Mark1***

[Detroit-1]

Cane anyone tell me the going rate for a matching with volley sights 1908 Mark1***? The metal finish is very good. Pictures are on Gunboards Forum.

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[Frederick303]

give direct link, I do not see the arm on gunboards.

[browningautorifle]

WE can't see the pics on Gunboards unless we're members there...

[Frederick303]

Found it.

You have a CR marked gun. Of the three Irish SMLE MK I*** variations (ER, CR, G), these are the second most common. For example in the database I keep of these guns, I have 124 ER marked guns, 78 CR marked Guns and 33 G marked guns, of which 25 of the 33 Guns are canceled ER variants. So in terms of rarity the following applies:

Least common: G marked variant, no ER serial applied: 8 Examples
2nd G marked rifle over canceled ER serial number: 25 examples
2nd most common: CR marked gun: 78 examples
Most common: ER marked gun: 124 examples (of which 25 have G marking as well)

So on the positive side you have a relatively rare legit MK I*** variant with a late serial number (the highest seen CR gun is around CR 4060). On the down side it is a less desirable version for most Enfield collectors, as they would prefer to have the original ears mounted on the rear handguard variant. Yours seems to be correct as it has both the MKIII rear sight protector and the rear sight with a modified MK I rear handguard.

With that in mind when I was buying these a few years ago, the typical price was on the order of 550 with everything correct like on your rifle. On guns that were a mess with (2 of mine) I got them for as little as 200 for a mess and 275 for one with some features wrong (MK III stocks, MK III nose cap), but that was at local shows. I think pushing up to 585 on a direct sale would be difficult, unless the fellow is a real Irish rifle fan and already has a ER example. In that case he might want and be willing to pay more for the CR example.

That said, at the shows I have seen them they seem to generate a lot less interest than ER guns, ER rifles get snatched up pretty quick if they are not sported. CR guns seem to sit and not sell unless they seem like "a deal" which is less than 500 for a lot of folks.

If you wanted to get the best price you best option is to post it on Gunbroker for 1 penny and hope a bidding war gets started. Sometimes the guns go for a lot under those circumstances. I seem to recall a few years ago some of them went for over 600, but that was when the a bidding war got started.

[Detroit-1]

Thanks Frederick303. I was hoping for more than 500.00. Will be going to a big gun show this weekend. We'll see what happens.