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I have been watching for a IC rifle at an affordable price, while I'm not sure if it was affordable , it is mine now.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../irish04-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../irish02-1.jpg
Hope to have it in hand late next week. I plan to unwrap after the appropriate ceremony and photo's. I have a UF series that was new when I took possession but this is the first "in the wrap" I have handled.
madcratebuilder
When the Enfield is delivered take a small piece of the wrapping and see if it burns with a greenish-orange glow. This glow means the paper was treated with arsenic to prevent insect damage.
Then after the Enfield is completely unwrapped take the rifle into a completely darkened room and see if it glows in the dark. This means the rifle was irradiated and is still slightly radioactive and mold spores and fungus will not grow in the wood or linseed oil.
Don’t forget to tell all your friends and fellow collectors who have wrapped Enfield’s about this special preservation treatment. That way in a few weeks when the panic starts and the prices hit rock bottom I will be able to afford a beautiful piece of history.
P.S. Did I tell you if you hold your new Enfield for too long it will make you sterile and all your hair will fall out.
Signed
Ed Horton
Rumor Control Specialist
Sociological Warfare Department
If I had hair I would be worried:madsmile: Pretty funny.Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Horton
If you unwrap it, you will throw away a couple of hundred dollars with the paper and grease. If you want a shooter, look for one already unwrapped.
You will only make that rifle much more affordable for some one else than it was for you. They really are great shooters but at this point in the game, they are more like investments. Especially if it came with wrapped bayo and scabbard.
Personally, I would leave the wrap and the rifle alone. Shut it up in a dark safe and forget about it, until you need something really special to trade or sell.
As mentioned, there are lots of unwrapped MKIIs around. If they're in excellent condition, they might bring $500 at most, unless of course, you're willing to pay more.
The POF MkIIs are excellent shooters and in VG condition at P&S Militaria. They will run around $400 delivered.
Here's some more information about these "wrapped" Enfields, which you may find helpful. With thanks to Gunboards member Rob "Trebor" Reed, there's an entry about these rifles in the England - Milsurp Knowledge Library (click here)
Still wrapped 1955 No.4 Mk2 Enfield Rifle (Mfg by Fazakerley) (click here) .....
Also, here's a recent lengthy thread in this forum titled No.4 Mk.II still in wrapping - current prices? (click here), which might be of interest.
Regards,
Badger
A lot of shooters in UK who rushed out to buy these NIW rifles (at a premium price) have been disappointed with the shooting results. Not only does it often take 200-300 rounds for the barrel to reach optimum performance, but the rifles themselves often need adjusting. The rifles were massed-produced - often there appears to have been no attempt made to fit the forend properly - and then wrapped up for 50+ years. The wood has since seasoned further, and the rifles have never been bedding-checked and zeroed as they would have been before service issue.
One day, the last remaining wrapped rifles will be fetching $x thousand in rarity value alone. Todays' owners are better off keeping them wrapped as an investment, and buying a mint unwrapped version to shoot.....
madcratebuilder, The shooting results Thunderbox speaks of is primarily confined to the '55 production (I'm making you feel good now, huh?). A reasonable theory is Fazakerley knew production was nearly ended and didn't invest in replacing worn barrel making tools. I have a '55 with a very tight barrel that's required a couple of hundred rounds to improve and looks to need many more!
Brad
PS The bayonet was already pilfered from my NIW '55. I saved my wrap in a zip lock style bag.
I for one can vouch for the above.Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderbox
I found that I had to adjust the barrel channel and pack/shim one side of the area at the rear of the fore end where the cross bolt goes through to get the fore end to adjust to take a lot of sideways pressure of one side of the barrel.
It seemed the wood had warped and had a slight twist and needed resetting to a standard set up.
This rifle now shoots very well indeed.
I to reccommend keeping it in the wrap. Whilst I think it is a mistake, I needed a new shooter so pulled mine out and unwrapped it. At least i know it from new and have no intention of ever selling it. They now go for around the 1200AUSD here unwrapped, seen one go for 2500AUSD in the wrap.
Cheers
NED
P.S. its the rifle in my avatar
I bought a 1955 Fazakerley in the wrap 5 years ago, before I started collecting Enfields. It's a great shooter, but I really regret unwrapping it now. Keep this as is and buy another Enfield for shooting.
There is no way that I could NOT open it up and use it, the suspense would eat me up.
from a collectors point of view, leave it as a mummy.
from a shooters point of view, you can't shoot it all wrapped up... shoot that rifle that you paid for!!!!!
my personal opinion, there is no point in owning an non-operational rifle. If you are not going to shoot it, you should have just bought a truck full of dirt LOL
I have a truck full of dirt I'd be happy to trade lol.
A salutory tale for when you unwrap your mummified No4.
When the very, very, very LAST of the old, original shape Mini Coopers were built in 2000, I ordered one of the very last 500, called '500's and tucked it away in my garage, new and unused.
And there it's been sat, ever since. Greased up, oiled, and the hidden, out of sight interior panels swamped with waxoil and covered with a dust sheet. The seats have hardly ever been sat on and it still smells new. I can't see it, but underneath the stuff that's now covering the dust sheet, I know that there is a brand new and unused Mini Cooper. JUST the same as your brand new and unwrapped No4.
I know that the moment I take it out on the road, it's just the same as the other half million Mini Coopers that have been made since 1963 or so. JUST the same as your mummified No4.
But I have another old well used Mini Cooper that I can use whenever I want but it's not BRAND NEW, still in the wrap........just like your mummified No4
Look, just like the Mini Cooper tale, there are hundreds of well used, reliable, accurate, good useable clunky older No4's out there that you could use but the moment you use your brand new unwrapped No4, it's value is pretty much that of the norm............... And remember this too. Like the Mini Cooper, they ain't makin' any more.
Personally I like to encourage all owners of mummy wrapped No.4 mark 2 rifles to unwrap them and shoot them.
Why you ask?
The answer is simple, I have several mummy wrapped rifles tucked in my gun room and I love to see them appreciate in value :)
Unlike Ed Horton whose from the clan of "cheap bastards," I'm from the clan of "greedy bastards"
Well I'm definitely in the clan of "cheap bastards". You guys have not helped me at all. I do so much want to unwrap this and enjoy it's pristine appearance.
The fly in the ointment is I have a 55 UF that has just about 200 rounds down the pipe and is starting to come in. I just may put this away for a year or so and watch prices. I have the "other blonde' to shoot.
Thanks for all the input gentlemen.