Value of never fired 1949 Parker Hale Lee Enfield No.4 Mk 1/2

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Amnon

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Good day,

I've recently come into possession of a bit of a unicorn and was hoping someone here could help me. I have what is basically a new in box never fired 1949 Parker Hale Lee Enfield No.4 Mk 1/2 in .303. As it has never been fired I am finding it difficult to find what it may be worth. Any help is appreciated.

Cheers,

Amnon
 
What is a Parker Hale Lee Enfield?
Is it in issue configuration?
A Mk. 1/2 would be a WW2 Mk. I rifle converted to Mk. 2 pattern. This rifle was converted in 1949 as part of a FTR?
Parker Hale didn't do these FTRs. Is there a ROF(F) mark?
If it is Parker Hale marked, perhaps PH reworked the rifle for target shooting. Does it have a "ball burnished" barrel?
A bit more information would help.
 
tiriaq said:
What is a Parker Hale Lee Enfield?
Is it in issue configuration?
A Mk. 1/2 would be a WW2 Mk. I rifle converted to Mk. 2 pattern. This rifle was converted in 1949 as part of a FTR?
Parker Hale didn't do these FTRs. Is there a ROF(F) mark?
If it is Parker Hale marked, perhaps PH reworked the rifle for target shooting. Does it have a "ball burnished" barrel?
A bit more information would help.
Click to expand...

Good day and thanks for replying so promptly.

Firstly, I would have no idea what to look for insofar as being ball burnished. Secondly, although no stranger to firearms, being ex-military, I am new to personally owning them so am unaware as to what some of these acronyms/jargon are, in this case FTR and ROF(F).

I do know that Parker Hale made a line of sporterized models from WW2 surplus, including this one.

Now, this is what I have on it from the auction where I won it.
Parker Hale Enfield .303
No.4 Mk 1/2, Standard #1
Mfg 10-49, Fazakerley, UK
S/N 37036

I tried to attach images but from what I can see here it will only let you attach links instead of uploading from a PC. Am I missing something here? Please let me know if you want me to look for something else on the rifle.

Cheers and thank you for helping me with this.
 
Perhaps to clarify a bit. Parker Hale took used, former military Lee Enfields that were made somewhere else, and converted and sold them as hunting rifles after WWII. "FTR" - means "Factory Thorough Repair" - was a military procedure in UK, I believe, where a used military rifle went through a specific military rebuild process. "FTR" was a significant program in 1950's or so. They were mostly done at the "ROF(F)" - so "Royal Ordinance Factory (Fazarkerly)". When those FTR were done, associated stamps added to the receiver, usually with a date that the work was done. So the rifle may have been built originally many years previously, or built new the previous year - is what the original maker's serial number might reveal. I have some conversions here by Parker Hale and by BSA that have the original maker's serial numbers scrubbed off and replaced with another number by the conversion company. "FTR" was a military endeavour - many of those rifles subsequently sold off as surplus, and picked up by companies like Parker Hale, who altered them to various degrees and re-sold them as sporting arms. So it is conceivable that you have a rifle that has never been fired since it was converted by Parker Hale; also possible it was never fired since it's FTR while still in the British military, but really stretching credulity to claim it was unfired since it was made as a new rifle - no idea how to even try to prove such a thing.

Edit - upon reflection - FTR was done while owned by British military, then sold off as surplus. That required that it be proof tested as shown by the stamps on (usually) left side of chamber area on barrel. That "proof" was two (I think) above normal pressure rounds fired at a government proof house - often in Birmingham or London - so not possible to be "unfired" if it has the civilian proof stamps on the chamber area - whether done when sold off by British military or when fitted with new barrel by Parker Hale. There is not now, nor ever was a requirement for rifles to be proof tested at government facility in Canada or USA before sale to public, so absence of those proof stampings could mean another barrel was fitted by a seller in Canada - of which there were many active during 1950's / 1960's.

"Ball burnished" was an accurizing process done on some rifles, especially target rifles - a hardened steel ball of specific diameter was forced down the bore to smooth the surface of the riflings - of the ones I have seen, the words "Ball Burnished" are stamped into the end of the muzzle - in a circular fashion, around the bore.

Most British made WWII No. 4's were No. 4 Mk.1. Most made in Canada and USA No. 4's were Mk.1*. When the Mk.2 was designed, it had the trigger attached to a block that was fastened to rear of the receiver body - prior versions had the trigger attached to the trigger guard. When a Mk.1 was converted to the "new standard", it became a Mk.1/2; when a Mk.1* was converted, it became a Mk.1/3.

Value - For both Lee Enfield No. 1 rifles, and Lee Enfield No. 4 rifles, Parker Hale made 4 different "grades" of conversion. "Standard" was the lowest, then De Luxe, then Supreme, then Custom. Lowest level was essentially a sawed off military stock and go - top ones might have had new sporting 303 barrels installed - Monte Carlo stocks with cheek rest, different detachable magazines, etc. I am probably considerably out of touch on pricing, but would think the range would be $150 to $350 among those four grades. Others may have different thoughts regarding current re-sale values.
 
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Here is a picture / copy of a page showing the four versions that Parker Hale made and sold from the No. 4 Lee Enfield military rifles that they bought. None of these are even close to original military configuration. Note the variations in sights, stocks, scope mounting schemes, metal work changes, butt plates or butt recoil pads, etc.

Parker-Hale_Lee-Enfield_Sporting_Rifles-16.jpg


Some things that I have found - for the Custom and Supreme models, Parker Hale used stocks made in Italy by a company named "SILE" - usually have that name stamped inside the barrel channel of the fore stock. Those stocks are sometimes still found available for sale, without a rifle. All of the Standard version that I have had were former military stocks and have the markings that a military stock had - from the various makers, although seems to have been a deliberate attempt to remove all former military markings from both wood and metal. I think all actual Parker Hale conversions had the letters "PH" stamped onto the right rear receiver top face - under or just to the rear of the bolt handle - where your right thumb would cover them, from a shooting position. So, is possible to come across No. 4 Sporters, in SILE stocks, that have had similar metal work done as was done by Parker Hale, but do not have that "PH" stamp - more than likely someone's attempt to "make one"...
 
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I suspect that this rifle is one of the PH sporters. If it is brand new in the box, condition will put a bit of a premium on it; actual value will depend on the model of sporter.
What? $200 - $450?
 
I've been to A J Parker aka Parker Hale . Modifying Lee Enfields for comp. and for hunting was their bread and butter. Among other gunsmithing and parts supplying. About 1880-1995.
This rifle is, probably, a #4 Mk1/2 10-49 (F) Sporterised with Parker Hale stamp.
 
Potashminer said:
Here is a picture / copy of a page showing the four versions that Parker Hale made and sold from the No. 4 Lee Enfield military rifles that they bought. None of these are even close to original military configuration. Note the variations in sights, stocks, scope mounting schemes, metal work changes, butt plates or butt recoil pads, etc.

**Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum**

Some things that I have found - for the Custom and Supreme models, Parker Hale used stocks made in Italy by a company named "SILE" - usually have that name stamped inside the barrel channel of the fore stock. Those stocks are sometimes still found available for sale, without a rifle. All of the Standard version that I have had were former military stocks and have the markings that a military stock had - from the various makers, although seems to have been a deliberate attempt to remove all former military markings from both wood and metal. I think all actual Parker Hale conversions had the letters "PH" stamped onto the right rear receiver top face - under or just to the rear of the bolt handle - where your right thumb would cover them, from a shooting position. So, is possible to come across No. 4 Sporters, in SILE stocks, that have had similar metal work done as was done by Parker Hale, but do not have that "PH" stamp - more than likely someone's attempt to "make one"...
Click to expand...



Thank you all for the replies and I apologize for taking so long to respond. For some reason I didn't get any notifications for these responses and until recently, like one here surmised, life got in the way so this was put on the back burner. Anyway, judging from the pics of the various models, I believe my rifle to be a Deluxe model. I'm by no means an expert so how could I confirm this is basically a new, unfired rifle?

Cheers.
 
It is a reworked ex-service rifle. Unless it was brand new when converted, it will not be unfired, other than proof testing - which would have been done at east three times - once in service, once after being converted to Mk. 1/2, and again after being sported. Keep in mind that as a Mk. 1/2, it was a Mk. I rifle reworked to Mk. II configuration in 1949. The 1949 barrel would have been brand new; the rifle may have been well used.
If in very fine condition, the throat of the bore will be sharp, crisp with no rounding of the machined edges. There will be no ring of primer sealant around the firing pin hole in the bolt head. There would be no streaks of brass in the magazine. No smear of metal on the feed ramp.
It might be called "as new" since being sported.
 
tiriaq said:
It is a reworked ex-service rifle. Unless it was brand new when converted, it will not be unfired, other than proof testing - which would have been done at east three times - once in service, once after being converted to Mk. 1/2, and again after being sported. Keep in mind that as a Mk. 1/2, it was a Mk. I rifle reworked to Mk. II configuration in 1949. The 1949 barrel would have been brand new; the rifle may have been well used.
If in very fine condition, the throat of the bore will be sharp, crisp with no rounding of the machined edges. There will be no ring of primer sealant around the firing pin hole in the bolt head. There would be no streaks of brass in the magazine. No smear of metal on the feed ramp.
It might be called "as new" since being sported.
Click to expand...


Thank you. I will attempt to get some high quality pics to post here, including the surfaces you just mentioned.

Cheers.
 
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