Earlier on TFB we wrote about how in the Ukraine an arms company was modernizing the Mosin Nagant platform with picatinny rails, bipods, etc… as an attempt to make it a somewhat viable modern day designated marksmen’s rifle. From India we also have an attempt in bringing the Lee Enfield into the 21st Century as well. In this case we have a much smaller scale of modernization, and instead of a factory we have a backyard operation in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region of the world. A firearms enthusiast has taken a No.4 Lee Enfield, removed the .303 barrel and replacing it with a 7.62x54Rmm PKM barrel, surrounded with what appears to be a Firefield 12 inch quad rail handguard. The stock consists of various AR buffer tube compatible telescoping polymer stocks, some are even foldable. In fact the only thing that remains from the original Lee Enfield action is the magazine, receiver, and trigger assembly! I’m not very clear on how the designer matched a .303 bolt head with a 7.62x54Rmm case, but there are videos of the rifle firing so apparently it works, semi safely at least. Enfield 10 magazines will fit 7.62x54R but some work does need to be done to the bolt head. This is a video of a fellow in the United States that successfully converted a .303 No.4 to a Mosin Nagant barrel.

Early attempts at conversion left the wood stock surrounding the action, however this was removed. Also note this particular version is a No.1 SMLE and not a No.4.

Notice the open area around the trigger, in an attempt to “skeletonize” the receiver.