There is a Lee Enfield No1 Mk3* dated 1918 for sale in thinking of perhaps purchasing. I know nothing of these rifles having never owned one. Owner says bore is good, head space checked and good, numbers matching. Wood looks a little beat up but it is 100 years old and appears to be all there. The one thing that drew me to it is as the owner says, it appears to have someone's initials carved into the bottom of the stock. They look very old. Owner has shot it. All good. He wants $725. CAD.
It was a MkIII. Moot point as I passed on it. He wanted $725. CAD firm. Just didn't feel right. I'll keep looking.
That's not a crazy price in the current market. No1s in good condition from online retailers are going for closer to $800 when they're available (or even more if they have early features like the magazine cutoff and volley sights).
But I've been wondering the same thing for a few years now.
A lot of older collectors have family that don't give a hoot & either they, or their heirs may soon be flogging of "old yukky guns" fer cheap so they can get a new smartphone or something, Imagine how That will drive milsurp prices down a glut of cheap ones.
If you have $725Cdn with which to go shopping, keep looking, for that price you can find something decent. There are still some nice ones out there at reasonable prices, but private sales.
Dealers charge big cos they can. Many of today's buyers only buy online with point and click of the mouse. They will pay that price, put it on the credit card, it arrives at their door. An entire collection gathered by going click, click, click.
Tell all your senior friends, and get them to pass the word along. You might be surprised what might be forgotten at the back of somebodies gun safe. You cant beat to face with a fist full of dollars for haggling and making good deals.
About 5 years ago I picked up a Ishapore Sht. LE MKIII with a new barrel for £120 and 2 years ago a Savage No.4 Mk1* for £250. I didn't go looking for them, they found me.
Englishman, very sound advice! I have a small network of "Bakerstreet Irregulars" I can have keep their ears to the ground for me.
We'll. Having bought a No4 Lee Enfiled Sporter sight unseen off a gun post that required a lot of work to become a shooter (my bad, but I went into it with my eyes open as it was cheap), is the main reason I passed on the rifle I mention in this thread. What I did do is just finished getting off the phone with an English gentleman/son business in Canada that builds and restores Lee Enfields to "fresh issue" state. Not numbers matching, but very nice workmanship. I've placed an order for him to build me a No1 MkIII Lithgow. It'll take 5-6 weeks. Very excited!
"It was a MkIII. Moot point as I passed on it"
A Square. I meant no disrespect. I meant wether it was a Mk3 or a MkIII became irrelevant as I passed on the deal for other reasons. Sorry for any confusion. And thank you. I did not no those 3's and III's were specific to a country.
Is the father /son team in Sask?
There is a bloke out that way that does V good work. he seems to know his onions.
I'm scared stiff of all the "newbies" who think they can stick wood on an old sporter and treble the price!
I want Nothing to do with most of them!
I have a 1923 Lithgow, FTR'd and new barrel in '53. Been thinking of selling but it's tight and right and don't know if I could find another if I wanted one. It's not that I don't Like it, I just do not get time to shoot much, and think it's best to spend time with only one or two rifles, rather than trying something different every time out!...never get to know Any of them.
Yes, he is. I purchased a L39A1 clone from him last year. Top notch rifle! I phoned him yesterday and he said he had parts to build 65 No1's. He rec commended I go for the Lithgow. As I know only enough about these rifles to prove I know nothing about these rifles, I agreed. He garanteed it would be built to "as issued" specs. He also mentioned these rifles are far more difficult to build than No4's, but didn't elaborate. Nice chap. As I have one of his rifles, I trust him.