Savage marked No4 MK1 with bent barrel worth?

quinnbrian

quinnbrian

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So I was on a sponsors web page the other day and this is what I seen...

A used 1942 Lee-Enfield Number 4 Mark I bolt-action service rifle manufactured by Savage, chambered in .303 British. This is an early example, as the majority of the construction was the Number 4 Mark I*, which featured a number of minor changes to streamline production. These rifles were all originally marked "U.S. PROPERTY" because of the requirements of Lend-Lease, like many found in Canada, this marking has been removed. Fitted with the two-position 300/600 rear sight. This rifle is a restored sporter. The forestock of this rifle has been "duffle cut" under the lower band and then restored. The barrel is bent. This rifle comes with one magazine.

So my question , is the rifle worth a $999.95 because that’s what the price was!... with a bent barrel!, put back together wood, but at least they tell you it was a sporter. WOW!
So if this one is worth the grand , there asking price , what would my Savage marked LE No4 MK1 built in 1942 be worth with out a bent barrel.
Please don’t answer the question on “ what my gun is worth” , I’m just can’t believe what some gun dealers are doing. And I know .... “ you don’t have to buy it” etc....etc... but what about all the new collector( young or old) that don’t know the value...
This make everyone in the hobby look like greedy bastards.
Just my two cents...

Cheers
Brian
 
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Also an interesting note. The first Savage marked No4 weren’t Lease Lend rifles, but bought out right , at the beginning , when $$ where still available .
 
Some were made without us property marks because they started out a cash deal then went to lend lease
Serial number would help
 
0C1 It belongs to a collector in the states and it is US Property marked. I have 0C769 and it is US Property marked. There was a survey on the Gunboards forum a couple years ago and about a dozen Savages below 0C1000 were noted, all US Property marked.
 
QUOTE=quinnbrian;17468856]Also an interesting note. The first Savage marked No4 weren’t Lease Lend rifles, but bought out right , at the beginning , when $$ where still available .[/QUOTE]
can14 said:
Some were made without us property marks because they started out a cash deal then went to lend lease
Serial number would help
Click to expand...

I am sorry, this has been proven to be not true.

The very first Savage No4MkI (serial number 0C1) is US Property marked on the side rail of the receiver.

There are in fact Savage No4 rifles without the USP marking, but that is because the marking was removed (with varying levels of skill) - sometime by government users, sometime by commercial sporterizers.

In answer to the OP, the price should reflect the value of the parts - roughly $300 if i read the description correctly.
 
Lee Enfield said:
QUOTE=quinnbrian;17468856]Also an interesting note. The first Savage marked No4 weren’t Lease Lend rifles, but bought out right , at the beginning , when $$ where still available .
Click to expand...


I am sorry, this has been proven to be not true.

The very first Savage No4MkI (serial number 0C1) is US Property marked on the side rail of the receiver.

There are in fact Savage No4 rifles without the USP marking, but that is because the marking was removed (with varying levels of skill) - sometime by government users, sometime by commercial sporterizers.

In answer to the OP, the price should reflect the value of the parts - roughly $300 if i read the description correctly.[/QUOTE]

I will have to go back though my LE books, yes it is true. And is in writing somewhere, just can’t remember where. I’ve had a couple low number Savages.
I idea of scrubbing the reciever of it’s US property marks did happen, but I’ve had a couple that, would have to be milled down and welded over and then remilled again, just to hide the markings. In other words, the the cut on the side , where the marks should be is so little, that there would be no other way to make it disappear.
 
I've noticed quite a few No.4s coming up for sale of late from various gun stores, that are clearly restoration jobs (perfect, blemish free wood; often being a rather obvious sign) and the prices being asked are asinine - generally in the $900 and up range. Ridiculous...

I'm of the opinion, that as a "restored" sporter these rifles are in the $500-600 range assuming matching numbers, serviceable/shootable bores, etc. There's just no way anyone (aside from the less scrupulous) can justify charging as much as, or more than, the going rate for a No.4 as manufactured or in the wood.
 
On page 217 of The Lee Enfield book by Skennerton. Right side of the page paragraph 4 states that from 1941 to 1944 rifle where provided under the lend lease agreement, but also states that there had been a small direct purchase from the US arms manufacturers and trade supplies. What numbers would they be... who knows... someone does...but it would not be me.
Cheers
Brian
 
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