I have a chance to buy 2 Lee Enfield rifles. Can someone tell me approx. values?

[Electric Eric]

One is a No. 4 Mk 1 /31 FI FTR...good condition some rust, nice stock
The other is a Lee Enfield 1943 8NP in fair condition, with marks and dents in the stock.
Can anyone give me a ballpark figure on what I should offer for them?
Thanks!

 

[WWII_Collector]

you might want to post this in the Milsurp section if no one responds soon. I have a few enfields but I bought them over eight years ago so I don't know values in todays market...
Pics are good too

 

[Swamp_Yankee]

I think you're going to max out at $400 a piece. But that's a stretch. What about the bores? Pitting? Stocks are easily swapped, as are most parts. I would want to know the condition of the bores, the number on the bold head and the head space. I am guessing that they are probably closer to a $200-$300 value. And there is no ammo around in .303 anymore so the price reflects that.

 

[FSTC]

Anything under $350 is a good price.

 

[Picton]

Like WWII Collector, I last bought Enfields too many years ago to advise you on today's market, but FTR'd No4s are not exactly rare...

Pics! They'd help us help you.

 

[hbar26]

Check the bore and headspace. if headspace is off the 2 and 3 bolt heads are getting rare, I have seen 3 bolt heads go for around $100 on ebay.

 

[Madisonian]

And there is no ammo around in .303 anymore so the price reflects that.

I'm curious, are you saying there's not .303 around, being made by anyone, or is this just a comment on the general state of things during the ammo shortage. If it's the former I think you're mistaken. I think it's current production from Remington, Winchester, Sellier & Bellot, PRVI, Hornady, and others. They all sell brass, too, and projectiles are made by the usual suspects.

 

[Peicemaker]

There is ammo available, but surplus is exceptionally rare and the current production stuff is not exactly cheap.

 

[bch1988]

Prv makes awesome .303 ammo. And it's not impossible to find.

Edit and its like 15-17$ a box

 

[Swamp_Yankee]

There is ammo available, but surplus is exceptionally rare and the current production stuff is not exactly cheap.

That's the point. You can get it, but it ain't cheap. And considering what a bear it is to reload and how fast the brass burns out, it's just not the cheap shooting experience it used to be.

 

[gene]

Common Endfields are 300 to 400 range
There are some hard to come by models/markings that sell a lot more than that
Good re-loading cartridge but pricey if your buying ammo
Make sure the barrels are clean and functions are safe as it's a hell of a cartridge= to have blow up on you.

 

[Number 6]

My father in law bought an Enfield from a show about a month ago - $375.

...AND, bought a box of Hornady ammo at Four Seasons this past Saturday.

As mentioned, it's not exactly cheap.



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[Peicemaker]

As mentioned, it's not exactly cheap.

View attachment 69618

$30 a box? You can get Privi Partizan and S&B for around $20. Not common but it's out there.

 

[Madisonian]

I don't get the "not exactly cheap" comments: compared to what? It's about the same as comparable cartridges - 30-06, 308, etc. PRVI and S&B and available for under a buck a round, about what you'd expect to pay for almost any 30 cal. military cartridge.

No matter, if you want an Enfield, you're buying into the .303 regardless. i don't think ammunition cost is pulling down rifle values, it's worth what it is because the were made in huge numbers, all over the world. They were put inservice in 1895, and are still in service today. A fine, never-fired SMLE will command a good price; a worn-out, dented-stock, rusted action, excessive headspace example will command what almost any dented-stock, rusted action, excessive headspace, surplus military bolt gun might command - not much.

 

[Steve Marshall]

.303 ammunition. Surplus can sometimes be found at places like Rilet's for around 70 cents more or less. PRVI can be found online for about the same price NOW. Try that for .308 and apparently even .223. Reloading with components bought at retail would be about the same as any other normal centerfire rifle. Maybe a penny or two more per bullet as opposed to 30 caliber. As to prices on the rifles? Like most military surplus prices, they are on the increase. I don't see many for less than $300 in the gunshops unless they are beat or "sporterized".

 

[KBCraig]

Condition and scarcity is everything. Your range is $250-400 for a No.4 in decent shape, with nothing special about it.

As for ammo, there is no cheap milsurp ammo out there any more, but there's plenty of commercial ammo.

 

[Swamp_Yankee]

I don't get the "not exactly cheap" comments: compared to what? It's about the same as comparable cartridges - 30-06, 308, etc. PRVI and S&B and available for under a buck a round, about what you'd expect to pay for almost any 30 cal. military cartridge.

I can reload .308 or .30-06 brass at least 10 times and bullets and brass are common. .303 brass is difficult to reload for and components are more limited. It should be neck sized and it will go into head separation usually after 3-4 reloads, although some brass is a little better if taken good care of. If you look at commercial ammo, yeah, it's comparable. But there is more to it than that.

 

[Madisonian]

I can reload .308 or .30-06 brass at least 10 times and bullets and brass are common. .303 brass is difficult to reload for and components are more limited. It should be neck sized and it will go into head separation usually after 3-4 reloads, although some brass is a little better if taken good care of. If you look at commercial ammo, yeah, it's comparable. But there is more to it than that.

Yea, that's what I thought, about the same price for commercial ammunition as other 30 cal rifle cartridges, not as much choice in projectiles, and marginally shorter lifespan of brass. If you don't push the should back to much, just enough to close the bolt, brass should last longer. At today's powder prices, considering you're in the neighborhood of 12¢ worth of powder, 21¢ for a projectile, 4¢ for a primer, and amortizing a 45¢ case over 5 firings, 9¢; you're at 46¢ per round, still about 1/2 the cost of factory ammo. Maybe not cheaper than 30-06 on a good day, but still pretty good (at 10 firings, it would drop to 41.5¢).

About the rifles, though, since they have been around so long, and used so much, starting from the Victorian era, before automobiles or airplanes, with black powder, then cordite, until making the leap to smokeless - they can range from dangerous to fire wall-hangers to as-new, unused, unissued pieces. They will have to be examined by a knowledgeable person to figure out what they're worth.

 

[Picton]

About the rifles, though, since they have been around so long, and used so much, starting from the Victorian era, before automobiles or airplanes, with black powder, then cordite, until making the leap to smokeless - they can range from dangerous to fire wall-hangers to as-new, unused, unissued pieces. They will have to be examined by a knowledgeable person to figure out what they're worth.

... although YMMV. I've yet to see a late-model Enfield seriously out of spec, especially if it's an FTR. Of course, if it's a pre-1890 piece, frsh from Nepal after getting a "thorough" once-over at Ishapore, I'd think a gunsmith check might be in order. But I'd still be surprised if it's unsafe.

 

[TFLeader]

Wholesale is $200 apiece assuming they are complete, no missing parts.

 

[Madisonian]

... although YMMV. I've yet to see a late-model Enfield seriously out of spec, especially if it's an FTR. Of course, if it's a pre-1890 piece, frsh from Nepal after getting a "thorough" once-over at Ishapore, I'd think a gunsmith check might be in order. But I'd still be surprised if it's unsafe.

Yes, agreed. They vary so widely.

 

[Garys]

Check the bore and headspace. if headspace is off the 2 and 3 bolt heads are getting rare, I have seen 3 bolt heads go for around $100 on ebay.

I just looked and Numrich only has #0 bolt heads, all other sizes are out of stock. I should probably dig through my parts box and see what I have for bolt heads, if anything. Of the five that I have, only one failed headspacing. A new bolt head fixed that.

 

[inkhammer]

Prv makes awesome .303 ammo. And it's not impossible to find.

Edit and its like 15-17$ a box

$29 + a box
just bought some and am getting more,
box a week, like a savings account

 

[Garys]

I bought 70 rounds of FN and 300 of HXP for $0.67/round this week from an NES member. Not as cheap as it used to be, but it's around and HXP at least is supposed to be really good stuff. I'd guess that FN is as well. The FN came on stripper clips and the whole thing came in a 50 cal. ammo can.