What rifle do I have?

[browningautorifle]

I believe, there would not be a whole lot I could do to resurrect this piece of history.

This is where we get into this situation of using a bare receiver and buying several thousand worth of parts to make it "Original"... It's been changed to a sporter and there's little return. What's the point?

[henry r]

In 15 or 20 years people will probably see a rifle like this as a viable project. It can never be 100% original again but it is the real deal. Even a pieced together (but genuine) 4T isn't cheap now and are only going up.

edit: the point of rebuilding a rifle like this is two fold. a) you have the satisfaction of resurrecting a rare rifle and b) by piecing it together (and spreading out the expense) it allows people with less income to still (eventually) have the thing they want.

[Roger Payne]

Ultimately it comes down to the choice of the owner, together with the amount of sporterising that has been carried out on the rifle, & the owner's access to the equipment to effect the necessary repairs to get it back to correct military specification. As items such as this become more scarce over time people will probably be prepared to go to greater lengths to resurrect them, as henry says. As some of you may remember I rebuilt a SMLE sniper's rifle three or four years ago; I started with a genuine but stripped EFD 1916 Mk3* receiver that I obtained from a riflesmith's junk box in the early '90's. It took me till about 2003 to turn up the scope & rings, & I only managed to source a set of original mount bases (Aldis/Holland & Holland) immediately before I embarked on the rebuilding project. Now, many may say that my rifle is a 'bitzer', which it is, but all of the bits are genuine 1915/16 manufacture off real sniper's rifles. Add to this the chance of getting one of these in any condition whatsoever is only marginally above a negative quantity, then I think that rebuilding is very worth while, as well as (for me), very satisfying - so long as, come the day when one parts with it, one is honest about its provenance. Just my take on it.......

[Strangely Brown]

Roger, was that one of the receivers from our mutual friend in Cheltenham?

[Roger Payne]

Hi Mick. No, not that one - the SMLE receiver came from our mutual friends located at Bisley Camp. However, I did buy four 4T receivers from our Cheltenham friend at about the same time. I built one up into a 'faux' L42 which is on my FAC as my 'main' fullbore rifle. I had more than a little advice on how best to effect the conversion process from another mutual friend here on the forum; the resulting rifle shoots far better than I will ever be able to - it's a real tack driver!