you. love to watch.

[@user-yx9bs8zo5q]

Yea. The bbl should of been removed

[@samrodian919]

Mark that's a brilliant job Sir! I think I would have turned up a .304 pin with a larger end then put a centre into it and fitted it until it was snug in the barrel bore then pulled the tail stock up with a revolving centre and set the steady rest to fit. If it didn't then turn a 1/2" wide or whatever suits the steady rest band concentric with the bore. Then I would have screw cut the thread, and ensured it was concentric. Then the woodwork I'd have done the same as you propose.

[@jimlab]

We hunt with a farmer in Wyoming who has what used to be a stainless Ruger Model 77 skeleton (or paddle or whatever) stock rifle in the rarer (if not rarest) .223 Remington chambering. He spray painted it camouflage and it rides on the front of his 4 wheeler. It's beat. It looks like he's used it for a pry bar a couple times and probably has, but it shoots just fine. He's perfectly happy with it and if you told him that it was a rare rifle that should be hiding in his safe, he'd look at you like you were an idiot. It's meant to be used and it serves his needs. Worry about your own rifles and stop trying to tell other people what they should do with theirs.

[@msuitepyon6675]

You were thinking of a cut down (or sawn off) Mosin Nagant--called an "Obrez."

[@gabemando7823]

msuitepyon they supposedly had some chopped down lee Enfields for tunnelers. Supposedly

[@McComrade3765]

Or he was thinking of the cut down ones from new hope the desert junkers use

[@sartainja]

Good one. 👍

[@slaughterround643]

@@gabemando7823 sounds like an armourer's job and not a real military adoption

[@gabemando7823]

Slaughter Round if I recall they had evidence of them after the war, not during, and they were from the German’s perspective, hence the supposedly

[@peacefulpleb]

I shot this weapon type as a cadet from the age of 14, hell of a weapon and accurate enough.

[@tomj5747]

I have a genuine matching jungle carbine and it’s a great little gun, it shoots amazing

[@jeramyw]

Me too. Handed down from Grandpa. It's got a few dents, dings, and scratches. But the inside is immaculate. Dad said last it was shot was the mid eighties with only 3 rounds because that's all they had.

[@Carnyx_1]

40:32 The sign of a true gunsmith, the ability to grow a third arm and hand as needed.

[@johngaltman]

This is what actual gunsmithing looks like and I want some more of that in my life...

[@roybartran6756]

i bet ole Jeff Cooper would even approve of that mod....i enjoyed that !

[@manatoa1]

This may sound weird, but I really respect your ability to say "that's good enough". It's a hell of a hard lesson to learn in my painful experience. That lathe setup was gnarly. Your lathe is bigger than mine, but it looked like over 5 thou of runout at the muzzle. I think I'd have given up or burned up an unreal amount of time trying to make it better. My hat's off to you.

[@marknovak8255]

Burned up an UNREAL amount of TIME..................and that is the point I've been trying to make. Thanks, my hats is off to YOU

[@madd-mattmitchell917]

Mark, Man-o-man, love what you are doing! I'm really looking forward to the second (and third?) half of this project. Please if you can, as you are doing the wood work on this stock, be sure to let us know about the waxes and oils you will be using on the wood to make it all look right. Thanks again for your expertise in the matter of these weapons. Later, Guy!

[@greggkemp5985]

Having grown up around guns, I had always heard that......the Enfield was built for it's toughness, the Mauser was built for it's look's and the Springfield was built for it's accuracy. I never handled a Mauser much, but I can attest to the other two having those attributes. Great series Mark, thank you so much.

[@marknovak8255]

May I add...the M1917 has the best of all 3 and none of the vices.......

[@WardenWolf]

My opinion: the Springfield is the best of all 3. I have handled all 3 of them but only own a Mauser and Springfield (by choice). The Springfield has action speed and smoothness comparable with the Enfield, but action strength comparable with the Mauser upon which it's based. There's a lot of things about the Enfield I simply don't like. The problem is the original gun did not possess sufficient action strength (different from external ruggedness), and this limited the power of .303. And because Britain didn't want to change cartridges or fully retire the earliest guns, this removed incentive to make future guns more robust which, in turn, precluded any significant loading improvements on the existing cartridge. It was a never-ending circle-jerk that ultimately crippled Britain's small arms development for over 50 years. Had the original rifle been stronger, the cartridge could have either been more powerful to start with or refit with improved powders later on. You look at the Mauser, the 1903, the Mosin. All of these were sufficiently strong actions that they were able to fire significantly more punishing rounds than they originally released with. Then you see the Enfield, limited to its slow-burning powders in order to keep bolt thrust under control.

[@f.h.9606]

@@WardenWolf It may be technically right what you say about the strength of the Enfield system, but did it make the Enfield a worse infantry weapon? The higher power of 8x57, 7,62x54R or .30-06 may be a technical advantage and give you theoretically a higher range. But lying in a trench or attacking enemy-occupied villages, typically fighting at distances between 20 and 200 meters what difference does it make? I think the lower powered cartridge is even an advantage since the lower recoil puts less stress on the soldier and makes follow-up shots easier. The development of infantry weapons and calibers pretty much prooves that. But then, machine guns are a completely different pair of shoes...

[@panzerabwerkanone]

@@WardenWolf Well the British did indeed look at changing the cartridge and the rifle prior to WWI. If the war had not started the British would have continued the development of the Pattern 14 rifle in a different cartridge. The large amount of .303 left over after the Great War (and financial crisis) led them to improving the old standby they had. The US 1903 was a Mauser (the US paid royalties for patent infringement to Mauser). The Pattern 14 was the British interpretation of the Mauser. The US Model 1917 was the US conversion of the British interpretation of the Mauser. So yes, they did decide the Mauser design was superior.

[@craigfurey942]

There are so many bubba’d “lost cause” Mauser 98 actions out there that could be turned into truck guns, not sure why the guy sent you an Enfield lol

[@marknovak8255]

It's what he had, and he wanted a #5 sorta lookalike

[@michaelpate5426]

I had a Mauser rechamber in a 308 I love the hell out of it

[@cedricpidde2633]

A Mauser action would be a better use of time but... chopped enfield is pretty unique so it’s got some cool factor

[@tech4pros1]

A mauser 98 in 9.3x62 shortened down into a k88/g91 size, with a stutzen stock and mannlicher fore-end.. recoil would be pretty stout..

[@Kav.]

I'd dig a short Enfield in .280/30 but I hate cock on close actions so I'm probably going to get a K31 or Mauser 98, UK sucks so not like I can practically own all of them :(

[@imrahilneill5181]

I really enjoyed that, thanks and cheers!

[@stephenchapman4440]

Recoil? Indeed. Blast? Oh yes.

[@user-eb4vs6si1n]

"if your student appears to have a clue, let him roll" I got shivers when I heard that

[@thesheepman220]

The short version you were trying too think of , is De Lisle carbine 303 action and stock or metal sterling stock , M 1911 mags and a Thompson barrel fully silenced in 45 ACP used mostly by the British commandos for eliminating enemy sentries

[@ScottKenny1978]

No, he was thinking of an Obrez Moisin.

[@adamemmrich283]

I just had my mind blown how barrel length is explained. Never actually have taken a ruler to any of my firearms but I've shot some long revolvers and what he explained totally makes sense to me.

[@patrickdavies6514]

It makes sense. Except legally, in both the USA Canada, barrel length is measured from the back end of the forcing cone and does not include the cylinder. He put out a correction on that in a later episode.