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Are the training "cutaway" Enfields sought by collectors? Do they have any real collector value?
I recently ran across these at an auction and wondered what their value was.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway1-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway4-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut1-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut3-1.jpg
Some additional pics...
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway6-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway5-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cutaway7-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut4-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut6-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../mkicut5-1.jpg
Thanks for the post - Nice Pics
Skeleton/Cut Away Enfields must be collectible as I have seen them sold at Auction for more than an equivalent rifle.
It appears that many were made by Armourers during their Apprenticeship, so quality may vary a bit.
Great visual training aid, that were used in most Cadet Units down here. Unfortunately many were scrapped during the cutbacks in the 70's
Paul
Do you know what it sold for???Quote:
Originally Posted by Calfed
Wonderfull pieces!!!
Thanks for posting these great pics.
I love these cutaway rifles as educational material.
They would fit in any Enfield collection( specially in mine). Can you tell a price and where, when they were sold?
I am by no means an advanced collector but would probably pay stupid money for one. Very interesting to the visual learner as to how all the bits fit and function. My guess is they sold for large $.
I see quite a few "skeleton actions" for sale which, of course, include much less than this full sectioned rifle. The prices tend to be about what a decent No. 1 or No. 4 go for. Every time I go to buy one I end up deciding I'd rather have another intact rifle.
Ridolpho
The actual short skeleton actions wera all(?) converted on sub-contract by List &Co at Dagenham in Essex during several programmes during the late 40's and 50's. The full length ones were those done by apprentices to show off their skills and Paul is right, that the quality and variations will differ. I've been through the reasons why these were done in the past but in short, a group would be set a task and they'd have to discuss it among themselves to show what was asked for. It also showed off their bench fitting and machine shop skills (or in my case, LACK of both!)
But looking back, these were works of art. I did loads of Bren gun butt slides, butt buffer systems, Sterling breech and feed area, trigger mechs, Sten gun trigger mechanisms, No2 revolvers, full length No4's and so on.
They were marked and then scrapped - unless you were daring enough to 'liberate' your from the scrap bin prior to disposal.
The big metal scrap bin was in a part of the 'blacking room' where the oil blacking plant was so when the instructors were out or supervising the others, you could rummage through and 'liberate' what you thought you could get away with under your baggy overalls.
As an Officer later, I did ask the training school if the current trainees could do some such things for us at the Small Arms School - such as an old BESA feed mechanism and the interesting two-stage trigger mechanism plus an L9 Browning and SA80 etc but I got the impression that these projects were now not within their ability OR not within the ability of their modern day instructors.
Such a shame................ But that's progress
Or lack of.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
As a matter of interest Frank LE, legally, how would such a skeletonised rifle be viewed in Austria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buccaneer
The No4 went for $310 and the No1 went for $300 at an auction back in Virginia. Unfortunately, no internet sales on this auction. :crying:Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank LE
I would have paid more for either rifle. Probably not wise from an investment standpoint but I find them that interesting. Is it just me?Quote:
Originally Posted by Calfed
It is not just you, I would have jumped all over the No4, especially considering it is a Savage.Quote:
Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY
These are on my want list as well. They have a place in a collection to be sure.
Just a funny little aside to the apprentices test pieces. I furtively rummaged through large bin that contained a load of old skeletonised Sterling trigger mechanisms, cut from old gun casings and destined for scrap and found a particularly good one, sectioned by my friend BIG JOHN Hessell who, even though he was only 16 or so, was already 6'4" tall - and proportionaltely well hung I was informed by big Benda, his girlfriend. Naturally, he wanted his so I told him to have a furtive look for mine in the same bin but presumably someone had nicked that - so I kept his! After all, you couldn't go running bleating to the instructors. He did get an old half decent example and titivated it up a bit but I kept his superb and greatly admired 100% perfect example. He never forgot and many years later he mentioned it again. I didn't tell him that in the meantime the carpenter had mounted it on a nice oak board and I mischeviously displayed it as my work! Much adsmired, it now resides in a display case at the Small Arms School at Warminster. The dastardly secret is out!