who completely does No. 4 mk. 1s

[Merc]

Shoot it and enjoy it knowing that a No. 4 in less than minty condition probably saw some active service during the war.

[JB White]

If that's what Brian told you then he's not lying. Years ago he announced there is no more to be had coming into the US. It's highly regulated in the UK and the USA has banned its importation due to health and safety concerns.
IIRC, the closest Suncorite number is 259. The closest appearance-wise in the US is 528 which is used for industrial coatings. Most commonly seen on "black pipe" which is used for fire sprinkler systems. That in itself is not an easy paint to apply for the one time DIY'r. The prep and application requires some time and investment as it's not meant to be sprayed.

I looked into it myself a long while back.
One of the things I recall is that it could only be bought in 5 gallon containers or by the drum if I could find someone willing to sell it to me. (nope). That and it had a shelf life of only one year or so. Disposal of the unused paint (along with tools and tanks) are strictly a haz-mat situation.

The Lee Enfields had long service lives for the most part. The markings and condition often tell an interesting story. There might be better condition rifles out there at a premium over the others. If the price is fair it's worth paying the extra at the time. It should always command that price or better. Why bother putting that premium into paint and materials for no gain whatsoever?
Enjoy your rifle. You may run across a few range snobs who might not have nice things to say, but rest assured they aren't Enfield collectors in a real sense. A real Enfield collector might ask why you restocked it, painted it, replaced those certain parts for "better" etc etc..

Again, respect her for what she is and have fun with her. I hope she's a good shooter. Makes it easier to spend more time with her and all that other mushy stuff.

[Merc]

Steve,

Tell us more about your No. 4. Photos are always welcome.

I was always curious about how complicated the No. 4 was compared to its contemporaries although a 10 round mag did have its advantages.

Merc