Rare "Smiling Tiger" rifle value?

N

northof58

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I have a 120 ShtLE "Wild Tiger Corps" No.1 MkIII BSA Rifle. The bolt is orginal. The clip is missing. The wood has been shortened. The rifling is good. The outer barrel has some pitting/roughness in spots. (as shown in picture)
I am trying to decide whether I will sell this or keep it as a restoration project.
What is its value?

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010214.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010217.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010220.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010221.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010218.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/northof58_photo/Tiger Corp Rifle/P1010215.jpg
 
You didn't mention, do the bolt, receiver and rear sight numbers match? Is the bore shiny and bright or pitted/frosted?

Cut down wood, etc., can't see it being more than a $100 to $150 rifle. With full wood/bands/nosecap, more.
 
I agree with Cantom ... :)

Now, get it back to looking like the example in the England - Milsurp Knowledge Library http://www.milsurps.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12 and you have a piece with some nice value, considering they only made 10,000 of them. ;)


1920 ShtLE (Short Lee-Enfield) "Wild Tiger Corps" No.1 MkIII* Rifle (click here) http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=1072

(Click PIC to Enlarge)


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Regards,
Badger
 
The bore is reasonably shiny with strong rifling. The bolt has the Siamese numerals but do not match the receiver. I can't find any Siamese markings on the rear sight.
 
Great restoration project IMHO. "sporterized", the fact that it's from a limited series doesn't matter much. Once retrofitted, though, I believe it would have a (somewhat reasonable) impact.
 
cantom said:
You should sell it to Lou! Him and his dog would make it look like a million dollar beauty...:D
Click to expand...

:) Thanks Cantom, but now I must have 4 or 5 projects lined up, that's probably it for this season! No tiger corps in the lot though...

And yes the dog does most of the work ;)

Lou
 
Thanks for the info guys. It's about what I thought. I might just put it up to see if there is an interesting trade out there rather than restore it. Let someone else do the restoration.
 
"...an interesting trade..." Buy a magazine, they don't use clips other than stripper clips, from Gunparts. $31.45US. You might find one at a gun show or in your local gun shop though. Look for two locking lugs on the back.
Have the headspace checked first. Thousands of No. 1 Lee-Enfields have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC. Just as many have had the bolt head changed for who knows what reason. Then sell it if you don't want it. It doesn't have much 'trade' value.
 
Clean it up and hunt for a dark walnut woodset. It would be worth as much as any other BSA made Sht LE Mk.III but with the added interest of the smiling tiger history.

There is a P.07 bayo to go with it too. It has the tiger face on the blade ricasso. The scabbards often have the leather replaced with local made sheet metal. The leather apparantly didn't hold up to the climate too well, but is an interesting variant, not often seen.
 
Those critters wewre marked with a serial number in our numerals, right side of the receiver, hiding down in the woodwork...... sometimes eaten away by jungle rot. Gauge your bore: mine looks fine but is SO far oversize that you could ALMOST run it with 8mm slugs!!!!!! Slug it is the best way..... excessive cleaning sometimes opened up the muzzles, and that can really mess up your shooting. If you have a bore that actually shoots, it is well worth restoring. There aren't many Siamese Smellies around that can actually hit something.
 
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