New to milsurp, need a tutor.

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chadvector

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Okay, so I scanned the SMLE library, looked at the Milsurp parts EE page, and still not 100% sure if this is a road I should go down.

My gunsmith has a wack of sporterized SMLE's sitting on his for sale rack. All sorts of different models, at all different levels of bubba-ness.

Am I in a world of financial and physical hurt if I buy one of these guns and attempt to replace all the wood? The one I'm most interested in has got the ugliest homemade stock you'd ever see.

Please help. What model would give me the best bang for the buck?
 
Hmmm, in my uneducated opinion, SMLE stocks seem to be difficult to come by and if they do show up tend to be pricey.

If you're patient you can score some deals, but you'll probably be piecing the stock together bit by bit.

The worst (re: best) thing about Milsurps is you can't have just one.

What kind of prices is your gunsmith asking for what kind of condition?

Other thing to consider is the cost of ammo, unless you reload .303 Brit can be $$$.

I'm not trying to dissuade you here, I own 3 x No4 MK1's and love to shoot them.
 
Probably easier and less expensive to restore a No. 4 than a SMLE. Fewer parts to find, and availability of parts is better.
You want an intact barrelled action, no extra holes or bubbery to any of the metal parts. Often the butt is usable.
 
tiriaq said:
Probably easier and less expensive to restore a No. 4 than a SMLE. Fewer parts to find, and availability of parts is better.
You want an intact barrelled action, no extra holes or bubbery to any of the metal parts. Often the butt is usable.
Click to expand...

Too bad you are not WEST of the PEG as you could call on SMELLIE but then again, you would need several days there just to absorb the BASIC information.

If you are considering the SMLE (No.1 Mark III) or the Lee Enfield (No. 4) rifles, then I would suggest you get a Number 4 rifle for the above reasons. Also, I would add that you should look for matching numbers on the bolt and receiver, and a good shiny barrel. As mentioned, Number 4 parts are easier to find and are reasonable. Out to 600 yards or so, there is not a lot of difference in accuracy between the two, but if you want to play with the big boys at 800 to 1000 yards, then you had better get a Number 1 Mark III rifle.
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Also as mentioned, you should probably buy a good Moisin-Nagant rifle as your first Milsurp. They are cheap and accurate, and ammunition is not that expensive YET. A SKS would be all right too, and ammo is cheaper and available.
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You can buy a complete gun for less than you will spend restoring an SMLE one. I went down that road because I found a sportered one in my dad's gun locker that he didn't even remember was there. I was into about $250.00-$300 after locating all of the parts with shipping from a number of different places because I couldn't find it all at one place.

You could by the stock wood at gunpartscorp.com, but they are out of the front handguards now since I bought mine. They have everything else wood wise and even repro forends with the cutout for the front volley sights and even front volly sight repros in stock. Forends for $57 butt for $20, rear handguard for $21. Lots of metal parts that should complete a sporter.

I would wait for one on the EE or go to collectorssource.com for a few nice ones, although they are a bit more expensive.

Ian
 
Watch out for the no4 sporters. It's not uncommon for the last few inches of barrel to be cut off due to the significant taper at the end. Make sure the barrel is full length or else it's not restorable.
 
Thanks all.

My gunsmith also has a bunch of No. 4's, also sporterized.

I do own an SKS, but I don't really consider it a milsurp because my plans are to modernize with synthetic stock and such.

The cost of ammo doesn't concern me that much. Not that I'm rich or anything, but mainly because most of my shooting is done with a .22 (Cooey M82, Marlin XT, Mossberg Tactical.)

So, what I can take from this is to buy a rifle, bide my time and piece it together slowly.
 
chadvector said:
Thanks all.

My gunsmith also has a bunch of No. 4's, also sporterized.

I do own an SKS, but I don't really consider it a milsurp because my plans are to modernize with synthetic stock and such.

The cost of ammo doesn't concern me that much. Not that I'm rich or anything, but mainly because most of my shooting is done with a .22 (Cooey M82, Marlin XT, Mossberg Tactical.)

So, what I can take from this is to buy a rifle, bide my time and piece it together slowly.
Click to expand...

AND

Hang out in the Milsurps section, paying close attention to what Smellie, Buffdog and LouthePou as well as some of the other "Guardians of Milsurp Knowledge" have to say... you will be amazed.
 
The no.4 is defiantly the easier one to restore.
View as many pictures of complete unmolested rifles as you can find. Memories them and even print out some so you have references when you are looking.
Make sure the barrel has not been cut off. Do this by checking to make sure the bayonet lugs are still on the end of the barrel.
Make sure the rear sight mounting ears have not been ground off or the holes enlarged.
Make sure there are not any extra holes in the action.
Make sure the bore is in good shape. It doesn't have to be perfect to shoot well but try to avoid rifles with obviously severely worn rifling.
The serial number on the action should match the one on the bolt. This is not absolutely essential but it is better that thay match. On a No.4 the serial number on the action is found on the left side of the action on the butt socket. On the bolt it s on the rear of the bolt handle.
Read read read. Buy as many books as you can on the subject. There are many on the Enfield and you can find information on which ones are best on here and other sites. There are also many parts sources that you can find here and elsewhere as well.
Finlay if you decide to get a Mosin Nagant instead don't shoot a Lee-Enfield first. You will not injoy the Mosin nearly as much if you do.
 
looks like a couple decent enfields in the EE right now, not too pricey either. But i'd start doing De bubba work on No4s before I started restoring SMLEs there seems to be way more resources available for the No4 and usually pretty reasonably priced too, just make sure the barreled action is good and all the other parts can be found relatively easily online
 
All of the above responses are true. #4s are cheaper and easier to rebuild.
It will depend what you want the rifle for. I bought a couple of #4s sported with holes drilled in the receiver or over the chamber. They were too cheap to pass up. $65 and $55. I bought them both for the fun of the restore and wall hangers. I welded the holes and have shot them a lot. The collector value is not as much but they are for me anyway.
I have a very nice #1 sported but as mentioned befor, once I tallied up the prices of the parts, I could damn near buy an original. But, of course that wouldn't be as much fun.
Remember, even a bubbahed Enfield is still an Enfield.
 
If you can find a rare manufacturer or year of SMLE in great shape, maybe one that was Canadian issued or an SSA or NRF then its worth the restore. Your first one will likely cost a bunch in shop supplies if you don't ask a ton of questions or follow directions. If you do decide to restore one go to the LE knowledge library sticky and read the armorers manual for it. Read it 10x if you have to. You need to know that stuff to get the fore end bedded and butt stock fitting right. Use only water based stains to get different stock parts to color match. Linseed oil will remove dried oil based stain in seconds. Follow cold blue kits' instructions perfectly and it will turn out well.

Ask lots of questions to the guys who are very good at it. Lou helped me out a ton!
 
Again, all great stuff guys.

I'm fairly new to the gun thing, and I found I had more fun restoring an old Cooey .22 than I did actually firing it.

Now, here's something: Say I get all the hardware and furniture for either a SMLE or a #4. Would it be an utter sin to finish it as *I* would like it to see it rather than how it was issued? I ask because I absolutely loathe varnish, urethane, gloss, anything shiny. I love playing around with different stain colors, and frankly, I might take it to blond, ultra dark, or somewhere in between.

Am I to be cast out of the Milsurp board for such heresy, or is this fairly common and/or acceptable?
 
chadvector said:
Again, all great stuff guys.

I'm fairly new to the gun thing, and I found I had more fun restoring an old Cooey .22 than I did actually firing it.

Now, here's something: Say I get all the hardware and furniture for either a SMLE or a #4. Would it be an utter sin to finish it as *I* would like it to see it rather than how it was issued? I ask because I absolutely loathe varnish, urethane, gloss, anything shiny. I love playing around with different stain colors, and frankly, I might take it to blond, ultra dark, or somewhere in between.

Am I to be cast out of the Milsurp board for such heresy, or is this fairly common and/or acceptable?
Click to expand...

brit/canadian rifles are rubbed with boiled linseed oil, no varnish, and wood can be very light to almost a black depending on who made it (i.e., the aussies used coachwood) so i would look for the colour you want from the outset rather than staining it
 
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