Kicking myself for missing a project Enfield

[fatelk]

I missed an old project Enfield last weekend, still kicking myself.

I have an old No.1 Enfield, dated 1917. It's missing the stock and various parts, and the barrel is beyond sewer pipe. I saw an old Enfield sitting there on a table at the gun show. It was dated 1918 and was missing the bolt and other minor parts that I happen to have. The bore looked a little bit worn but otherwise nice and shiny- no pitting.

He wanted $60. I was on the edge of reaching for my wallet, but had just got there, hadn't walked around yet, wasn't looking for a project, wasn't planning on buying a gun, hadn't been to a show for quite a while, wasn't sure I wanted another project, knew headspace would be iffy, etc...

I said I'd think about it and walked on. Twenty minutes later I realized I should buy it and went back to find it gone. Oh, well.

No big deal. I really don't need another project or another gun, but the bore really looked good and I've always intended to do something with my Enfield parts. Mostly I'm just kicking myself for passing up a good deal when I knew I shouldn't.

[Bloodman14]

Don't you hate it when that happens? Same thing happened to me a few years ago.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I believe a goodly number of us here have had a similar type thing happen to us. The old saying "He who hesitates is lost" fits this situation. That would have been a nice winter project.Robert

[Gtek]

Females and Firearms, the never ending adventure! Gtek

[madsenshooter]

Worst self kicking I ever done was over a Krag that had little numerical decals affixed to the stock. I blabbed about it on jouster and someone jumped on the phone and bought it. The numbers were enumerating changes that had been done to turn the 1896 cadet rifle stocks into regular service rifle stocks. The decals were probably applied at the arsenal circa 1901. I don't believe the rifle that was in the stock was a cadet rifle though, serial # was too early. Buy first, talk about em later.

[mooman76]

I almost did that. A couple years ago I saw a Mini-14 at a gunshow that needed a little work for $100. He wasn't a regular dealer and he just wanted to sell it. I always wanted one but I had something else I was looking for. I told him I'd look around and come back. I only walked a few steps when I realized it would be gone quick so I went back and got it. It just needed a few springs and a magazine to get it going so like $20 in parts.

[fatelk]

Sad thing is, I knew full well I should just buy it. I guess maybe whoever bought it needed a good project, though he probably doesn't have a bag of spare parts ready to go on it. It wouldn't bum me out except it had a nice bore (seems a little uncommon on a WWI Enfield.)

I shouldn't complain. I got a couple of project guns the next day from a friend who needed money. He had an old worn-out Remington model 12 (missing parts), and a M69 Romanian .22 missing a magazine. I like beat up old projects, especially if they have some history.

[Multigunner]

Sad thing is, I knew full well I should just buy it. I guess maybe whoever bought it needed a good project, though he probably doesn't have a bag of spare parts ready to go on it. It wouldn't bum me out except it had a nice bore (seems a little uncommon on a WWI Enfield.)

I shouldn't complain. I got a couple of project guns the next day from a friend who needed money. He had an old worn-out Remington model 12 (missing parts), and a M69 Romanian .22 missing a magazine. I like beat up old projects, especially if they have some history.

Its always a good feeling to restore an old milsurp to as near its original condition as possible, but once any major repairs with replacement of parts is done outside the custody of the military organization the rifle had been in service to theres little or no collector value to speak of. There are rare exceptions, and to my mind a milsurp rifle that had been in civilian ownership as a target rifle still has collector interest so long as modifications follow a known pattern, and the value is enhanced if theres provenance such as the occasional stamped signature of a respected gunsmith or firm.

Barrel swapping is an iffy proposition with the Lee Enfields, due to the necessity of clocking a barrel in so extractor slot lines up and sight mounting pin holes are top dead center.
A barrel fitted and torqued down on one action body may have the shoulder crushed to the point that it can't be clocked in on another action body without some serious rectification.
The 125 pounds of torque used on early WW2 production No.4 barrels resulted in some threaded shanks stretching slightly, these may never be suitable for reuse on another rifle. The stretching is believed to have led to swollen or stretched chambers, and this could only be made worse by fitting to another action body.

A site called buymilsurp.com used to carry 1947 marked Indian manufacture barreled action bodies, described as very good to excellent and possibly never previously assembled into a rifle. No sights or sight bases are fitted to these barreled action bodies. If still available this might be an economical way of building up a decent shooter using parts salvaged from a non shooter or DP rifle.
Indian SMLE rifles built before declaration of independence have a pretty good rep for quality compared to later products.

PS
There is a method for mounting a Lee Enfield barrel that won't clock in as is. It involves turning a bit of the shoulder away and using a washer of the correct thickness. This method was used for some late WW2 No.4 production.
Only problem there is the breech face may not come as far back as it should, which might make obtaining proper headspace impossible even with a longer bolt head.

[303Guy]

I like beat up old projects, especially if they have some history.So do I. That's why I'm sticking to my Lee Enfields, the older the better. (I do have a fondness for the much later No4's though. I want the woodwork to restore one of mine to as issued).

[303Guy]

A barrel fitted and torqued down on one action body may have the shoulder crushed to the point that it can't be clocked in on another action body without some serious rectification.There is a way round this problem. High strength Loc-Tite! There are epoxies and other resins that will also do the job. The Loc-Tite works so well that 30-06 that would loosen its barrel with one shot remained secure thereafter with the Loc-Tite trick. I understand that particular gun actually had stripped threads! Put it this way, one won't get the barrel off again without quite a bit of heat.

[fatelk]

Barrel swapping is an iffy proposition with the Lee Enfields
No, I wasn't even thinking of swapping barrels. I don't have the tools or know-how for that. I was going to use my bolt and parts on the other barreled action. I know headspace would have been iffy and I wouldn't have any way to fix it in the likelihood that it was not right. That was one of the big reasons I hesitated. For $60 though I couldn't have gone too far wrong. All a moot point now. It's not like I missed out on something valuable, but I wish I had bought a couple more Enfields back when they were cheap.

Also, I had no illusions about any collector value. I don't have anything really collectible. I just like inexpensive old shooters with some history.

[adrians]

i did that at a local gun show , i saw a really nice looking k98 complete bolt and like you had just got there ,so like you i walked a little came back and you know the rest .
i'm going with my first instinct next time, then i'll look around :twisted::groner::evil:

[bydand]

Well if we are talking about missed opportunities, Many years ago I attended a gun show and on the first table there was a cane. Almost bought it but like the rest of you I wanted to see what else was there. By the time I got back it was GONE. Incidentaly the cane was a REMINGTON cane gun.

[Surplus Shooter]

Had stuff like that happen look at it, walk away, come back and its gone.