Collecting Enfields -How many?

[smellie]

What is a COMPLETE collection?

I have no idea; I would suppose a COMPLETE collection should duplicate the Pattern Room collection, which was several hundred when I saw it.

The BOOKS say 24 variants of the LM/LE rifle. A friend collected just receivers (bodies) and had 31; I sent him 2 more he didn't have. I also have 2 rifles which are not represented in his collection.

In Canada you don't want to admit to being a "collector" for several reasons. (1) It opens the door to abrupt police inspections of your residence. (2) There was a movement, a number of years ago, to have "collections" DEWATted..... for the safety of the public, of course. This means that we are all shooters and hunters and wild-meat-eaters and target shooters and competitors. The authorities WERE keeping track of how often we shot (through the Book at the local range) but that seems to have gone by the boards, thankfully.

Just an SMLE Mark III/III* collection, by rights, should have one of each rifle from each factory of each year of production. I have been nearly 50 years at this and I have assembled all 7 factories...... and that much took 40 years, on my budget.

But I'm having fun.

You can have fun with your 'collection' even if it's just ONE rifle.... so that's where you start.

Where you finish is between you, your wife, your banker....... and what turns up at the next show.

Have fun!

That's what it's all about.
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