Enfield Rescue!

[tplumtree]

Hey guys, I picked up a couple of Enfields today for $200 from an older gentleman that needed to quickly clear out his gun cabinet. I'm mostly into collecting Mausers and Garands so I was hoping to get some input from some of you guys that are much better informed than me!

The top one (pictured below) appears to be an 1896 Long Lee Enfield. I think that these can be pretty expensive in collectable condition but this one looks like a parts rifle. The barrel is a sewer pipe. But can you imagine where this rifle has been - Boer Wars etc etc?? I'm wondering is there any value in this rifle even in parts?

The second one is much better. It appears to be an Enfield P14 .303 ERA (Eddystone) with matching bolt, barrel, and receiver. Trigger group has no numbers but is stamped with the Eddystone "E". The metal under the wood is in really nice shape. I'm probably going to keep this one but correct stocks are tough to find. I'd really like to know roughly what this one is worth as is.

The bottom one breaks my heart. This appears to be a P17 barrelled action (bolt is not pictured), but Bubba milled off the rear sight to mount a scope. The barrel has the flaming bomb cartouche and is in really nice condition. I'm going to try to sell the barrel off of this one.

Any useful input would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Pak75]

Ok really quick my perspective from down under (the states). The top early .303 would only be a parts gun here. Good to sell for someone who needs that odd part to complete their project. Hard to find enough parts to make it cost effective to restore. Parts availability in Canada may be a different story. The second I would say is a keeper and probably a likely candidate to restore. Worth more than the first one since it is a matching rec/barrel/bolt. You can use a 1917 stock for it if need be or just wait for the correct one to show up. The 1917 barreled action and bolt may as well be converted to a sporter/hunting rifle. No value in trying to restore it to milsurp configuration. It would make a great project for a beginner gunsmith to try his talents on as someone has already started the sporter transformation. Hope this gives you something to ponder. My estimates as to monetary value would probably not help much as the U.S. market can be vastly different than yours.

In other words sell #1 and #3 and use the money to restore the Pattern 14 rifle.

 

[FishDoc]

As Pak said, the P-14 is certainly a restoration candidate. The Lee is also possible, but only for restoration karma. You will never make the money back for the cost of the restoration (very few restos do pay off)
The P-17 barrel is bobbed probably, and only good for a hunting rifle. Just put a stock and mag back on and should be GTG. Oh yeah, and a proper scope as without the sights, you wont hit anything!

 

[smellie]

Build the P-17 into a proper hunting rifle; you will have the finest Moose gun money can buy, with a barrel which will last your lifetime AND your grandson's.

The P-14 is worth roughly $200 the way it is. It is a restoration candidate and will make back up into a beautiful historic rifle. It will take time and money but the satisfaction alone will be worth it. Not much work to mod the P-14 stock to the P-17 action..... AFTER you find a proper P-14 stock. So you're halfway there to TWO excellent rifles.

As to the butchered (Long) Lee-Enfield Mark I, you're right: she has Been There and Done That. She was already a third-line rifle when the Great War erupted 98 years ago. A Number 4 barrel is the right profile and CAN be adapted to fit, but will be 5 inches short. If you can source an original spare barrel, this one is really worth a resto. Otherwise, let her go to a good home where she will be respected...... and NOT just as spare parts, one at a time. There is enough there for somebody dedicated to work on if you don't want to. I am working on one MUCH worse and it will be nice when it is done.

Heck of a deal!
.

 

[tplumtree]

Thanks for the replies guys. I've sold the Long Lee to an avid collector on CGN and the P17 is going to a fellow CGNer too. I'm going to keep and restore the P14 to its former glory even if it takes a few years!