Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I
The rifle Canadian forces carried in WWII. Long Branch Arsenal in Toronto produced thousands. Still Non-restricted in 2026 — the rubric reads it Low.
Is the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I banned in Canada? Not currently. The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is Non-restricted, but it scores 1/15 on the Holdover Ban-Risk Index. It is not currently eligible for compensation. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.
Classification: Non-restricted · OIC/SOR: - · Ban-Risk: Low · Compensation: Not currently eligible · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days
Verdict
The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is the rifle Canadian Forces carried in World War II. Long Branch Arsenal in Toronto produced approximately 905,000 of them between 1941 and 1945 — the largest single concentration of Lee-Enfield production outside the UK. The rifles remain in active Canadian collector hands eighty years on; surplus-grade examples sell for $400, matching-numbers Long Branch variants reach $1,800, and Mk I (T) sniper-marked rifles can exceed $5,000 at specialist auction. The Index keeps the entry because the surplus market is part of Canadian shooting culture and because the rifle's continued Non-restricted status is itself the editorial point: a 1939-pattern military service rifle is more Non-restricted in 2026 than a 2023 Beretta Cx4 sport carbine. The rubric reads the Lee-Enfield at 1/15 — the cleanest Low on the Index alongside the Tikka T3x and the Bergara B14.
Tracking a rifle on this list?
The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.
What would change the score
- Categorical reclassification of bolt-action centrefire (no current federal signal).
- Specific naming of surplus military rifles (no precedent — the SVT-40 was named for being a semi-automatic; the Lee-Enfield is bolt-action and outside the SOR criteria's logic).
Lineage
Parents: Lee-Metford (1888), Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III (1907 — also Non-restricted)
Siblings: Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mk I "Jungle Carbine" (Non-restricted), Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I* (Long Branch / Savage US variants)
Derived: sniper-marked No. 4 Mk I (T) (Non-restricted, premium collector market)
Primary sources for this entry
- RCMP Firearms Reference Table — public landing page — RCMP. accessed 2026-05-27
- Lee-Enfield — Wikipedia (historical reference) — Other. accessed 2026-05-27
Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.