Prices Only Going one Way !

[Alan de Enfield]

Whats happening to prices in your area ?

Went to an auction last week with several Enfields (SMLE, No4 ..22rf etc etc) - the top of the bunch was a 1945 BSA No4T with matching/numbered scope and numbered/matching scope tin.

No transit case, no spotters scope, no other accessories at all.

The 'lucky' buyer paid £3,700 (three thousand seven hundred GB pounds) - about US$5600.

I was budgeting around £2,000 (£1000 for scope, £350 for scope tin, £700 for the rifle) but I'm obviously way out of touch with todays prices.

Wonder what my 4T (with Transit case, spotter scope, bren parts tin, scope adjuster and a letter from Peter Laidler confirming originality ) must be worth

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[Craig Eberhardt]

Whats happening to prices in your area ?

Went to an auction last week with several Enfields (SMLE, No4 ..22rf etc etc) - the top of the bunch was a 1945 BSA No4T with matching/numbered scope and numbered/matching scope

No transit case, no spotters scope, no other accessories at all.

The 'lucky' buyer paid £3,700 (three thousand seven hundred GB pounds) - about US$5600.

I was budgeting around £2,000 (£1000 for scope, £350 for scope tin, £700 for the rifle) but I'm obviously way out of touch with todays prices.

Wonder what my 4T (with Transit case, spotter scope, bren parts tin, scope adjuster and a letter from Peter Laidler confirming originality ) must be worth

How much are you asking?

[Simon]

Wonder what my 4T (with Transit case, spotter scope, bren parts tin, scope adjuster and a letter from Peter Laidler confirming originality ) must be worth

Like most things, It's worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it!

[Roger Payne]

Of course Simon is right, but to try to quantify things a little a nice matching 4T with Mk3 scope recently sold at Bisley for £4,000. I think, in the UK at least, that's the kind of ball park now. Knock off a bit for Mk2 scope, & a bit more for a Mk1. Ditto if mismatched, & so on. Add on a little if all complete in chest, add on a lot if Trials T or Long Brancher........

ATB

[Alan de Enfield]

Sorry - it was really a rhetorical question as mine is not for sale and will be a 'family heirloom'.

I was mainly commenting on the ever upwards prices.

[JerryEAL]

Now these are replys from people that likely have 2 or 3 knocking about. It is a very good possibility that some of us will never have one at this rate.I will now just have to admire the Knowledge Library when I get lonely. LOL For those that have them it is great to see the prices actually reflecting how great a rifle they actually are. When your significant other sees what these milsurps are going for,you won't feel so bad spending the grocery money 30 years ago. $4500 Canadian at Ellwood Epps was the last one I saw and it went fast a few months back.

[Alan de Enfield]

......I will now just have to admire the Knowledge Library when I get lonely. LOL .

just to stop you being lonely, here is mine (RAF Issue)

Attachment 47224

[Peter Laidler]

We used to see a lot of RAF issue No4T's in the Far East (look......., don't ask me why the RAF need snipers or even AFV's, but they had 'em.......) and they used to have a little compact and VERY nice B&C x20 ex-commercial telescope in the chests called 'NELSON' or 'BRITANNIC' (someone please correct me if I'm wrong with the names) these were over engraved/stamped with the AarrowM, 1941 and RAF type part number. Don't forget, the RAFD and Navy were totally independent of the Army procurement and supply system until the mid 70's or so. So if you have one of these in your kit, it could be demed to be right. I used to have one - and still have, is I could find it among the crap that's filling my place and family junk in my mums old barn

[Ridolpho]

On the subject of prices, an early WW1 No. 1 MkIII was recently listed at $2,300 (Can) on an on-line sellers site and is already sold. It was in what I would call good but not spectacular condition. Clearly not the time to be starting a Lee-Enfield collection in this part of the world. In contrast, I recently purchased a good Russian SVT40 for $200- already had it out for a shoot and it's in great mechanical and cosmetic shape.

Ridolpho Ridolphovich

[Enfield Novice]

Well the sniper rifles are way out of my reach but then the bog standard nothing special run of the mill No1s and No4s locally in my area of Florida are spiraling upwards. At the local show last weekend here is a sample of the asking prices.
Nice condition 1945 Faz No5 with no # on the bolt - $875
Very rough Longbranch mismatched all over - $400
Reasonable No4 (BSA) $350 (actually the best deal)
Very rough No4 with no clear identification, mismatched, sanded and varnished - $375
Fair No4 with Ishapore screw 1944 - $400
Nice 1910 No1 with Mag cut off, no volley sight chopped hand guard prongs and Ishapore screw - $375
1965 2A1 reasonable shape - $375
Santa Fe Jungle carbine wannabe - $375
None of these were close to the kind of shape that I see people showing on this site
As of Sunday afternoon the only one that had sold was the reasonable No4 BSA
Local pawn shop has a sporterized 1909 No1 (BSA) with chopped stock, no upper hand guard or nose cap and the complete safety group missing for …$395
If its an Enfield it seems to command a bunch of money. I notice even the chopped up rifles on Gunbroker are over $200.
I think the speculators have moved in like they did on Baseball cards, Guitars and classic cars.