Why doesn't anyone produce new historic military firearms?

[amadeus76]

Surely there's a market... Some companies like Pedersoli produce semi-accurate historic representations of old black powder military arms, and Fulton Armory produces new M1 Garands and M1 Carbines, but why not produce new copies of some of the more popular rifles like the Springfield 1903 and the Lee-Enfield no.4 (maybe in .308) for those who want shooters. Granted they would probably cost more than the $400 beaters most of us have but they'd be in far better condition, and it's not like they'd hurt the collectability or value of the originals. And hell, in the case of the M1903a3's it's not like you're not paying around $1,000 now anyway.

I'd love to have a brand new Lee-Enfield without having to pay $2000 that I could shoot without having to worry about hurting the value and collectability... I can't be the only one.

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[browningautorifle]

I'd love to have a brand new Lee-Enfield without having to pay $2000

For less than that you can buy and restore one. Do a parkerize and it'll look new. Then there's little collector value, so bang away.

[AFJon]

Where are you seeing Enfield's at $2000?

[Patrick Chadwick]

Surely there's a market... Some companies like Pedersoli produce semi-accurate historic representations of old black powder military arms, and Fulton Armory produces new M1 Garands and M1 Carbines, but why not produce new copies of some of the more popular rifles like the Springfield 1903 and the Lee-Enfield no.4 (maybe in .308) for those who want shooters. Granted they would probably cost more than the $400 beaters most of us have but they'd be in far better condition, and it's not like they'd hurt the collectability or value of the originals. And hell, in the case of the M1903a3's it's not like you're not paying around $1,000 now anyway.

I'd love to have a brand new Lee-Enfield without having to pay $2000 that I could shoot without having to worry about hurting the value and collectability... I can't be the only one.

Google "Australian Internation Arms" and read around and you will see that it has been tried - and failed.

1) You surely do not need to pay $2000 for an Enfield No. 4 Mk2 in good shooting condition. (OK, maybe I'm out of touch with the market)
2) Over here (Mauserland) the AIA reproductions were rejected for competition shooting as being neither original nor true enough to the original to be fair competition.
3) I have a friend who bought an AIA imitation Enfield. When he discovered that he could not use it for competitions, he also discovered that it was a problem to get rid of it, as no other serious shooter wanted it either.
4) Such storied get around the shooting community pretty fast, with corresponding marketing results.
5) There used to be many more makers of BP replicas that have disappeared over the years. Only historical accuracy and good shooting quality will survive today. Something that AIA appears to have ignored. Pedersoli has survived and prospered by making very good replicas that stand comparison with originals and usually perform better than the beater originals that one can actually buy, as opposed to admiring in museums and private collections. They are also often more expensive than the beaters. If I could find an original flintlock target rifle that cost less but performed as well as my Pedersoli Mortimer I would get it. (In fact, I would be pleased if I could find an original flintlock target rifle at all.)

6) In a couple of decades it well may look different for more modern firearms, but at present the market, at least in Europe, does not appear to be viable for modern firearms replicas. There are still enough originals around to make the marketable price uneconomic for replicas of high historical accuracy and quality. And legal restrictions on firearm ownership put a brake on the hoarding that seems to drive prices sky-high in the USA.

[Aragorn243]

$2000 Enfields would be the paper wrapped ones that were never issued or fired but even those typically aren't $2000 although some guys ask that for them. Plenty of good shooters out there in the $300-$400 range and the $400 ones don't look that shabby either.

[cipherk98]

Some companies have tried in the US too, to add to Patrick's example. Someone makes a new FG42 but it's exceptionally slow selling as it's over $4000 last I checked. Same for Ohio Ordnance's BAR. HMG's StG44 is $1800 and I don't know if any have shipped yet as they kept running into issues, and that was with re-engineering parts of the action to work better and be more cost effective to produce. Basically when you make something, the object in question often doesn't cost very much. It's the cost of the tools and research to actually build it, and those are what it is hard to make money back on when you have a limited market, which is why you don't see it too often. Just copying the blue prints doesn't really work, as evidenced by the exceptionally poor quality of IO Inc's AKs built "from the original Polish Blueprints".

[CINDERS]

Was not there a place that made faithful 03 and 03 sniper replicas he presented Ted Gundy with one hang on I find the video....... Navy Arms is the company sadly Ted passed away last Nov RIP
Here is the vid (short version) if you have not seen it;
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...HYTJNnU200b3Jw

[henry r]

Ted Gundy... Ted Bundy was famous for errr.... other things.

[muffett.2008]

Dunno about ted bundy, but I shore used to get a laugh out of AL BUNDY

[Eaglelord17]

I don't really see a market for making full military style bolt-action rifles anymore. It is just too expensive (manufacturing any firearm is expensive now, and why as a collector would I pay over 2000$ for a new manufacture firearm when I can generally buy a mint condition original for less than that. Even if I am not buying a mint one, I tend to be able to buy several different firearms for that 2000$). What I can see being a possibility is people manufacturing parts for these old rifles to keep them going, that I can see a market for.