Knowledge on buying a Lee enfield

I never thought to do that, to restore a sporter in good condition instead of just buying a rifle still in its original body. Thanks for the advice
I agree with tiriaq. Restoring sporters is bad advice. Harder to do than you may think, and wood sets are 4 to 500$ and a sporter with an un cut barrel is 200 to 350$ plus all the small parts.$$ .

I just sold my nice no4 mk1* for 800$ and it sat for quite a while at 900.

Watch for deals, they are out there right now. Seems like a buyers market again....I'm sure the southern goof and an election up here are part of that
 
Speaking of restored sporters there was a cottage industry a few years ago of people doing just that. Most of whom didn’t know what they were doing.

If you buy a No. 1 Mk. 3 variant I recommend having the nose cap match the rifle. That should reduce the risk of taking on someone elses project.
 
Here is an example of a project. Years ago I assembled a perfectly good No. 4 Mk. I* on a 1942 Long Branch receiver. Used parts from a variety of sources. Even has a LB bolt with the round Mk. I cocking piece.
I just acquired a set of No. 4T bases. Plan on making up a faux No. 4T rifle.
I may use this rifle. Or, I have a respectable Maltby receiver and a new-in-the-grease BSA barrel. But to get a quality stock set is a challenge. And a reproduction scope bracket and reproduction No. 32 scope is expensive enough.
 
For most ppl to restore a sporter is to slap dp parts and stock on a sporter. That is not a restoration.

For starters, dp stocks were condemned, usually for warpage or loose draws. Similarly many of the parts are gauged out of spec.

SMLE stocks don’t actually interchange even if they fit on the rifle. They have to be fitted to each action, which takes knowledge and skill. Often you have to replace the draws with fresh wood blocks and re-fit them.

I never buy restored sporters, it’s just refunding someone else’s folly more often than not.
 
I would not restore a sporter anymore. It was fine at one point in time but the cost now days it’s not worth it. You can still find lots of very nice original enfields of different types for $1000 give or take a little it. No way I would spend $600 on a desporter like claven said is probably made up of DP parts. Remember also if you sell it later an original or FTR gun will probably hold or increase its value.
 
I agree with tiriaq. Restoring sporters is bad advice. Harder to do than you may think, and wood sets are 4 to 500$ and a sporter with an un cut barrel is 200 to 350$ plus all the small parts.$$ .

I just sold my nice no4 mk1* for 800$ and it sat for quite a while at 900.

Watch for deals, they are out there right now. Seems like a buyers market again....I'm sure the southern goof and an election up here are part of that
All this information is good, I appreciate it. I'm planning to just save and keep an eye out for a deal. I was looking at videos on how to restore Enfield's last night and it was more complicated than I thought and with my job I would rather just buy something good outright.
 
All this information is good, I appreciate it. I'm planning to just save and keep an eye out for a deal. I was looking at videos on how to restore Enfield's last night and it was more complicated than I thought and with my job I would rather just buy something good outright.
Good call. Deals will come. As I said too, watch for lithgow no1 mk3* to come up. Pay close attention to wood fitment in pictures.

I know pattern of 1914 enfields aren't lee enfields, but they are great rifles too. A c ock on close mauser in 303? Whats not to like. And they are generally less fussy about bedding.
 
One thing to ponder is the Ishapore 2A1. A No1 MkIII in 308 caliber, made in the 1960s. I was able to pick one up recently from a site sponsor for just a tad more than the going price of a No1 MkIII in 303.

I'm a reloader so my ammo cost is fairly low, but for some people 308 is much cheaper than 303.

YMMV
 
rockymountain8: Take a Lee Enfield expert to a large gunshow with a budget of $800 or $900 and you'll likely come away with something decent. Then have the expert strip it an examine it so that after shooting it you still have something decent. There were piles of Lee Enfields at the just-passed Calgary Spring show. Not being in the market to buy any more of them I wasn't checking them out but I did have a nice all-matching Ishapore Mk III (actually an interesting one) with perfect bore priced at $1200 but which I could have been negotiated down on. No one even stopped to talk about it. I also had an Ishapore wire-wrapped grenade launcher Mk III* that I priced at $1000 on day 2, again with absolutely no interest. I had sold a good number of rifles on day 1 so I was not pricing for a quick sale on day 2. If I had been I would have dropped below $1000 on both of them.

milsurpo
 
.303 is a good choice as it's probably still one of easiest rounds to find.
No it's not. A couple of years ago 303 was near impossible to find and prices went through the roof as a result. Even the other day I saw 303 listed for $4 a round. There are 100 other cartridges easier to find and cheaper than 303.

OP. Honestly, unless you just have to have a LE, this is not the way to get into the shooting sports. There are loads and loads of better, more accurate and cheaper rifles and cartridges available. The notion that a 303 LE is an easy and cheap way to start shooting is 20+ year old thinking. If it is a LE that you really want, then go for it. They are interesting rifles with an interesting history but they are really not a beginner's rifle. They are weird and cantankerous and have all kinds of strange pitfalls and habits.


a reproduction scope bracket and reproduction No. 32 scope is expensive enough.
I paid around $1000 for mine two summers ago. I don't suspect they are getting any cheaper.
 
No it's not. A couple of years ago 303 was near impossible to find and prices went through the roof as a result. Even the other day I saw 303 listed for $4 a round. There are 100 other cartridges easier to find and cheaper than 303.

OP. Honestly, unless you just have to have a LE, this is not the way to get into the shooting sports. There are loads and loads of better, more accurate and cheaper rifles and cartridges available. The notion that a 303 LE is an easy and cheap way to start shooting is 20+ year old thinking. If it is a LE that you really want, then go for it. They are interesting rifles with an interesting history but they are really not a beginner's rifle. They are weird and cantankerous and have all kinds of strange pitfalls and habits.



I paid around $1000 for mine two summers ago. I don't suspect they are getting any cheaper.
I'll keep that in mind. Thanks bro
 
No it's not. A couple of years ago 303 was near impossible to find and prices went through the roof as a result. Even the other day I saw 303 listed for $4 a round. There are 100 other cartridges easier to find and cheaper than 303.

OP. Honestly, unless you just have to have a LE, this is not the way to get into the shooting sports. There are loads and loads of better, more accurate and cheaper rifles and cartridges available. The notion that a 303 LE is an easy and cheap way to start shooting is 20+ year old thinking. If it is a LE that you really want, then go for it. They are interesting rifles with an interesting history but they are really not a beginner's rifle. They are weird and cantankerous and have all kinds of strange pitfalls and habits.



I paid around $1000 for mine two summers ago. I don't suspect they are getting any cheaper.

Grasshoppa you jump too soon! I say easy, not say cheap!

Climb mountain road to far village where old man think still old time, sell for old time price.

:giggle:

Translation: small shows and be the first in line. :D
 
OP - You should consider getting a sported LE. You can get a nice Parker Hale or Churchill for less than half of the price of a full wood LE. It will likely have provision for a scope mount, and iron sights too. Thus equipped, you will have a reasonably accurate rifle, suitable for hunting and recreational target shooting, and some left over funds for ammo. Everyone should have a LE, its part of our history. :)
 
OP - You should consider getting a sported LE. You can get a nice Parker Hale or Churchill for less than half of the price of a full wood LE. It will likely have provision for a scope mount, and iron sights too. Thus equipped, you will have a reasonably accurate rifle, suitable for hunting and recreational target shooting, and some left over funds for ammo. Everyone should have a LE, its part of our history. :)
Absolutely, I want one mainly for history but also becauss of how often I see it in movies and video games and I want to shoot one
 
Absolutely, I want one mainly for history but also becauss of how often I see it in movies and video games and I want to shoot one
It seems the Australians and New Zealanders know what is required to get an SMLE sporter that shoots adequately. Here in Canada not so much. People here seem to get the idea that any SMLE sporter will shoot as well as any modernish commercial sporter, no matter what.

An example is that of an Australian gunsmith who recently on s.m. said flatly that in earlier times, SMLE sporters for use in that region were often built using Lithgow heavy target barrels, and why. These are unobtanium in modern Canada. This may shed some light as to why the PH sporter conversions often had the barrels cut to about 22".
 
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When a Lee Enfield of any model is sportered, PROPERLY BEDDED, and loaded with bullets that FIT THE BORE PROPERLY, they will shoot very well.

1 moa is not out of the question.

If the shooter buggers up the ways, uses off the shelf commercial ammo or even most surplus ammo, it's a toss up as far as acceptable accuracy is concerned.

When these rifles were originally loaded with smokeless powder and 220 grain bullets, 4 moa was decreed to be "acceptable."

Match records from the time, with these rifles will indicate that.

Most Lee Enfields of every model and mark were made under war time conditions and tolerances were generous to say the least.

This is what most people have and shoot.

Someone ALWAYS chimes in because the one and only Lee Enfield they owned or shot was a "JEWEL" which shot commercial ammunition well or it wouldn't shoot anything well and declare "all of them are like mine"

Lee Enfields of all types, including Australian "H" barrels can be had with bores measuring from .309 to .315. Match those barrels with proper size bullets and they will usually shoot less than 2moa without much trouble and better with a bit more trouble.

The real weakness of the Lee Enfield is the incredibly awkward bedding system. Very easily disrupted and always requiring maintenance.

When they're good, they're very good, however most are OK and many are terrible, depending on condition of the rifle, bore diameters and availability of consistent ammunition.

There was a time in Canada when making a Lee Enfield shoot wasn't a mystery, IF the shooter wanted to look into it. It still isn't.

CIL/Dominion used to make bullets ranging in diameter from .306 to .330, in .001 increments. There was actually a profitable market for this, because of all the surplus rifles being converted to sporters and the varying bore diameters of these rifles.

When IVI, Valcartier Industries took over, all of the machinery/tooling used to manufacture these cup and core bullets, which was well worn, was sold off into the US and Europe.

Most of those bullet diameters disappeared with that equipment, which was refurbed to produce the most profitable diameters to more exacting tolerances, especially jacket thicknesses.

Most of the Lee Enfields were produced with century old tech. Manufacturing capabilities, especially those relating to repeatable tight tolerances have increased exponentially. To expect similar results?????????????????????

Last year I purchased an M98 Mauser which had been converted to 303 Brit. The bore is badly worn/pitted but it still shoots into less than 2moa with handloads it likes, with .311 bullets and iron sights. I was going to rebarrel it, chambered for the 303 Brit, using .308 bullets. Flash thought, do I want or need another 308Win equivalent shooter??? It will remain as is for "someone else" to take care of or alter.

Those old rifles are what they are. Learn what they are and ask yourself if you're willing to go through the effort required to make them shoot well.

If you don't like the Lee Enfield, find a Pattern 17 "Enfield" which is nothing more than an M98 Mauser on steroids. Bore diameters seem to be a bit more consistent with these rifles.
 
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When a Lee Enfield of any model is sportered, PROPERLY BEDDED, and loaded with bullets that FIT THE BORE PROPERLY, they will shoot very well.

1 moa is not out of the question.

If the shooter buggers up the ways, uses off the shelf commercial ammo or even most surplus ammo, it's a toss up as far as acceptable accuracy is concerned.

When these rifles were originally loaded with smokeless powder and 220 grain bullets, 4 moa was decreed to be "acceptable."

Match records from the time, with these rifles will indicate that.

Most Lee Enfields of every model and mark were made under war time conditions and tolerances were generous to say the least.

This is what most people have and shoot.

Someone ALWAYS chimes in because the one and only Lee Enfield they owned or shot was a "JEWEL" which shot commercial ammunition well or it wouldn't shoot anything well and declare "all of them are like mine"

Lee Enfields of all types, including Australian "H" barrels can be had with bores measuring from .309 to .315. Match those barrels with proper size bullets and they will usually shoot less than 2moa without much trouble and better with a bit more trouble.

The real weakness of the Lee Enfield is the incredibly awkward bedding system. Very easily disrupted and always requiring maintenance.

When they're good, they're very good, however most are OK and many are terrible, depending on condition of the rifle, bore diameters and availability of consistent ammunition.

There was a time in Canada when making a Lee Enfield shoot wasn't a mystery, IF the shooter wanted to look into it. It still isn't.

CIL/Dominion used to make bullets ranging in diameter from .306 to .330, in .001 increments. There was actually a profitable market for this, because of all the surplus rifles being converted to sporters and the varying bore diameters of these rifles.

When IVI, Valcartier Industries took over, all of the machinery/tooling used to manufacture these cup and core bullets, which was well worn, was sold off into the US and Europe.

Most of those bullet diameters disappeared with that equipment, which was refurbed to produce the most profitable diameters to more exacting tolerances, especially jacket thicknesses.

Most of the Lee Enfields were produced with century old tech. Manufacturing capabilities, especially those relating to repeatable tight tolerances have increased exponentially. To expect similar results?????????????????????

Last year I purchased an M98 Mauser which had been converted to 303 Brit. The bore is badly worn/pitted but it still shoots into less than 2moa with handloads it likes, with .311 bullets and iron sights. I was going to rebarrel it, chambered for the 303 Brit, using .308 bullets. Flash thought, do I want or need another 308Win equivalent shooter??? It will remain as is for "someone else" to take care of or alter.

Those old rifles are what they are. Learn what they are and ask yourself if you're willing to go through the effort required to make them shoot well.

If you don't like the Lee Enfield, find a Pattern 17 "Enfield" which is nothing more than an M98 Mauser on steroids. Bore diameters seem to be a bit more consistent with these rifles.
Thanks for the advice man
 
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