expensive lee enfields

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winchester12

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Hello

Why are lee enfields so expensive ? They made millions of them. Most have been refurbished at some point.They sold for peanuts when they hit the surplus market in the 50's and sixties. military surplus ammo is pretty much gone years ago.Alot were sporterized and then put back to military.I dont get it. I want one and have been shopping and I cant believe what people are asking. Maybe some of you experts could explain it to me
 
Sporterized Lee Enfields are still dime-a-dozen, at least around these parts and every local gun show I've been to. You are correct in that they WERE cheap and plentiful, but then so were bison at one point. Some have been shot out, lost, destroyed, damaged beyond economical repair, etc. I know from an ex cop buddy of mine that many were turned in for destruction during the amnesties. Our government has destroyed old stock, like the hundreds of .22 Lee Enfield trainers they dumped into the Stelco furnaces in Hamilton. Many sporters are not restorable, and parts are getting scarcer and scarcer for those wishing to refurbish an old war horse back to factory original. Long Branch and/or Canadian marked firearms and parts are at a premium because of the patriotic connection and those who have them are reluctant to part with them. Some people have many in their collections that may or may not hit the market upon their demise. Simply put, a factory original Lee Enfield, especially Long Branch, seems to rarely come on the market. Supply and demand, my friend.
 
We (CGN and a few other places) are in a large part responsible for the increase. I sold a couple a few years back for $300-ish, in great shape. That was the going rate back then. Nothing has changed, except that, through all these Enfield threads, we have made them desirable. Therefore, the price people are willing to pay goes up, therefore the price people ask is going up. If all of the sudden we decided that the Lee Enfield, other than having historical value only to those who care, is a much less capable shooter all-round than a $300 used Stevens 200 , then the prices would float back down again. They aren't rare, by any stretch, it's just that they're "in fashion" right now.

As we continue to worship them, their prices will continue to climb.
 
I rebuild milsurps. Over even the last few years, parts are very rapidly becoming scarce. Just a couple of years ago I would pay $35 to 40 for a fore stock. Now, most of the commercial suppliers are out of stock or charge at least double that. Private sellers are asking over $100 in most cases. Just check out Tradex and Marstar and see how many parts are left in their inventory.
Need I say more?
 
None made since about 1960, continuous shrinkage of supply since then for the usual reasons, demand steady or increasing. Result: shortage and rising prices.
 
There are not the large stocks of surplus firearms being sold by governments anymore. They are destroying them.
In some cases, the US Government is financing it. Most of these firearms are over 50 years old and more. Large stocks
of ammo are gone and they are of little use to them.
 
In the late 90's, intact Enfields were often somewhere between three and four hundred dollars, whereas the jungle carbine was always more. Not seeing that now. Just one example of how the trends have gone, as I see it.
 
Still dime-a-dozen being a relative term too. Ain't no $50 or less bubba'd rifles or rifles sold by the pound any more.
However, no Lee-Enfield has been made in Canada since the early 50's(not 1960). About the same time in England. None in India since the mid 60's.
Most of those "millions" have either been deliberately destroyed like ALL remaining CF No. 4's and No. 7's or bubba'd or otherwise destroyed. As mentioned, the demand is there, but the supply of rifles in decent condition is low.
 
It's also worth noting that the modern production (before they shut down) AIA Enfields were both inferior in quality and much more expensive than surplus rifles.
 
"We (CGN and a few other places) are in a large part responsible for the increase."

Just like the hysteria at auctions where items are bid way higher than their value.
 
Some very valid points have been raised throughout the discussion in this thread but let me just say that I get a bit of a kick out of you Enfield guys complaining about the rising prices of these rifles. Have any of you checked out what unrefurbished matching K98s are going for these days, or perhaps factory correct M1 Rifles? In most cases, they command twice that of an unrefurbished Enfield. The fact is, nearly seven decades later, there aren't many untouched examples of any standard infantry rifles used by the great powers (be they Allied or Axis) just laying around. Like many have already explained, the vast majority of these were refurbished or destroyed over the years so the rising price of quality examples isn't overly surprising.

That said, there will always be "shooter" grade examples available for considerably less than whatever the "collector" grade examples are going for, but as time passes those will likely become scarcer as well. If we take a moment to think it through logically, I'm sure most of us can accept the fact that there's only a finite number of parts available to restore previously sporterized examples so one day those parts will run out as well (like the previously plentiful surplus .303 ammo)... which will in turn make restored rifles with wartime parts more desirable than restored rifles with aftermarket parts. It's a cycle that's been in full swing for a while now. Many of the old time collectors refuse to acknowledge it but I'm not sure anything can reverse the trends we've recently begun to experience (unless of course our politicians prevent us from owning said rifles in the future).

- Chris
 
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$500 to $600 dollars is not a bad price at all for a very good condition Lee Enfield (especially a SMLE)!

If they were to be made today (which they aren't as noted) they would be asking at least $1000 for one and in reality $500 usually only buys you a cheap half plastic hunting rifle that probably will not be near as reliable, or last as long, or be as fast to shoot, or have a 10 shot detachable mag and then have anywhere the history or nostalgic value. Plus if you look after it, it will only increase in value over time unlike that cheap part plastic hunting rifle!
 
20 years ago they were $99.99 at Century Arms and $225 for a new Irish contract model.
 
The reason for high prices, is entirely the willingness of buyers to pay.
Gun sellers keep raising the price until no one buys.
This is the way it works when there are more buyers than sellers.
So.....if you are paying a high price make sure that you buy the best.
A cobbled together "restored" gun is still a bodge up job. If it is cobbled together with matching parts it is at least a plausible bodge up.
When I was collecting Lee Enfields ( sold them all 30 years ago) a FTR rifle was not really desirable; a place filler in the collection. They, at least, were honest issue firearms.
Honest signs of use are preferable to pristine looking bodge up in my eyes, but one rarely regrets buying the best example available.
 
Buyers are willing to pay good money for lesser enfields because any enfield is better that no enfield. There may be more gun owner interested in milsurps now than ever before.
 
20 years ago a 600ml bottle of pop was .99
Now it's $2.49 and 500ml and they make more every day.

It's simple math and economics.

Zero new + limited existing supply + more buyers = more money then the good old days.
 
sulisa said:
We (CGN and a few other places) are in a large part responsible for the increase. I sold a couple a few years back for $300-ish, in great shape. That was the going rate back then. Nothing has changed, except that, through all these Enfield threads, we have made them desirable. Therefore, the price people are willing to pay goes up, therefore the price people ask is going up. If all of the sudden we decided that the Lee Enfield, other than having historical value only to those who care, is a much less capable shooter all-round than a $300 used Stevens 200 , then the prices would float back down again. They aren't rare, by any stretch, it's just that they're "in fashion" right now.

As we continue to worship them, their prices will continue to climb.
Click to expand...

Funny you say that, Cabela's bought my Stevens 200 for more than I paid for it brand new about a year ago....
 
What would be value on this one today

This was made at Lonbranch plant ON for a High ranking military person any idea value on one like this



 
The last quantity import of Lee-Enfield rifles in Canada was about seven years ago. At one time, I had 150 Enfield rifles in stock at the Shop, now I can only find them when I buy a collection.
 
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