matt1992 Posted 3 April , 2011 Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Hi everyone. I am considering purchasing a deactivated Enfield rifle but as I am fairly new to this sort of thing thought I would get some advise first. I would like to get the rifle to match the P-1907 bayonet that I recently posted about but am not entirely sure which one I should be looking at. I'm thinking the Lee Enfield No.1 is the way to go. If this is the right one then please could I have some identification tips. Has anyone got any pictures of the correct rifle. Also is the 48 page Skennerton "Buyer's guide to the Lee-enfield" any good? It may help when I'm out looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 3 April , 2011 Share Posted 3 April , 2011 TA DAAAAA! CLICKETY CLICK HERE Hope this helps. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted 3 April , 2011 Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Get a real one not a deac! If you are close enough get down to the forthcoming Open Day at Bisley and see what its all about! National Rifle Day Open Day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1992 Posted 3 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Wow, I think you just answered any question I could have possibly thought of. Thanks chris I appreciate your help. We are going to an antique fair at Newark on Friday so will keep an eye out there. Thanks again Matthew TA DAAAAA! CLICKETY CLICK HERE Hope this helps. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1992 Posted 3 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Cheers Matthew, I had thought about a real one but decided against it for practicality reasons but thanks anyway. Regards Matthew Get a real one not a deac! If you are close enough get down to the forthcoming Open Day at Bisley and see what its all about! National Rifle Day Open Day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 3 April , 2011 Share Posted 3 April , 2011 A friend of mine picked up a cracking example last week – 1916 dated Lithgow with volley sights and mag cut-off. The butt has 1915 markings and there is no piling swivel, but other than that the metalwork and furniture are top notch. £280 incl an ammo pack (from a dealer) – it’s a 303 smoothbore shotgun conversion. If you have a shotgun cert or FAC then live examples are definitely worth looking at – though you have the obvious problem of not being able to display it. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1992 Posted 3 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Hi Tom, I think I may have to do some more research before I buy one I have some of the part names in my head I just don't have a part to put with them "rookies hey". £280 doesn't sound bad to me. Unfortunately I don't have either certificates but as you say displaying a live rifle is a big no no. Especially as this is the reason I want one. Regards Matthew A friend of mine picked up a cracking example last week – 1916 dated Lithgow with volley sights and mag cut-off. The butt has 1915 markings and there is no piling swivel, but other than that the metalwork and furniture are top notch. £280 incl an ammo pack (from a dealer) – it's a 303 smoothbore shotgun conversion. If you have a shotgun cert or FAC then live examples are definitely worth looking at – though you have the obvious problem of not being able to display it. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 3 April , 2011 Share Posted 3 April , 2011 Matthew - £280 is a very good price given the current prices asked for 2nd rate deacts in the UK. I now wonder whether a "live" purchase through a dealer or contact with a certificate, with a view to a legit deactivation, is not the best way forward. Fortunately I have long since had a Long Enfield and a nice SMLE, but that was the days when you could buy a good SMLE and they'd throw in a Gewher 98 for free Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 4 April , 2011 Share Posted 4 April , 2011 I think you will find that is a very expensive method Tom. The price of live SMLEs is going ever upwards and most dealers charge about £250-£300 to do the de-activation work. At the Bisley fair last weekend there were rebuilt refinished SMLEs, very pretty but hardly original, going for over £600. Fortunately, it is still possible to find fairly original rifles for that sort of money if one is prepared to look around. I hate to see good rifles being de-activated. If one is required for display, then a re-furb not only "looks" better but you are not destroying a piece of working history. Just my florin's worth. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 6 April , 2011 Share Posted 6 April , 2011 I think you will find that is a very expensive method Tom. The price of live SMLEs is going ever upwards and most dealers charge about £250-£300 to do the de-activation work. ... Tony - I've rec'd a quote today from a long-standing and reputable UK arms dealer(*) to deact a live SMLE - £50 incl Birmingham Proof House deact certificate. Another £10 for UK return delivery. That, on top of £280 for an exceptionally good 1916 SMLE, looks like a good deal to me. Tom (* if you want the company's name then pm me). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 7 April , 2011 Share Posted 7 April , 2011 That price seems too good to be true! I don't know what the Proof House is charging these days but by the time the rifle has been taken/collected from the proof House the work is probably being done for about a fiver! I would be interested to know who quoted that, but I certainly won't be sending any live SMLEs for castration though. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 7 April , 2011 Share Posted 7 April , 2011 That price seems too good to be true! I don't know what the Proof House is charging these days but by the time the rifle has been taken/collected from the proof House the work is probably being done for about a fiver! I would be interested to know who quoted that, but I certainly won't be sending any live SMLEs for castration though. Regards TonyE Tony - I also thought the price was "good" (but for complete accuracy should have mentioned that the £50 was ex-VAT !). PM follows this - you will recognise the company name, I'm sure. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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