What's it worth? Old .22lr Enfield...

mikeystew

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I'm thinking of picking up a neat enfield .22lr dated 1915. Ony issue is it's missing the safety, magazine, and has been bubba'd. What is a reasonable price to pay for something in this condition? Also how difficult would it be to find a .22lr Enfield mag to fit it?

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It's the one on bottom
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These don't use a .22 magazine, just a .303 magazine casing without spring and follower. I think it would be worth restoring, particularly if it has a shootable bore. Completely restored with good parts, I'd guess it would be worth $300 - $350. I'm going to assume that it was naval issue. I know if I came across a rifle like that, I would restore it.
dgradinaru - If you know where the parts to restore that rifle can be had for $50, please let us know.
 
I have one of those. They weren't issued with magazines. Some of them even had wooden blocks glued into the mag wells to block them.

The safety is missing to allow the installation of an adjustable sight.

The sight is held on at the hole drilled half way down the butt socket and by an extended rear trigger guard screw.

There are picks of the rear sight in Skennerton's books.

If you can find the rear sight, they usually sell for around $150-$200 depending on condition.

The rifle is cut down to that configuration purposely. I don't remember the reason but I think it was either for schools or cadets.

Some come with a rear top hand guard, most don't. Some have rear sights missing as well.

Your's was obviously drilled and tapped for the adjustable sight add on but it's been misplaced.

A lot of them were used as cheap 22 cal hunting rifles after they were sold on the surplus market. Most of them, as long as their bores are good will shoot better than their owners.

The rifle you have is worth at least $250. If the inside is as nice as the outside, it may be worth more.

I have seen these with magazines installed, with or without followers. I've also seen them with Williams adjustable target sights on the rear of the receiver. These options are definitely add ons, after being surplussed out.

There is a decent write up on them in Skennerton's book.
 
The Parker Hale 5A sight for the SMLE would fit. It is not necessary to remove the safety assembly to install the target sight; a coil spring replaces the flat spring. While a PH5A fits, most of these training rifles were used with the issue sights.
If these were officially cut down, I have never seen any reference. I would suggest that it was just bubba'd into a sporter. Wood looks shiney because its been sanded and varnished.
Some of these rifles when in Cdn service were fitted with a base which accepted Ross Mk. III aperture sights.
 
It's worth more than your usual sportered No1Mk3, which usually goes for between, say, $0 up to $200.

Once refurbed, with not too many missing parts (forend, handguards, front and mid bands, required screws and swivels, rear sight guard and screw / nut), as Tiriaq says its value will indeed be much higher. Hey, shop around for a complete .22 trainer in great shape and try to get it for less than $400. Not easy.

The missing safety, IIRC, is the same as the No1Mk3 - so very easy to find the parts for that.

Make sure the bolt head is complete and in good shape.

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I don't know about there NOT being a magazine for these Enfield .22s, as I shot these quite a bit in Army Cadets and remember using the magazine.

In fact, I picked one up years ago... at the old Mr.Surplus in Calgary, I believe... and will post a picture of it once I get back home. The magazine I bought is stamped "22" on the side and has a grooved, centered follower.

The magazine itself holds ten .303 rounds but the grooved follower facilitates in loading single .22 rounds.

I could be wrong, but that's how I remember it from 25 years ago anyway. It might take awhile to dig it out and post a picture... but be patient and I'll do my best...
 
You are describing the magazine for a Cdn. No. 7 rifle. The SMLE based rifles generally used a magazine shell to catch the empties, or as has been mentionned, the empties could just fall on the ground.
 
If these things are only worth $150, then why isn't the EE flooded with them...... at that price?

If they were that cheap, I certainly would have at least one of them by now.

Just an observation, mind you.

Very nice.
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