I went to the range this past weekend & chit-chated with Doug at epps while he evaluated the bore on my garand(as new btw, its a freaking laser). I mentioned my search for a shooter five groove longbranch & he said he still had many ishapore rebuilds. A search of two longbranches & two Paskistani lead to a 45 longbranch with a mint as new bore. Search over. Now, they still had a bunch & I know tradex isn't exactly moving them out by the truckload so what gives? Has Canada reached the enfield saturation point? Is $350-400 too much? How much would the price point have to be lowered before they really moved?
Lets talk newly imported enfields
- Thread starter desporterizer
- Start date
.....to the point that they can now be held comfortably as inventory, and sold as is needed?........Many folks I talk to, say their waiting for the end of the long gun registry, before they buy another firearm. I doubt that's the main reason for the slow down though. One thing that is slowing down sales is the price of ammunition. It's literally gone through the roof over the last few years. Lack of availability of ammunition in shootable quantities is another factor.
Milsurps go through these periods. When registration was first brought in, they were a dime a dozen (not really) but difficult to sell. The same thing happened when FACs were replaced by PALs.
It's just a glitch, it will go away. If you look at other sites, you will see that P&S is running low on Garands, Tradex is out of P1s etc. They brought in huge quantities of Lee Enfields. The main thing to understand is that when these are gone, the chances of finding decent ones again become slimmer. Look at the RC mausers, they've dried up. Ammunition for them dried up as well. Same with Mosins, the prices came down as demand dried up with ammunition shortages.
Milsurps go through these periods. When registration was first brought in, they were a dime a dozen (not really) but difficult to sell. The same thing happened when FACs were replaced by PALs.
It's just a glitch, it will go away. If you look at other sites, you will see that P&S is running low on Garands, Tradex is out of P1s etc. They brought in huge quantities of Lee Enfields. The main thing to understand is that when these are gone, the chances of finding decent ones again become slimmer. Look at the RC mausers, they've dried up. Ammunition for them dried up as well. Same with Mosins, the prices came down as demand dried up with ammunition shortages.
In time they will sell, there not making original ones anymore you know (Ha! Ha!). Plus countries with surplus Enfields to sell off are getting hard to find. Last batches came out of India and Turkey. Days of $75.00 surplus rifles are long gone and will never come again.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
For myself (and my two neighbors who also collect) it's the availability of other quality (and honestly more interesting) offerings from more sources than we've ever had access to before.
LEs are neat rifles no question, but I acquired the two in my cabinet more than 20 years ago from my Granddad and haven't really seen the need to increase that number.
Recently my $$$ has gone to things like rounding out my Yugo Mauser collection and adding a better press to my reloading bench.
My next purchase will most likely be a Chilean carbine in .308 or that minty (but overpriced Mike) Spanish Air-force carbine I've been eyeballing @ the Brother-in-law's. Or maybe I'll replace the Garand I sold last Summer.
Maybe I'm wrong, but there always seems to be a decent selection available, so the urgency to put another in the stable just isn't there.
LEs are neat rifles no question, but I acquired the two in my cabinet more than 20 years ago from my Granddad and haven't really seen the need to increase that number.
Recently my $$$ has gone to things like rounding out my Yugo Mauser collection and adding a better press to my reloading bench.
My next purchase will most likely be a Chilean carbine in .308 or that minty (but overpriced Mike) Spanish Air-force carbine I've been eyeballing @ the Brother-in-law's. Or maybe I'll replace the Garand I sold last Summer.
Maybe I'm wrong, but there always seems to be a decent selection available, so the urgency to put another in the stable just isn't there.
Bolivar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Shhh, I am thinking about getting one of the Pakistani enfields as a clean up and bed project. My cabinet has been without a LE for a while now and I don't like that. I figure the Pakistani's are already kind of bubba'd, so a little furniture stripper, sand paper and glass bedding can't really hurt right.
Problem is I won't likely have the funds till fall......so keep that stash a secret please
Problem is I won't likely have the funds till fall......so keep that stash a secret please
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Shhh, I am thinking about getting one of the Pakistani enfields as a clean up and bed project. My cabinet has been without a LE for a while now and I don't like that. I figure the Pakistani's are already kind of bubba'd, so a little furniture stripper, sand paper and glass bedding can't really hurt right.
Problem is I won't likely have the funds till fall......so keep that stash a secret please
Nah, all part of the rifle's legitimate history. FTR in England or depot rebuild in Pakistan, same difference. There was quite the furball here last year about refinishing RC K98s as some thought the Russian depot service had erased any collectablity.
I visited the Army museum in Istanbul about 20 yrs ago and saw the gate guards armed with No4s. Quel surprise! My previous contacts with the Turkish Army had shown them to be mostly armed with US pattern weaponry, incl Turkish made M1A1 Thompson SMGs.
FWIW, I think that $350-450 is a fair price for a non-ishapore Enfield that's been refurbed if it's nice. The Ishapore rifles typically move more slowly and are in lesser condition than many other rifles out there to be had.
The "I've got to have one" crowd snapped up what they needed in the first month and now they will move slowly.
If the price dropped to $250-300 they would sell a lot faster, but the dealers need to make money and would have to decide whether they can sit on their inventory or move it out lickety-split for lower profit margin, but reduced interest on their loans, if applicable, and freed up capital to bring in other faster-moving inventory.
Basic economics, really.
The "I've got to have one" crowd snapped up what they needed in the first month and now they will move slowly.
If the price dropped to $250-300 they would sell a lot faster, but the dealers need to make money and would have to decide whether they can sit on their inventory or move it out lickety-split for lower profit margin, but reduced interest on their loans, if applicable, and freed up capital to bring in other faster-moving inventory.
Basic economics, really.
I do not see prices going down, since supply on any type of collectible pieces is slowly coming to an end. Many countries are now destroying their surplus weapons instead of selling them off, even the vast depots in former Soviet Republics are emptying out quickly.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
The price of ammunition is an excellent reason to buy a reloading press.
Deltasilver, you just don't really have the milsurp bug. Face it. That's not saying anything is wrong with you. Your ideas on what you need and want may just be a little differently balanced. From the sounds of things, if your grandfather hadn't left you the Lee Enfields, they wouldn't be in your safe at all.
Bolivar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Damn, you mean I'm gonna have to by a sporter with a decent barrel and work backwards to add wood. I want a military looking LE but one that shoots well. I figured glass bedding would be the way to go.
Oh well, I don't really want to screw up an authentic LE. The project will just a little harder I guess.
Oh well, I don't really want to screw up an authentic LE. The project will just a little harder I guess.
Bolivar, there is a lot more than bedding to a Lee Enfield that shoots well. Those last few POF rifles at P&S, if they are at all as good as the one I bought from him just after they came out, they are already very accurate shooters. There are also many other ways to bed a Lee Enfield. There are instructions on Milsurps Knowledge, a banner advertiser, on just how to do it and still retain the value of your purchase.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Glad to hear there's nothing wrong with me
My opinion is just that - an opinion. As for not having the bug? My wife would argue that I think...
