I'm considering buying a Lee Enfield sporter to bring back to it's full wood former glory. Just wondering what I'm getting into with such a project. I'm guessing a No. 4 would be the way to go. Are parts available? My concern would be sinking more into it than it would be worth in the end. I'd like a nice project but don't want to get into a money pit. I'm torn between saving for an original or going for the project. Any input or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Lee Enfield restoration
- Thread starter Groverino
- Start date
kohr varik
Regular
- Location
- Laval, Quebec
Start with a worst case scenario. The part might cost you 250$ + The rifle. So It can easily go for 400$-450$ + as a whole. Also, you need to maybe purchase few thing to restore the wood ( Thinner, Oil, steel wool, etc...).
And some parts maybe hard to find. Wood might not match ( color, type and manufacturer ) Metal part also.
And don't count the hours you'll spend searching, restoring. It will be a lot.
If you plan to do a proper restoration of a Longbranch, you probably want to put a Longbranch parts, not a mix of Ishapore, Savage, BSA, Fazakerly and other manufacturers.
Year also can be a thing, the rear sight of a 1942 is not the same as a 1944, etc...
I don't want to discourage you, but just open your eyes on the complexity ( It's like a pandoras box
)
Good luck on whatever you decide !
And some parts maybe hard to find. Wood might not match ( color, type and manufacturer ) Metal part also.
And don't count the hours you'll spend searching, restoring. It will be a lot.
If you plan to do a proper restoration of a Longbranch, you probably want to put a Longbranch parts, not a mix of Ishapore, Savage, BSA, Fazakerly and other manufacturers.
Year also can be a thing, the rear sight of a 1942 is not the same as a 1944, etc...
I don't want to discourage you, but just open your eyes on the complexity ( It's like a pandoras box
)Good luck on whatever you decide !
Last edited:
Restoring a lee enfield can be lots of fun!! But the price of parts has made it a labour of love and not profit. Here's a breakdown of what you may need to do a resto and the cost of said parts.
A decent sporter will cost $200-$250 these days. Then if you count in that you will need a complete matching stock set ($200-$250 or more), rear band ($10-$20 ), rear sight (often removed $20-$40), front sight protector ($15-$25), and misc screws and fasteners can be $5 each and up. Then the wood will have to be fitted/bedded etc.
Now that being said, lots of us including me restore chopped up milsurps as it's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby.
Hope this helps you make your decision.
A decent sporter will cost $200-$250 these days. Then if you count in that you will need a complete matching stock set ($200-$250 or more), rear band ($10-$20 ), rear sight (often removed $20-$40), front sight protector ($15-$25), and misc screws and fasteners can be $5 each and up. Then the wood will have to be fitted/bedded etc.
Now that being said, lots of us including me restore chopped up milsurps as it's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby.
Hope this helps you make your decision.
Besides the cost of replacement parts you should also understand Enfield bedding. You could restore the rifle to its original military condition only to find out the fore stock isn't bedded properly and it shoots great shotgun patterns at the range. If your going to put together a bitser rifle made from what ever parts you can find then you just have a shooter Enfield with no collectors value because it doesn't have the original factory matching parts.
For the modest cost of just 59 payments of $49.95 plus tax and shipping you can buy an original American made Enfield rifle that John Wayne carried on Iwo Jima. (Enfield humor)
Or you can wait and buy a little used No.4 Mk.2 with a minty bore that shoots better than you can.
And I can still sell you the best beer in North America for the modest fee of..................
Well it depends on just how thirsty you are for a real beer.
Last edited:
Thank you very much for all of your replies. This has been really helpful. I was never interested in restoring it to sell. I thought I might end up with a really nice shooter. However, I had the feeling this might be one of my ideas that was better in theory than practice. You folks have saved me from making a mistake and I appreciate it. I'll be buying original.
As you guessed, #4s are the way to go for availability of parts. You can get a good sported one for as low as $75 if you shop right. Complete wood sets can be had for as low as $100 if you know where to look but usual price is closer to $150. Depending on what you want, you can be anal about the mfg of the parts or just have it look like a nice #4. Either way is great. I have several that I have hunted down the correct parts for and others that are mismatched but look and shoot just as well. I have trouble turning down a sported #4.
aspenkarius
Member
- Location
- West central alberta.
My total cost on restoring my no4 was around $450 (which is about what its worth in my eyes) keep in mind if you wait several year value almost always goes up.
The best way to go about it is a cheap purchase price on the rifle. Look for a sporter with all matching numbers with the metal in good shape but the wood half destroyed. I found mine at a gun show with a broken extractor, chopped mk2 sight a miss aligned safety and a badly worn forestock. By the time I pointed all this out the seller talked himself down from nearly $200 to $150 without me even having to make an offer. Next look for parts lots on the EE and check out eBay. I do know of a seller there that I got most of my parts from. He is in England but his prices were good and he went over and above to find me FAZ marked parts (even selling outside of eBay to get them to me) I can get you his name if you want
Also make sure you shop around. Know what parts are worth what before buying. Decide if you want to restore to factory spec (with matching makers marks and correct bands) or if you want to restore to post war spec with mismatched bands and multiple marks (cheaper the second way)
Good luck.
The best way to go about it is a cheap purchase price on the rifle. Look for a sporter with all matching numbers with the metal in good shape but the wood half destroyed. I found mine at a gun show with a broken extractor, chopped mk2 sight a miss aligned safety and a badly worn forestock. By the time I pointed all this out the seller talked himself down from nearly $200 to $150 without me even having to make an offer. Next look for parts lots on the EE and check out eBay. I do know of a seller there that I got most of my parts from. He is in England but his prices were good and he went over and above to find me FAZ marked parts (even selling outside of eBay to get them to me) I can get you his name if you want
Also make sure you shop around. Know what parts are worth what before buying. Decide if you want to restore to factory spec (with matching makers marks and correct bands) or if you want to restore to post war spec with mismatched bands and multiple marks (cheaper the second way)
Good luck.
I'd argue that you will see that money back... one day. Probably not much by the time inflation is factored in, but these rifles are not being made anymore and the ones we have aren't magically going to improve their condition. One thing is fairly constant with firearms collecting: milsurps don't go down in price, unless a stash is found. Considering it's been almost 10 years now since the end of surplus .303, and we haven't seen imports of Enfields for a good half decade or more, I'd say the supply is just about gone.
Anyways, don't do it for the monetary factor. Buy one, enjoy restoring it, and feel that sense of accomplishment that you exorsized the Bubba Demon from a beautiful piece of history.
Anyways, don't do it for the monetary factor. Buy one, enjoy restoring it, and feel that sense of accomplishment that you exorsized the Bubba Demon from a beautiful piece of history.
I restored one a few years back. It was my father-in-laws. Took a while, but turned out great. It was a 4 as well. It REALLY sucked giving it back after my divorce. B******s. I have been searching a very long time for a nice one in decent shape. Finally got one at auction, and paid "more money than I'd like to say" for it. I'll be picking it up next week. I can't wait. I missed it so much.
Cannon
Cannon
I finally restored my No.1 MkIII* earlier this year, and I can safely say it was easier to find No.4 parts everywhere I looked. No.4 MKI parts were also cheaper...a lot cheaper...
I considered buying another Enfield and scrapping the idea all together, but my sporter just didn't feel right. Oddly enough, it felt naked.
Long story short, short story long - Do it!
From my personal experience with the project, I regret nothing
I considered buying another Enfield and scrapping the idea all together, but my sporter just didn't feel right. Oddly enough, it felt naked.
Long story short, short story long - Do it!
From my personal experience with the project, I regret nothing
Last edited:
