An explosively dismantled Enfeld

[BubbaTheKid]

Here's a New Zealand Property #4 with the proper paint and reciver stamped "DP" for your consideration:

New Zealand Property marked Savage No4 Mk1 Rifle - CMP Forums

[browningautorifle]

Beautiful example of a DP gun. A treasure to have in the collection. And possibly the next in a long line of accidents...Then, oh my God...who's to blame?

[Beerhunter]

I was looking to buy a proof marked complete barreled action (with bolt) and the Police told me that once I had replaced the 'furniture' I would have to submit it for re-proofing

More to the point, in my opinion, your rifle being in Proof is actually nothing to do with the police UNLESS you were to attempt to sell it. That is the point at which an offence would be committed if a weapon was out of Proof.

In other words wither or not a a rifle is in Proof has nothing to do with the Firearms Licensing System laid down in the 1968 Firearms Act.

I told someone from my lot a while ago to look up the Gun Barrel Proof Act 1868 and then let me know where it said that OWNING a firearm out of Proof was an offence - he never got back to me.

[gsimmons]

Here's a New Zealand Property #4 with the proper paint and reciver stamped "DP" for your consideration:

New Zealand Property marked Savage No4 Mk1 Rifle - CMP Forums

kollector03 apparently is going to part out this rifle! What a waste!

[browningautorifle]

That's too bad. Mint rifle from what I can see.

[BubbaTheKid]

Not to beleagure the obvious, but since it is marked DP isn't it a wall hanger?
What is it worth being NZ marked as well as "US Property" marked?
I tried to key word search here for US Property but came up empty.

[browningautorifle]

I should think no premium beyond a DP rifle. It IS an interesting item though. The very marks you describe, and the fact it wasn't beat to pennybits...sounds like it will be resurrected in a functional form to go on...

[boltaction]

I agree with some of the comments praising the fellow for posting his mistake for others to learn by. It's easy to criticize someone, and certainly a DP rifle shouldn't be trusted, but really, how many people on this forum haven't HONESTLY done something stupid in their shooting careers and been lucky to get away with it? It is easy to be misled by a minty-looking gun, and I have missed a hole in a barrel before. I had a DP Bren once which had a hole drilled through the barrel, and even though it was NOT a small hole and was plainly obvious from the outside, neither I nor my two gunsmiths could readily identify where it was on close bore inspection. The bore was not mint, and it just faded into some of the minor marks. Of note, the hole could be suspected when you ran a brush down the barrel, as it hung up at that spot somewhat.

While I had no intention of firing the gun, it taught me a lesson to always look at the exterior of the barrel as well as the interior. That lesson has served me well on a few occasions. I recall a couple of very nice looking rifles, one a Lee Enfield LEC 1, the other an older Mauser 98AZ. Both had the usual sort of minor biffs and service love kisses on the stocks, and both had good bores. Both however had significant corrosion at the wood line--when you took off the top and bottom wood, the pitting line was horrendous, and in the Enfield's case, very deep. I've also owned a DP Ross Mk III which had a hole drilled, not through side-side like usual, but from underneath halfway along the barrel. It was visible on good bore inspection, but was impossible to miss with the stock removed.

It's not just the guns either. Back in the day when one could take Brens and such to the range, I bought a decent looking lot of military surplus .303 ammo to shoot in a converted auto Bren. It was WWII era stuff, and had been reboxed. That should have been my first clue--I'm thinking the original boxes must have rotted or something. Several shots went off well, although accuracy was terrible, and then I had what seemed like a jam--the gun went off,quieter than usual, but didn't cycle. I pulled the barrel and looked down it, and sure enough, there was the bullet, halfway down the pipe, with a bunch of goopy looking stuff behind it which proved to be gummy propellant . Fortunately the bullet hadn't made it far enough to pass the gas port, or the gun might have cycled and I could have put a second round on top of the first. I packed up and went home, and pulled the bullets off the remaining cartridges. In several, the powder had congealed inside the cases.

My lessons learned: inspect every used gun (new or old) thoroughly before firing, and don't use old ammo, or someone else's reloads.

Cheers

Ed

[Ridolpho]

An interesting thread might invite members to mention names of gunsmiths by geographic region that they know to be qualified to work on specific brands of surplus arms. I live in a mid size city and belong to the local "historic arms...collectors club" and have collected for 30 years and have never met a gunsmith. I feel comfortable doing superficial inspections of several types of rifles (for me the most enjoyable aspect of the hobby) but for those who don't, or for serious mechanical work, it would be nice to know of any possible professional help within a reasonable radius of home.

Ridolpho

[Peter Laidler]

More to the point Ridolpho, I think it'd be equally interesting to identify Bolt Actions two 'gunsmiths' who couldn't identify a hole in a Bren barrel.......... Really................. two gunsmiths who couldn't identify a hole in a Bren barrel. Sorry Bolt Action but words fail me. Maybe they should have been called ginsmiths!

Sorry to sound a tad abrasive here BA, but there are no excuses - ever ............ Don't look down the barrel, look at the bore!