Lee Enfield N0.4 Mk.2 auction on Gun Broker

[spinecracker]

Hello,

I just spotted the following item on Gun Broker -

pawnshopsellstemplate

Any comments regarding the condition? It does not look like it has been messed around with too much (except for "character marks" as the seller so quaintly puts it), but would this be a good gun for a newbie collector/shooter to start with?

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[S-A-M3]

Looks very battered for a Mk11, doesn`t have the correct bolt for a Mk11 to start with, I would be suspicious.

[spinecracker]

This is why I ask you guys.....thank you

[Patrick Chadwick]

SAM3, I just took a look at Stratton, Vol 2, P. 56. He refers explicitly to a "first variation" bolt " ... has solid knob on the bolt handle. Most are spherical, but on some the end of the bolt is flattened... found mainly on No. 4 rifles and their conversions". I am a shooter, not a collector, so could you please tell me what is incorrect about the bolt?

I am certainly amused by the cheerful chuzpe of the seller in describing a rifle made in 1952 as a WWI or II relic! But it certainly was battered about somewhere, and there appears to be some wear on the bayonet fitting. And the handguard wood does not seem to match the rest of the stock.

Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

Sorry, I forgot to address the original question
"would this be a good gun for a newbie collector/shooter to start with?"

The answer is a clear no. As a beginner you are have not yet acquired the knowledge or experience to evaluate the object on sale. As a collecter, that is a poor quality piece wihout any compensating historical connection. And as a shooter you cannot evaluate it at all on an online auction. Maybe it just needs a clean. But you cannot tell by looking online.

For a beginner, my advice is: for your first piece, buy ONLY something that an experienced shooter has tried out and pronounced to be OK. That means, getting something on trial or going to a dealer where you (or rather, your more knowledgeable colleague) can examine the rifle at leisure and do some test shooting. I have had more than one rifle in my hands that looked like a beautiful piece in the shop, and was a flop on the range.

A beginner needs something good right at the start, otherwise he will be looking at disappointment and a replacement very soon. I fell for that "good enough for a beginner stuff" and wasted over a year until I realized I was being limited by the rifle. Don't do it.

Patrick

[spinecracker]

Will do. I had already planned on attending a gun show that is my neck of the woods in August with a friend who is knowledgeable about rifle shooting and what to look for in a good rifle, and I am using this website and other resources to bone up on the historical aspects (manufacturing marks, variations, fakes, etc - I hope the book I ordered comes soon!). I am not in a rush, and I follow the maxim of "if in doubt, walk away". The gun show will be an opportunity to get more than just "book learning", and I want the first rifle I own to be one I am proud of. Thank you for all the knowledgeable replies.

[S-A-M3]

Patrick, Only the Mk11 has a completely spherical bolt handle, the Mk1 has a flattened end, or hollow if it was made by BSA, Stratton`s book although a good source for some information,has quite a few errors in it.Skennerton is a far better source.