New guy here, with Lee-Enfield N0. 4 Mk 2

[flintlock28]

Hello everyone...

I was directed to this site from a guy on a Rimfire forum. Here is what I posted:

Friend of the family is retiring, and has about 60 guns He is slowly selling. The vast majority are WW II classics (Garand's, Springfields, Mausers, 1917 Enfield's, you get the picture)

I really wanted to get some of the Springfields/Garands/1917 Enfield, etc. However, the vast majority of His stuff is in top-notch shape, and runs about $ 850 plus. I really don't want to spend that much, so I asked Him if He had anything in the $ 500 or so range, that maybe needed re-furbished metal and/or Wood. he said No, that all of His stuff was really nice, but He might have something that was closer to my budget.

He pulled out a Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 2, that was made in 1954 at Fazakerly. England, still new in the original box, covered in cosmoline, wrapped in paper, along with the included bayonet. I'm not too up to speed on Lee-Enfields, but he showed me the Blue book value at $ 1,000. He said "Nobody realistically pays that $ 1,000, but it would get $ 900 all day long." He said since I'm a friend that He'd let it go for $700, so i agreed.

I really want to remove the Cosmoline and shoot this sucker, but I also don't want to kill the resale value. He said that not many are left in brand new condition, still in the wrappers.

I think in all my years, I've only sold one gun, and have kept everything else....so, i don't think I'd ever sell it. Should i just de-cosmoline it, and have fun, or let it sit as is?

From what I've read, the #4 Mk 2, is the nicest made, most refined of all the models, since the brits had time after the war to take their time with manufacturing it, and had gotten all of the "kinks", out of the design.

Any advise appreciated.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Frederick303]

If there is a slice in the paper over the action body and the serial number is visible, there is a possibility that it is one of the rifles imported from Ireland (though to be fair there is some dispute regarding the official records by folks who really know the English MOD inside and out).

if curious this page might help, look at post # 61 for the serial number and what it indicates.

Fritz's FF marked Enfield sticky - Page 2


Now the value of these arms will be reduced a bit if you take the rifle out of paper and clean it up, by around 150~200 dollars, as a new example sells with no paper covering sells for around 500 to 550. once used and dinged up, even a to a slight degree the value drops another 50 to 100.

That said what it the value of the rifle sitting in a box to you? The mind set of a collector compared to a shooter is quite a bit different.

[CINDERS]

I like the values where you are Frederick one in the wraps came up for sale in Aus over the eastern states for $2,200/AU I think it was UF serialed not sure if it sold way out of my league

[Peter Laidler]

Flintlock. If your uncle offered you a brand new, ganz neue sparkling, gleaming totally as it left the facftory MGB GT with no miles on the clock, that was wrapped up. mummified in 1966 and NEVER opened, I bet that you'd snap his hands clean off. Go and do that with this car...., I mean No4 Enfield. Like the MGB GT, they ain't makin' no more. Better still, if you really desperately want to drive your MGB, you could tear off the preservative and give it a thrashing all day long. On the other hand, you could just go and buy another old MGBGT and still have the same fun. You can do that with this brand new rifle. Go and buy it and later, when you feel the need, go and buy another old clunker to shoot. The feel, the nostalgia and the recoil will be the same, so will everything else. But in the cupboard or garage at home you've got an investment. And EVERY time some wally opens up the sealed wrapping of THEIR new-in-wrap rifle, the value of yours goes up proportionately because there's one less.

Don't we all wish we had bought a brand new MGBGT - or Triumph TR - and kept it stored. I didn't keep a new MGB GT but I sure did keep a new rifle!

[Frederick303]

Cinders

There are a lot of these around eastern PA. February show at Easton (Forks of the Delaware) a set of a clean UF xxxx and a PF 3xx,xxx (latter in a tattered wrap with wrapped bayonet) did not sell for 529 and 559 respectively, at least by the time I left on Sunday.

All the young guys want is black semi-auto rifles. The bolt action guys are all old farts

[flintlock28]

Thanks guys for the replies....

I am leaning toward removing the cosmoline, and shooting it. Actually, the rifle is covered in Cosmoline, BUT, the paper is loosely wrapped around the rifle, and not around it like a Mummy, so i'm guessing there is already a slight decrease in value, since the friend of the Family, took it out of the paper, but kept the paper. the box is also original, but doesn't have the literature on it.

If I decide to remove the Cosmoline, I have read the best way is to apply a heat gun at temperatures just high enough to melt the Cosmoline, followed by an Acetone soaked rag to remove the residue...is this the best method?

Any help appreciated.

p.s. If I decide to shoot it; would you use the 150 grain bullets, or the heavier ones e.g. 174 or 180 grain? My range is only 100 yards in length.

thanx

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 PM ----------

If there is a slice in the paper over the action body and the serial number is visible, there is a possibility that it is one of the rifles imported from Ireland (though to be fair there is some dispute regarding the official records by folks who really know the English MOD inside and out).

if curious this page might help, look at post # 61 for the serial number and what it indicates.

Fritz's FF marked Enfield sticky - Page 2


Now the value of these arms will be reduced a bit if you take the rifle out of paper and clean it up, by around 150~200 dollars, as a new example sells with no paper covering sells for around 500 to 550. once used and dinged up, even a to a slight degree the value drops another 50 to 100.

That said what it the value of the rifle sitting in a box to you? The mind set of a collector compared to a shooter is quite a bit different.

Looks like it very well may be an irish model based on this from post #61:

1) Letter from the Irish archives to Graham Priest in April 2000 confirming that they purchased 50,000 No4 Mk II rifles between 1954 and 1956 with the following serial ranges:

PF 301548 to PF 405415

My rifle is marked:

No 4 Mk 2 (F)
1/54 PF 3147XX

So, looks like it was made in Jan 1954 at the Fakerley site, and MAYBE went to Ireland?

thanks

[mr.e moose]

Seeing as it has been unwrapped my take would be clean it, take it out shooting and enjoy it. Do not use acetone to remove cosmoline from the wood! It is too harsh of a solvent. Mineral spirits(paint thinner) will work great on the metal but I prefer to use turpentine on the wood.
After it is clean give the metal a quick wipe down with oil and a coat or two of linseed oil to the wood. Take care of it and the value will not be lost too much.

[Peter Laidler]

But take it from me Flintlock, the value WILL go down. But mine will go UP because there's one less! But the old farts can only gently tell the young bloods so much............

[mr.e moose]

Since it has been unwrapped the value is already down and sometimes preservation doesn't work. I hate to think of the classic cars and guns I have seen that through inattention have been reduced to pitted pieces of metal and oil dripping relics because they never were used and properly serviced.

I would rather have something that I enjoy and use than something that I could look at and wonder what if? Storage conditions play a big role on how something is preserved. Left to sit moisture rusts, rubber cracks and fabric rots

My 56 Oldsmobile does not sit in a garage to slowly deteriorate from disuse but rather gets driven to keep all the seals and surfaces lubricated, same as my guns.

[Frederick303]

flintlock28,

I you read the post # 61 carefully you will have a much better idea of if your gun is or is not an Irish gun. The data you need was in there, you simply did not read carefully enough.

Acetone might attack the suncorite coating on the metal. An excellent way to reduce the value of your rifle to the 350~375 dollar shooter grade range.