Value of wire wrapped Enfield

stencollector said:
Prevents the stock from splintering. The recoil of launching a 1 pound 11 ounce grenade is considerably greater than a .303 bullet, and the recoil of the cup is on the nosecap, thus transferring onto the stock.
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In actual use the cup is adjusted so that it is bearing directly on the muzzle and additional stresses go through the barrel. Secondary stresses due to whip of the barrel affect the wood, hence the cross-bolt and wire wrap. I have a vague recollection of reading that the wire and extra bolt weren't always used but would have to dig around to find the refernce.

milsurpo
 
The wire wrap might also protect the shooter in the event of a burst barrel.
Rodded grenades were more likely to damage the barrel than ones launched from the cup.
No. 36M grenades have a threaded hole in the base plug. A gas check was screwed into this, so that the launching blank's power would be more effectively applied. A longer time igniter set could be used. If a regular igniter was used, grenades could air burst.
It is my understanding that wire wrapped rifles were often used in training situations, where many grenades might be launched. In service, the launcher cup could be applied to any rifle as needed. During the First War, some rifles may have been reserved for grenade launching duties, rifle grenades being used more often than during WW2.
Grenade launching blanks are not the same as noise making ones. Using a noise maker with a grenade launcher is going to result in a burst rifle.
 
Thank you Bradley for the live link. Sadly it appears to be for U.S sales only or at least that's how it appears when i tried to checkout on their website.
 
lorne19 said:
Thank you Bradley for the live link. Sadly it appears to be for U.S sales only or at least that's how it appears when i tried to checkout on their website.
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Use one of the importers in the banner advertisers at the top of the page. They're reputable.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
A wire-wrapped rifle fills a niche in a collector's succession of pieces, like an armourer's cutaway will. Otherwise, it is a curious artifact that begs to be unwrapped and shot!
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Why would you unwrap it????? it still shoots with the wire. you just are destroying an already un common piece just to lose a couple pounds off the front end.

Last rifle I saw went for around ~$800 but that was a little under valued I'd say, went quite quick.
Just do be warned the cups go for a bit of a price, last one I saw went for ~$400.
 
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That's an option I hadn't considered but that begs to the question would it be cost effective? Given that the face value is approximately $190CDN, then add shipping, import charges, perhaps the importers markup, sales tax (I live in Quebec so that's 14.975%). Would it make more sense to find on in Canada at a cost of $$400ish as one previous poster mentioned? If not I'd seriously consider importing one.
 
lorne19 said:
That's an option I hadn't considered but that begs to the question would it be cost effective? Given that the face value is approximately $190CDN, then add shipping, import charges, perhaps the importers markup, sales tax (I live in Quebec so that's 14.975%). Would it make more sense to find on in Canada at a cost of $$400ish as one previous poster mentioned? If not I'd seriously consider importing one.
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I've found them to be pretty rare in Canada, it's less an issue of price and more availability. If you do end up importing one send me a pm as I'd like one too, it should up my fetch game with the dog.
 
BlackPowderBurner said:
I've found them to be pretty rare in Canada, it's less an issue of price and more availability. If you do end up importing one send me a pm as I'd like one too, it should up my fetch game with the dog.
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That's an interesting idea, perhaps there's others here on the forum interested and we could approach an importer with a batch order. Could anyone suggest who to approach about importing one or more?
 
lorne19 said:
That's an option I hadn't considered but that begs to the question would it be cost effective? Given that the face value is approximately $190CDN, then add shipping, import charges, perhaps the importers markup, sales tax (I live in Quebec so that's 14.975%). Would it make more sense to find on in Canada at a cost of $$400ish as one previous poster mentioned? If not I'd seriously consider importing one.
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I've had the banner importers bring things into Canada from the US and in the long run, it's mostly been cheaper and quicker.

The thing about milsurps, strike while you have the opportunity. Procrastination leads to never getting one or paying exorbitant prices a few years later.

Those things were selling in the box, with rods for mills bomb for about $100 less than five years ago.
 
Grenade Launchers, like smoke dischargers, are on the controlled goods list. It might be a little harder to import than a regular rifle. They are pre-45, so might be exempt on the Canadian side.....not sure on the US side.

They could also be dinged by the "over 20mm barrel" prohibition, depending on joules of energy or the muzzle velocity of the grenade.
 
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A quick over view of the forum and the internet shows that Lee Enfield grenade launcher cups in Canada, when they can be found are currently selling for $400-600. At 149.87 USD, that's $191.54 CDN at todays exchange rate, is still approximately 33%-50% the price of one in Canada. Based on that and assuming there's no legal issues importing one or other associated exuberant costs to have it imported it's likely worth wild. Does anyone here have an experience importing one of these? Can anyone suggest a specific importer to contact? Does anyone have any idea what the associated cost to have one imported might be? The last question I guess would be assuming all the above questions are acceptable would it make sense to have a group order to save costs if others on the forum are interested?
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
A wire-wrapped rifle fills a niche in a collector's succession of pieces, like an armourer's cutaway will. Otherwise, it is a curious artifact that begs to be unwrapped and shot!
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It also depends when the wrap was done, and by whom.

The majority of Indian wrapped rifles are post war used / done.

A First World War (or pre) British / Aussie or Canadian wrapped rifle is a very different story. Those are very scarce to encounter, and bring much more than a regular Indian wrapped rifle.
 
stencollector said:
Grenade Launchers, like smoke dischargers, are on the controlled goods list. It might be a little harder to import than a regular rifle. They are pre-45, so might be exempt on the Canadian side.....not sure on the US side.

They could also be dinged by the "over 20mm barrel" prohibition, depending on joules of energy or the muzzle velocity of the grenade.
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Unfortunately, the prohibition is for "over 20mm" OR "over 10 000J". So, if the bore is over 20mm, it's prohibited regardless of muzzle energy.
Unless it could be argued that the launcher is just a barrel, an uncontrolled part, and not a firearm.
 
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uglydukwling said:
Unfortunately, the prohibition is for "over 20mm" OR "over 10 000J". So, if the bore is over 20mm, it's prohibited regardless of muzzle energy.
Unless it could be argued that the launcher is just a barrel, an uncontrolled part, and not a firearm.
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You might be right on the "uncoltrolled part" when it is just sitting there, but once attached to a rifle it might meet the threshold. Even then I'm not so sure about that. When it comes to mortar tubes, the FRT still lists mortars in the 2" class as not being firearms as they don't meet the threshold to be considered a firearm: they have a slow muzzle velocity. Get to the 60mm mortars, and they meet the threshold, and are now listed as prohibited. The PIAT is also listed as a non firearm and non-prohibited. But whatever the classification of that one might be is dubious, since it has no barrel. A firearm is a barreled weapon...
 
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