1917 No.1 Mk III - what to do?

[thebigslide]

Hi all,

I've just picked up a new toy/project. Unfortunately, it was bubba's project first.

It's a 1917 Mk III with the original everything except the forend cap screw. The front sight ears and handguards are missing and the foreend has been 'reprofiled'.

Other than that and the front sight being a little bent, it's in really nice shape. I took it to the range yesterday and I had no problem hitting cans of soda water from 100 yards. The bbl looks nearly new but for a little surface rust on top that would be covered up by the handguard.

So whats a fella to do? I wouldn't mind restoring it, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it for anyone but me.

What's a restocked Mk III in otherwise fine condition worth these days?

Other than that, I might finish what bubba started and give it a good trigger job, bedding and see if I can't get an aperature sight on there.

 

[LawrenceN]

Your call, but research the Equipment Exchange. There's a lot of bubba'd No3's there, so that would be your price guide. Then check out Tradex and/or Marstar (links at tip of page) for the wood and parts you need. Add up the cost and see what you come up with. After that it's just a matter of budget, time and preference. Godd luck, no matter which way you decide to go.

 

[smellie]

If you're looking at it as a money-making project, it's likely that you might be disappointed. If you're looking at it as restoring a REALLY neat piece of history to the condition it was in when it came out of the factory, 93 years ago, then go right ahead.

Marstar has something like 10,000 sets of wood coming in for Lee-Enfields; it's just a matter of time until it gets here. That should make the restoration process a bit easier and a bit cheaper than it would be right now.

Bedding these rifles CAN be a drawn-out and difficult process, but it doesn't HAVE to be. You already have a good barrel. That's half the battle, right there. Restore it, bed it right, test it carefully, handload for it... and you just could have yourself a genuine 1 MOA rifle WITHOUT a scope. I have a couple here that will do that, all day long. That is fairly hard to beat.

For a test handload, try my own test load: DI brass, 37 grains of 4895 and a 180 Sierra Pro-Hunter flatbase bullet, seated to the OAL of a Mark VII Ball round. This is a safe load and a bit on the mild side (2250 ft/sec) but it also is right in that 'sweet spot' as far as velocity is concerned in which the old SMLE does her best work. Don't waste your money on boat-tail bullets: Enfield rifling shows a definite preference for flatbase bullets AND they are cheaper.

Talking dollars.... I don't know what you paid for what you have, but let's call it $100. Spend another $100 on parts and put it together. You have a lot of fun, you have spent $200 and you have a rifle that likely will sell for about $300. More to the point, you will have had a lot of fun, you will have rescued a piece of history... and you now have the most brutally-ugly rifle ever built (so ugly that it's beautiful!).... and it has cost you a THIRD of what a new rifle would cost.... and it shoots every bit as well.

Nothing wrong with that.

There are scoping options that do NOT necessitate drilling holes in your rifle (which lowers the value) if you really find that you NEED a scope. But the irons, once you learn to use them, are effective out to about 600 yards just as they are. Check your rifle for a little C with an arrow inside it, up on the forward receiver ring: Canadian ownership stamp. D or DD with the arrow: Aussie, NZ with the arrow: New Zealand, U with the arrow: South Africa.

Lotsa funs!

 

[gordonlbyrne]

its not a money makeing thing it has to be for the enjoyment and feeling that you are bringing a peice of history back to life ,its just a good feeling to hold one in your hands and imagine where its been and what its been trough the military stamps and markings sort of tell a story each one a little different than the other