NON-IRISH Contract Rifles

[Frederick303]

Roadkingtrax,

I was not intending to be sarcastic, if you took it that way. My response was meant to be read in a humorous light, not as a sarcastic answer. It just seemed funny to me that the non-contract…was a contract. This is the site for Enfields on the web; stop by a while and I think you will find it a very friendly place.

Your A2517 is in the range block where some rifles were accepted by Eire, the A25234 is clearly not in that range. The numbers in the 55A block received by Ireland is not known, but the best estimate I know of is on the order of 17,000 plus.

Capt. Laidler,

It is my understanding that Ireland found themselves very short of arms during the emergency, and that the UK gave them very favorable terms on the purchase of these rifles in 1953. I can only conclude they bought so many, when their actual army was only ~8,000 men in 1953 to be prepared for another major war and to ensure they did not once again find themselves short of basic arms. That is my assumption anyway.

It was shortly after this,( in 1961) that they sold the war time supplied M1917 rifles (~20,000), SMLE MK I rifles (4,105) and SMLE MK III rifles (~21,169) in one surplus sale. The best evidence indicates they retained ~ 10,000 SMLE MK III rifles (plus 500 complete barreled actions) after this sale in 1961, so they actually had a full stock of 60,000 .303 rifles from 1961 to the first surplus sales in the middle 1980s, when the remainder of the SMLE rifles were sold off into the trade.

[Peter Laidler]

I kinow that we're going off at a tangent here, but what 'emergency' are we talking about in Eire in 1953? Was such a peace loving nation/people fearing invasion? From whom? 'prepared for another war......! 'another' war........ that hadn't had one, yet alone another! The Nation was and still is (?) neutral albeit a good and sturdy member of the UN?

[Frederick303]

Capt. Laidler,

The Second World War is referred to as “the Emergency” in Ireland, as they stayed out of it. It was that period I was referring to. Sorry if my choice of words was unclear.
In any case the reference was to the shortage of usable rifles during the Emergency, or the period from September of 1939 to 1945, though the dire shortages were mostly resolved by the second quarter of 1942

[lngstrt]

Roadkingtrax

Did you notice that the price has gone up on the local listing?

[drweiler]

Thanks for the clue Ingstrt. I wonder how much it went up, the current asking price for the unwrapped is $550, the wrapped $750. Let's hope Roadkingtrax can do a bit better. Cheers, Don

[lngstrt]

I wonder if the seller is a lurker hereabouts and saw there was some interest.

[Homer]

Thats a chance. Its always a danger.

[Roadkingtrax]

I suppose, he actually mentioned that was his intention...or at the very least eluded that he believed they were undervalued and was thinking of sending them off to Gunbroker.

I'll contact him, to see if he has agreed to "adjust" the price for would be buyers...I wasn't aware he had done so. I do appreciate very much the information presented to me here, and will keep any or all parties abreast of what happens.

[jmoore]

Thanks for the advice, and sarcasm aside.

Sorry about that, you caught me in a foul mood.

[newcastle]

$750 for teh wrappered one - I would get it if I had money. you never pay too much, you just buy too early.