Enfields

[bamboomaster]

The availability of surplus has gone way down, sourcing has dried up. Rule of capitalism is that the higher the demand, the price goes up for limited supplies. To answer your question, I think we've all seen surplus go for stupid money here, and on other boards, and certainly in the gun shops. Days of buying "5 for "200" Mosins and Turk Mausers are gone. Enfields pop up now and again but the prices have gone up. 03s and 03A3s are in the 7 and 800s. Glad to hear you're happy with your Mosin! I'd snatch up an M39 and a Swiss K31 before these go stratospheric.

That's a good observation, Bill (your "bolded" comment). But that's a price range mostly for "dings & dents", "barrel may clean up", etc. Most sellers, if they have any idea of the ME or TE (muzzle erosion/throat erosion), feign ignorance.

Rifles in far better condition seem to pass along at higher prices - depending on the auction house and the ability to fairly engage in price discovery without the assistance of shill bidders...

Just a thought.

[JoshIronshaft]

I'd really like to find an Ishapore Enfield in 7.62. No interest in one in 303.

[cruzans]

I stumbled on a great deal on these a couple years ago from a member. (4) Ishapore Enfield 7.62's, two of them with Parker Hale aperture rear sights, all in amazing shape, for a grand. Love a deal

I'd really like to find an Ishapore Enfield in 7.62. No interest in one in 303.

[Seabee CO]

I really like Enfields.

I've owned several matching numbers Enfields through the years, various No 4's, No 3's, Longbranches, US Property marked Savages, Ishapores, etc.

Out of all of them, I felt No4 Longbranches shot the best and kept one of those. Very dependable very reliable rifle.

[thanker92]

I purchased a brandy-new, un-fired jungle carbine with a sling and 20 rounds of .303 for $12.99 and It came with about 3 pounds of free cosmoline (or whatever the Brits. used) for free....I think It took me a week to get it clean...and I rode the bus home with it....in New Jersey......it was 1959.

[Ecclectic Collector]

Love those Lee-Enfields! I started buying them in the early 1990s with a No. 4 Mk 1 Maltby that was unissued and likely unfired. Paid what was then top dollar for it at Valley Gun in Baltimore. It was $129 dollars at the time.

I'm very fond of the SMLE as well. In general while not the best in terms of absolute accuracy, the Lee-Enfields are among the most shoot-able rifles I've ever owned. (And I've had a few....won't let you know lest my wife sees this post)

Just a few days ago me and a friend pulled out two of our No. 4 rifles and blasted away at gongs for an hour. We rarely missed (well except when my old eyes couldn't see the front sight I did throw a few somewhere near the target).

My deer rifle is a tuned No. 4 that was sporterized with Fajen wood and wears a nice Leopold on top. It will shoot instide of 1.5" all day long at 100 yards.

If you ever want one of the best old military rifles to own, get one. It has earned its place as a must have in the milsup community.

[wanneroo]

Wouldn't mind a Lithgow one at some point, but no hurry as I have other guns I want first.

[Bang]

I have a sporterized No.4 SMLE...the first gun I ever started handloading for. I used to woodchuck with it out to 250 yards. It is heartbreaking to see the prices on any WWII rifles at the gun shows cause I still remember the barrels of them for $20. The surprising thing about it was how accurate it was, while gun writers at the time were saying two-piece stocked rifles can never achieve the accuracy of a one piece stock. Wrong!

[cruzans]

I have a jungle carbine as well - a real one - prices on those are going way up ! Also picked up an Enfield converted to 410 shotgun model and a crate of the old ammo- fun to shoot for sure.

[Cville]

I've seen the prices go up on Enfields as well. Ishapores used to be fairly cheap and now sell over $300--mostly around $350. They were selling around $250 around 2-3 years ago. There was a dip in prices a few years ago, but the prices seemed to have increased by $75-100 for most models. It may be due to Classic Firearms selling (actually selling, not just listing) surplus rifles at 2 to 3 times the market price which caused people to realize that some people are willing to pay more money. Also, Wolf is selling cheaper ammo, so people may be more willing to buy the rifles. I think .303 used to sell at 15-20/box. Wolf sells for a lot less.