Small Lee Enfield rant.....

r.fallon

r.fallon

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I have started to notice a trend(noticed it a few years back but thought it went away). When you are selling a LE sporter included the frigin' magazine!
A LE mag is not I repete not 50-75$ it is not a rare nor hard to find item. Nothing pisses me of more than going into a store seeing a box of mags and the guy is asking $50+ each. Just because Ebay has one for +$$$ what ever. This is Canada LE are plenty even now with all the LE nuts out there. When you are trying to restore a POS back to a thing of beauty it becomes cost prohibitive. Like the $200 stock sets that sell on the Ebarf, yes I Know buddy (read Bubba) spent hours sanding and BLOing it for you. I have enough parts for 3 more #4 and enough wood for 1 more refurb, rebuild.
Metal bits $100+, Wood set $150+, choped down rifle that is in good enough shape to rebuild $150+, My honest (And everyone elses) selling price of basement FTR, $300-350. For that cost you might as well just by rifles that come up on the EE and then part them out!!
Sadly the thing that got me into collecting milsurps will be no more. I know I know this is all from supply and demand but some times we are our own worst enemy.
PS:If any one is interested I have 3 mags at $75 each;)
RF
 
I'll take one!

Yeah restoration doesn't pay much unless you are restoring for a collector who already owns most of the parts and just needs the service of wood repair, installation, headspace etc. I haven't the slightest idea why mags are so expensive.
 
Mags and replacement mags are expensive because worrying Moms and wives make owners take them out 'for safety'. The parts get separated in the storage lockers, and the rest is history.
 
"...Made good money there..." And you gave money to the people who think you shouldn't be allowed to own any firearm.
 
bought a few rifles at auctions without mags, silly to remove the mag and bolt in some cases to store them. then when an old collector dies the rifles all go to auction without mags or bolts. :mad:

Then search for a reasonable priced mag. I wont pay more then $35 for a mag and have a few spares right now for future purchaces that are without.
 
r.fallon said:
I have started to notice a trend(noticed it a few years back but thought it went away). When you are selling a LE sporter included the frigin' magazine!
A LE mag is not I repete not 50-75$ it is not a rare nor hard to find item. Nothing pisses me of more than going into a store seeing a box of mags and the guy is asking $50+ each. Just because Ebay has one for +$$$ what ever. This is Canada LE are plenty even now with all the LE nuts out there. When you are trying to restore a POS back to a thing of beauty it becomes cost prohibitive. Like the $200 stock sets that sell on the Ebarf, yes I Know buddy (read Bubba) spent hours sanding and BLOing it for you. I have enough parts for 3 more #4 and enough wood for 1 more refurb, rebuild.
Metal bits $100+, Wood set $150+, choped down rifle that is in good enough shape to rebuild $150+, My honest (And everyone elses) selling price of basement FTR, $300-350. For that cost you might as well just by rifles that come up on the EE and then part them out!!
Sadly the thing that got me into collecting milsurps will be no more. I know I know this is all from supply and demand but some times we are our own worst enemy.
PS:If any one is interested I have 3 mags at $75 each;)
RF
Click to expand...



Don't give up on restoring or shooting Enfields, every time you do, bubba wins.
 
I got my "Bubba'd" #4 MK1* Long Branch from my dad for free and I was able to restore it for about $150-I was lucky that the front sights were intact, and that the rifle is all matching, apart from the wood and barrel bands. Also, the bore on this rifle is like a mirror, it looks almost chrome lined. :cool:
 
My first hunting rifle was a Maltby No4Mk1 sporter without a bolt or a mag. This is before there was a need to register anything. I found a bolt (I was lucky it headspaced) and a mag for $40 each. OK so noww I'm in $80. Bought an ATI sporter stock for $75 and a S&K mount for $45.

Now I was up to $200

Was it worth $200?
NO it wasn't - it was my first rifle and I didn't care.
 
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