Lee Metford value
- Thread starter TANK1867
- Start date
If the muzzle has been trimmed in front of the front sight, it would be possible to "stretch" the barrel by adding a short sleeve. This would be unobtrusive, if carefully done. The likelihood of finding an intact forend is slight. A reproduction is a possibility.
1896 it would likely be a Sparkbrook Lee Enfield, but Metford is possible. The butt socket info would help. So would info on the barrel nocks form.
I have picked up so many long Lees with cut off barrels over the years. Bobbing an inch off the front was a common cure for a cord worn crown and would help restore accuracy to an otherwise pooched barrel. I only bother with sporters with full length uncut barrels for restoration projects these days. A restored rifle with a barrel extension, although still fun to do, has little value to a serious collector, and they would unlikely pay serious money for it.
My thought is that a rifle with a cut barrel is only candidate for a rebuild into a nice sporter. Even if you found a good used full length replacement barrel, it would still be a mismatched rifle and still not a top end collectable.
Value? I myself would probably look at it as a source of parts to harvest for other resto projects (butt, bolt, dust cover, mag, sights, handguard, trigger guard?). Worth more to me if it had lots of useable unmodified parts. I have bought rifles where Bubba had touched every freeking component, but the metal markings and proofs were interesting.
I started my collection with cut sporters. My main interest being with the markings in the metalwork which can tell a story. Sporter or original spec wasn't my concern. But I enjoy restoring the rare ones, a big part of the fun is the challenge finding or making suitable replacement parts.
Without pics I can only bracket a value from your description, hummm, $150-300?
I have picked up so many long Lees with cut off barrels over the years. Bobbing an inch off the front was a common cure for a cord worn crown and would help restore accuracy to an otherwise pooched barrel. I only bother with sporters with full length uncut barrels for restoration projects these days. A restored rifle with a barrel extension, although still fun to do, has little value to a serious collector, and they would unlikely pay serious money for it.
My thought is that a rifle with a cut barrel is only candidate for a rebuild into a nice sporter. Even if you found a good used full length replacement barrel, it would still be a mismatched rifle and still not a top end collectable.
Value? I myself would probably look at it as a source of parts to harvest for other resto projects (butt, bolt, dust cover, mag, sights, handguard, trigger guard?). Worth more to me if it had lots of useable unmodified parts. I have bought rifles where Bubba had touched every freeking component, but the metal markings and proofs were interesting.
I started my collection with cut sporters. My main interest being with the markings in the metalwork which can tell a story. Sporter or original spec wasn't my concern. But I enjoy restoring the rare ones, a big part of the fun is the challenge finding or making suitable replacement parts.
Without pics I can only bracket a value from your description, hummm, $150-300?
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