"Crimes against Collectables"

There should be a law against parting out

I think they should cut him up and sell him for parts.

No Enfields where harmed by this post.

This is a situation where a guy didn't know what he had in the first place.  I doubt he would have parted these guns out had he known their value.

I too started out my Enfield obsession with a sporter. It was a very cheap but effective hunting rifle in a .303 wildcat calibre. At the time I was eighteen with a good job but a passion for fast cars meant my shooting was done on a shoestring budget. I couldn't afford a proper hunting or target rifle. I was never under any illusions about it. It would always be a chopped up milsurp, worth less than the sum of the parts due to the amount of them available in the same condition. Yes, Australians probably chopped up more Lee Enfields per head of population than any other country in the world. We are still tripping over them all over the place with pricetags of around $150 and no buyers for them. With a $300 scope they might pull $200, such is the market here.



Having caught the bug when I bought a No5 a year or so later, and then researching and restoring a 1905 BSA Mk1*** (over two years in the making). Every single (original) rifle I have bought since has been appreciating in value faster than superannuation. I still have the sporter, although re barreled back to .303 with a Lithgow H tube, and has seen a few different incarnations (currently in transformation again) it still shoots sub MOA no matter what I do to it.

Several of my standard rifles that I have used shoot MOA too. I only use one load in all of them, and that replicates MkVII ball, just like they were designed and tuned to use. Unless there is a serious issue with the barrel, they would all perform well with sub sonic ammo with minimal load tuning. That was proven to me by a mate who shot a well worn 1917 BSA with cast pills and cut one hole groups all day. I asked him about bedding, he laughed. He took off the nosecap and handguards and the group didn't change. He then took the foreend off and put another five rounds through the same hole. No science in that.

I spent many hours studying the bedding techniques of the masters of target shooting in this country from the forties and fifties. I have started from scratch with a bubba rifle and unfitted woodwork and after many dozens of careful hours work, been rewarded with exceptional results with MkVII loads like they were building their competition rifles for over half a century ago. No bedding compounds, no epoxies, just metal on wood... wood carefully removed a few thou at a time and checked time after time.
There is where the true art lies. I can see no art in gouging an extra 1/4 inch out, pouring in some commercial compound and clamping the lot together. To me the idea seems an almost sacrilegious end to a proud part of our history. The rest is just window dressing, so bears no influence on the outcome other than the time and cost incurred to do it.
As far as being a means to an end, the modifying of a milsurp for anything more than shooting a modified class in service rifle comp would have to be because of a passion, because common sense says a second hand sporting rifle will cost about the same as modifying a milsurp and usually be a better suited tool for the job and hold it's value better!

This is just my experience and opinions. I play with modern weapons for 37 1/2 hours a week (with a generous super plan and holidays). They hold some interest for me. Just a few weeks ago I was ringing a steel fig 11... 6/6 at a lasered distance of 1050m! But my passion is for oiled wood and blued steel.
 At the end of the day I think we all agree that rare collectables should be preserved... usually only already bubba'd rifles should be fiddled with further... and we support those who have the passion for faithful restorations and the thirst for knowledge.

I dont think the new ownes would mind me posting these.

Sorry to hi-jack your thread Max.

This was my best with the PH mag.

I agree that anyone is entitled to modify their rifle for their needs as they see fit. But, it is still a sad thing to see one that modified to the point where it can never be restored. I have a 1943 matching numbers Long Branch #4 Mk1* that "Bubba" cut the bayonet lugs and front sight base off of. It's set in a synthetic stock and has a scope. It is a he!! of a deer rifle but, it will never be what it was.

Another good example.....
http://www.armslist.com/posts/3501378/oklahoma-rifles-for-sale--1944-lee-enfield-no-4-mk1---t----