SSA 1918 Enfield No1 mk3 - questions and value

[303kiwi]

Hi guys,

just signed up to the site, seems a pretty interesting group! I'm a gun nut through and through.

I have an 1918 SSA SMLE rifle all numbers matching (receiver, bolt, sight, nose cap, furniture) and in awesome condition with a mint barrel.

However it's been FSR'ed twice, one at Ishapore in 1924 and at BSA in 1953, how would you think this would affect the value? all I can see that they've changed is I assume a new barrel (that is serial numbered to the rifle) and bloody suncorite paint.

how do you think this affects the value of the rifle? would this SSA be worth much more than your usual good condition SMLE and a mint barrel?


interested to see what you lot know

cheers!

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[SpikeDD]

Welcome to the board!

Geography plays a huge role here. What it would be worth in NZ vs the US alone could be hundreds of dollars. In my opinion, a non- FTR'd rifle will always hold more value at face value. That doesn't mean there would be no collector appeal to it. Some of us are fond of the post war BSA FTR's and some have no interest . Shooters will always appreciate a beautiful bore and not care much about anything else associated with it's history. That rifle would be appreciated by me, as a collector, because of it's travel history, even if it had a so so bore. I wouldn't pay the same money for one that has been through the "system" as much as that one has compared to a original piece but I would have reached out for it at auction.

SSA's and NRF's, to a collector, will always carry a slight premium over the equal condition counterpart. That difference in price will fluctuate quite a bit depending, again, on geographic location and availability. Even within the US. I can only speak for myself but I personally would pay a bit more for a SSA/NRF. Everything usually comes back to something being worth as much as someone is willing to pay. As a collector, I have paid much more than a rifle is "generally" worth because I wanted that particular rifle in my collection.

[CINDERS]

Welcome to milsurps, the finish is part of its history that it has pictures always assist those with more experience than I to get an opinion on. FWIW allot of us tend to put a high price on things we own and to value an item you need to be a bit honest with yourself I average my old girls bar 3 of them as average they have good bores and shoot well. Just to give you an idea of a mint bore and how subjective it can be I brought a camera bore scope to keep a track on my F class throat erosion worst thing I ever did. The corrosive ammo they used played merry hell with the bores this I saw in my 1921 Lithgow MkIII which has not been fired since FTR with the fore woods in 1944 it still has the 4 '21 barrel which looks shiny and sharp till you poke the camera down there and see the carnage that the corrosive primers wreaked in the tube (It remains unfired to this day). So post pics and the others will chime in to assist you. By the way allot of us here are smitten with Enfielditis it can be catching once you have your first enfield......

[303kiwi]

Thanks for the replies guys.
It makes sense that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it almost feels bad to just wonder what its worth instead of just respecting the rifle and its history.

I don't think this rifle has been fired MUCH at all since its been FTR'd but still wouldn't like to see what it looks like through a bore scope.

i've definitely got the Enfield bug though...

Hope these photos work. they're average but something!

IMG_3370_zps1nhnmolx.jpg Photo by kiwi303 | Photobucket