1896 LSA Long Lee

B

bearhunter

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Uber Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
178   0   0
Location
okanogan
I saw an 1896, LSA, Long Lee for sale today. It is complete, except for the cleaning rod. The bore is about 95% and the wood is about 75%. Blue is appx 85%. All of the markings on the metal and wood are crisp and sharp. The wood wears a beautifully aged BLO finish that looks to be original. Now, the price tag on this grand old girl is appx $1000.00

I haven't had much to do with these, is the price reasonable? It may just become my christmas present to me.

bearhunter:confused::)
 
Hee hee.... I bought a LSA about 5 years ago, in very nice conditin, with the clearing rod and Cdn markings, but the only thing missing was the bolt. BUT I just happened to have a spare bolt at home (with no ser number on it!!) so I picked the rifle up for the hefty sum of $200.... and I think the seller thought I offered too much, but I took it anyway.... :D
 
Last edited:
London Small Arms never did build a lot of rifles, but they did build good ones. There was no "factory" per se, just a small shop where rifles were assembled. The actual construction of the parts was done by various London shops.

It was a way of keeping in the military business, training staff, making the odd shilling and also turning out what the country needed for defence. Each shop did what it was best at. I believe that some stocking was done by Holland and Holland.

Could be your only chance to own a "name" gun!
 
Don't be worried that you need to find a clearing rod to "complete" your rifle! If it is a military-contract Lee-Enfield (as I assume it must be if the receiver is dated, since commercia-production rifles usually weren't dated) then the absence of a clearing rod is entirely correct and appropriate (even if there is a rod channel present) -

From the War Department's "List of Changes in War Matériel and of Patterns of Military Stores", here's why -

303_rods.jpg


As a result of this directive, all .303 caliber rifles already in service had their rods removed and disposed of, and in the ongoing manufacture of the Magazine Lee-Enfield rifle, the rod channel was eliminated. For this reason, rods are unusual in Magazine Lee-Enfields (and other .303's like the Martini-Metfords and Martini-Enfields) and original rods are next to impossible to locate ....

Of course, soldiers weren't being left without a means of cleaning the bores of their rifles - the rods were simply being eliminated as superfluous to the pullthrough system, which had actually been adopted in 1890 and was standard with the SMLE and later rifles that most of us are familiar with - (click this one to enlarge ....)

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom