L39A1's register

[PrinzEugen]

What's an L39 worth these days. Were any scoped? Pecars? No32's?

Hmm - well there's some on guntrader for around the £950 mark - whether they'd sell for that I'm not sure. They're effectively L42s in many ways and a pretty good enfield shooter to own.

I think in general it's fair to say they seem more popular overseas than in the uk.

I don't think any were scoped in service - they were intended for target shooting so the units would generally add a TZ4/47 or PH5C sight (and judging from the excellent general state of the guns in circulation they may not have been used all that often). You do see a lot post service with the b-square type mounts though - and often they've had plastic furniture bipods etc added.

[XL39E1]

Most seem to go for between £450 and £750! XL's on the other hand , well, double the price really!

[rgg_7]

Thanks for posting values and sight set up. Have to ask what "XL" means?

[XL39E1]

They were the trial models of the L39, possibly different barrel twists and length! Peter?

[Peter Laidler]

The XL is usually the designation provisionally allocated during and into the pre production phase before the final spec is codified. Once it's established that all is well, then the coded designation and NSN is allocated. Any XL rifles that didn't or don't conform to the codified spec are usually returned to the manufacturers/factory where they're modified into the current spec. This is the reason why you'll occasionally see an XL39 or an XL42 (XL37 was another I can think of........) with the X barred out. That's a good indication of a trial/test rifle that didn't conform to the final spec, was returned, converted to the current spec and sent out as standard.

Some of the early narrow muzzle XL42's were returned, fitted with the correct barrels and returned into service.

There it is in a long winded way! Yet another useless bit of Lee Enfield knowledge

[limpetmine]

I've seen a "home made" L-39 clone made from a MkII receiver and a new hammer forged barrel. Don't know if the stock was real or not, but it looked right. It was about 2 years ago, in Tennessee.

[XL39E1]

Can you remember if it had L39 Markings?

[limpetmine]

No it didn't. The fellow ddn't know much about it, but it he wasn't trying to sell it for something it wasn't. It had a PF serial number which I don't recall.

[XL39E1]

I'm willing to start a list of surviving L39A1 rifles, which I can tag onto my L42A1 List if people are willing to share there numbers!

Will need Number, Year Date and Designation. ie; L39A1, XL39E1 or 7.62mm Conv!

[Peter Laidler]

Can I assume that you have all of ours recorded plus the others already mentioned?