No 5 Mk I

[Vincent]

Yeah. It’s the same at our local gun shows. Some people ask way more than they normally sell for. They bring the same overpriced guns to every show...... and take them home.

If a deal on a gun looks too good to be true, there’s probably a reason.

In the middle is where the vast majority of used guns are bought and sold.

Sure, there will be some haggling and maybe a story, what we call “romancing” the gun. That’s all part of a gun show. In the end a fair price will get you a smile and a handshake.

Old collector guns are all about feeling good. Nobody needs an old Enfield. The buyer is treating himself to something he wants. It’s a bit like buying and selling art. The “value” is only what someone will pay to have something they enjoy.

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[Gil Boyd]

Some good Milsurps safety sayings or terms come to mind:

If the story is too good to be true, it normally is.

Buy the gun not the story

Albeit a bit of authenticated provenance can help the price!!!

[rayg]

That would probably be priced to sell at $450 in my area more if it was in a little better condt. , Ray

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Yeah. It’s the same at our local gun shows. Some people ask way more than they normally sell for. They bring the same overpriced guns to every show...... and take them home.

It's the exact same here in Dallas, Vincent... I've always wondered what those guys are doing at shows with the same six or so WAY overpriced guns month after month, and even year after year that never sell. We have a gun show here about every other weekend, and I see the same shady guys with the same crazy priced guns at shows all over the D/FW Metroplex... It costs $50 - $60 for a single table here, plus parking fees both days, and I've always wondered what those guys are about... Even if they did get someone to pay their crazy prices someday, they've still lost money. I guess they get a thrill out of hoping to sell a 'sucker' their overpriced gun someday... I'm certain these sellers MUST know the real market value of their guns after all those shows they didn't sell anything month after month.

[Peter Laidler]

Here we go round and around the mulberry bush again......... There's only only one place to achieve what it's worth. And that's at an auction. How many more times........... There's only three types of value. The price, the cost and the worth. And that's NOT what you or anyone else thinks it's worth but what the BUYER thinks its worth.

Just my 2c's worth...... again!

[Longshaor]

Peter,

As long as you're here, may I ask you to weigh in on two points on this rifle?

I've never seen a serial number this short on a British rifle. Is that normal for the No 5?

Is there any truth to what I've been told that the green magazine indicates a rifle that was sent to Malaya during the Emergency?

Just my own curiosity here...

[browningautorifle]

The magazine may have...

[Peter Laidler]

We didn't paint the magazines green or any colour except black. The crunchies used to daub their rifles and shotguns with green and yellow paint when on ops but they didn't stay that way for long I have to say. When they came into the Armourers shops they had to be in service condition when they left - within reason. The trouble with a lot of the oil based paints and the spirit based stuff is if wasn't baked on hard was that the insect repellent would just soften it and it'd come off easily

The short serial number is just that. A short 3 figure number that is insignificant.

I would imagine that the magazine will just be an ex Indian one taken from another rifle

[browningautorifle]

The crunchies used to daub their rifles and shotguns with paint

Yes...sometimes...then it was a mess to remove.

[Colonel Enfield]

Just to add some more data to the thread, the prices of No. 5s seem all over the place in Australia. I've seen them advertised for between AUD$500 and AUD$1000, but one of the issues is that I see quite a few sporterised No. 4s being advertised as No. 5s (with the price tag to match) when they clearly aren't.

Also, as others have mentioned - just because someone's got a $1000 price tag on something doesn't mean that's what they'll end up selling it for.