Just wonder if anyone had a punt on lot 1142 in todays auction at Holts?
B.S.A CO. .303-*** .22 L SHT LE. III - A.G. PARKER 22 PATTERN 18 PRESENTATION SERVICE TRAINING RIFLE, serial no. W8536 / 84643,
I expected in the region of £2k but sold for £ 6000, bit steep for a commercial version , I say a commercial version as I’m sure the Military trainer didn’t have AGP Bisleyworks stamped on it, going off memory they had another ejector fitted, think this was due to the weight of conveyor.
Hammer was £6000 , think holts has a 25% buyer fee, so £7500 ……
Trying get link but not working, ( I’m all fingers and thumbs at present using phone) if you google holts, should be able to find todays auction, the Rifle come under Service rifles.
Wasn't aware of that Geoff, but I'm very pleased. I recently paid 250 quid for one......mind you there is a catch; it had been smoothbored many years ago. It is away being re-sleeved as we speak. I suppose it will be less desirable for that reason, but it sounds like I won't lose anything on it! I've had three of them over the years, & all of them had been smoothbored .22 so that they could be sold on shotgun ticket, probably back in the 1970's or '80's. The conveyors are as rare as the rifles. I have just two for mine, although they could be made..........
Addendum - a few pictures I found on my phone. There are three conveyors there, but one has been over bored, sadly.
That is the same variant that you're referring to, isn't it Geoff?
Last edited by Roger Payne; 07-08-2025 at 02:14 PM.
Wasn't aware of that Geoff, but I'm very pleased. I recently paid 250 quid for one......mind you there is a catch; it had been smoothbored many years ago. It is away being re-sleeved as we speak. I suppose it will be less desirable for that reason, but it sounds like I won't lose anything on it! I've had three of them over the years, & all of them had been smoothbored .22 so that they could be sold on shotgun ticket, probably back in the 1970's or '80's. The conveyors are as rare as the rifles. I have just two for mine, although they could be made..........
Addendum - a few pictures I found on my phone. There are three conveyors there, but one has been over bored, sadly.
That is the same variant that you're referring to, isn't it Geoff?
There is a .22rf 'shot-shell' that is pretty good for shooting rats or pigeons inside sheds.
It works well in a smoothbore .22 or a rifled barrel.
If the fancy takes me, I'll walk down to the stables and wait for the straw to start moving and rustling.
The last ones I bought were gbp £10 per box
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
Thanks for the useful tip Alan. I seem to have acquired about half a dozen smoothbored .22 SMLE's over the last four or five years, plus a couple of others, otherwise knackered. With the help of a gunsmith pal I have been able to get them all resleeved & undo the mag restriction that some of them had been subjected to. I was going to keep one of them that turned out particularly nice.......might still do so. It's a standard No2 MkIV*, on a BSA 1918 rifle body, but just a really tidy example with original (at least to the time of conversion as best I can assess) matching parts.
I seem to have acquired about half a dozen smoothbored .22 SMLE's
One of my local 'rural' gunshops seems to keep coming across smoothbore Enfields in '410 shotgun' - I bought a very nice No4 Mk1/3 with perfect wood, and a bare No4 body and barrel for £100 for the pair.
An RFD I know 'down South' wanted the body and barrel as he had an order to make a No5 in 410 so was going to build it up so as not to destroy a No5. He offered me £100 which I accepted so got the 410 'nice' No4 for the grand sum of zero.
Took it to a clay shoot, where they said 'you cannot shoot here with a rifle - they were quite suprised.
Last edited by Alan de Enfield; 07-08-2025 at 05:08 PM.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
Wasn't aware of that Geoff, but I'm very pleased. I recently paid 250 quid for one......mind you there is a catch; it had been smoothbored many years ago. It is away being re-sleeved as we speak. I suppose it will be less desirable for that reason, but it sounds like I won't lose anything on it! I've had three of them over the years, & all of them had been smoothbored .22 so that they could be sold on shotgun ticket, probably back in the 1970's or '80's. The conveyors are as rare as the rifles. I have just two for mine, although they could be made..........
Addendum - a few pictures I found on my phone. There are three conveyors there, but one has been over bored, sadly.
That is the same variant that you're referring to, isn't it Geoff?
That’s the one Rog, the ejector is spot on, The Conveyor’s in the holts pics, look like two original and new machined ones, too many machine tool marks in the steel to be original ( in my opinion).
£250 not bad , but £6000 …… plus the 25% , I’ve a feeling someone hasn’t done there homework !!!
I had a go at it. Figured I'd have it in the bag too with an overkill £3500 bid. Rather crestfallen, as any .303-***.22, commercial or not, has been on my list for a long time.
I had a go at it. Figured I'd have it in the bag too with an overkill £3500 bid. Rather crestfallen, as any .303-***.22, commercial or not, has been on my list for a long time.
I’d say your more lucky than crestfallen, I’ve a feeling the said rifle isn’t what it’s portrayed as, even if it is a commercial one , which I can’t understand reason it being produced , with it not having the correct ejector it stands out a bit to me.
There’s been quite a bit of “not quite right Enfields “. in auctions recently,
Holts had a L42 not long ago, which was as bent as Russian polling station.
This rifle was part of Jeffery Organs collection. (EFD)
Its easy to remember because its unusual.
He purchased it from a gun shop in Wallington for £250.
I remember it had the auxiliary ejector missing.
Buyer beware, I also remember Jeffery tinkering with the
conveyors to try to get a better fit, some leaked badly and
were unusable.
PM
Originally Posted by 
