De-activated!!!!!!!!!!!

[jss]

I was just trawling the web to see what's about and have seen a significant number of ads. where people discuss the Enfields they are selling in much the same way as members on this forum do. Then, without warning, I see the word de-activated almost as though it is a good thing!.
I am left with a sense of incredulity and anguish. "Why would anyone deactivate an Enfield?".

Then I thought of what a friend said recently; "Why do you need live firing guns when you could collect them de-activated".

Is anyone here collecting de-activated Enfields or getting them de-activated?.

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[Buccaneer]

Certainly not............. but with the anti gun hysteria that surrounds us these days I am not supprised. De-acts can also be more valuable to the seller as there is potentially a much bigger market!!!!!

[Fred G.]

To me it's like owning a live horse or a stuffed horse. The stuffed horse can be owned by a person whose land lord won't allow living livestock on one's property. It won't ever need feed, medical attention, to be cleaned up after or cared for. One can put a saddle on it and climb up on it and sit, while pretending that it's a living horse they're sitting on while they enjoy the imagined feel of sitting in the saddle on a live horse. Or one can live in a place that allows one to own, raise, ride and care for living horses. I suppose that given the option to having nothing, being able to at least have a stuffed horse in your living room or out in your yard would certainly appeal to some. Sadly, not everyone in the world is allowed to have a living horse, least of all a stuffed one. Some can only look at horses in pictures or go to a zoo or a ranch to observe them. Same way with guns. Some are allowed to own a non functioning deactivated gun and others aren't even allowed to do that. They are told it's for their own good of course...and for the good of their society according to their laws. After awhile, the people under those laws are just grateful that they can own a stuffed horse...or a deactivated firearm.

[303Nut]

I'm a shooter first, so a de-activated Enfield would do me no good....

[Promo]

Well, you could also collect cars without engines.... If I don't use it, that doesn't mean that I don't need it not to be working properly. How could one see the difference between the numbers of fields and lands within different versions of one rifle with having a plugged barrel? The perfect collectors item is something as it left the factory. And nearly everything left the factory working

[Mk VII]

Many people do buy de-acts here - just as they buy 80% receivers to make dummy machine guns on in the US. And plenty of rich people collect cars which they never intend to drive. If you can't justify possession of working firearms to the government then it's that, or look at them in a book. And most of the world is like this. USA is the exception, not us.

[Beerhunter]

De-acts can also be more valuable to the seller as there is potentially a much bigger market!!!!!

That is certainly the case. I blew up a Webley Mk.VI last year (Stupid Boy!) but I have had it deacted and intend to use the proceeds of its sale to fund another revolver that actually goes bang!

[bouletbill]

Our local bar has a wall full of cap & ball pistols, all of them fakes, except one. It's a lovely double, like a Howdah but about .36cal perfect condition, except of course ..... it's been de-activated. What a waste, but then think of all the history that has been destroyed by the British pistol ban (including my S&W 27 and 41). I don't want a gun that won't go bang, but of course, there is an ever growing army of 're-enactors' out there who want to wear and display all the proper kit, including arms. Restrictive laws and of course the law of supply & demand have created a market where these 'emasculated' guns are often worth more than the real McCoy. Even with a world economic crisis, there still seems to be plenty of dosh for big boys toys.

[pedro243]

I own a de-activated 1919 Enfield No1 Mk3 *. I'm certain it's definitely not a collecting item since it's one of millions. I bought it when i was 16 because i didn't need a licence for it and it sits in my wardrobe. The guy i bought it from only welds up the ones which aren't fit for anything except wall ornaments.

Since then, i'am now 20 and own a 1918 Enfield No1 Mk3* as a shooter. I bought it from the same guy and looked through a few hundred SMLE's to find a good one. Found some great examples to be deactivated. Some had nearly smooth bore barrels and parts missing everywhere. But if you put a rod down the barrel and weld it up, it would still bring a smile to someone's face sitting on their wall.

[Fred G.]

I'm glad that here, I have the right to buy and own as many rifles and pistols as I want and store them however I see fit. It's nobody's business how many guns my wife and I have here at home. We can also posses as much ammo as we want to have around here too. All of our guns are fully functional. It's easy for people to take these rights for granted, but the U.S. truly is the last bastion of freedom for the common man. How could anyone trust a Govt. that didn't trust the people? No, I think it's better to be dead than to be a subject.



---------- Post added at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:34 PM ----------

We've got Real horses around here too! LOL!