Value of No7 RAF

[capt14k]

The No.7 has been to Germany before going to the USA.The marking is from the importer:

Waffen Wagner, Metzelstraße 1, 54290 Trier
Tel. +49 651 42754

As German gun dealers are required by law to keep a logbook of all transactions involving licensed weapons, and - as far as I know - without any expiry date, it might be possible - if you contact them and can demonstrate that you are the bona-fide owner - to discover when the rifle was imported by them/exported to the USA.

Worth an E-mail enquiry, surely?

The rifle is still in Germany. Wagner was the original German Importer. I purchased it from a German dealer, whom I also purchased a Steyr Cadet Portuguese 1948 conversion from an 1898. Only 4,000 1898 were made. Along with 4,000 1896. Seems 2,000 total were converted to .22. Found an old John Wall post about them. It is also all matching, but a whole lot less expensive. I have been importing firearms from Germany, Finland, and Canada for the last couple years. A lot more in 2021 than previous years.

The circle of handguns is my last Finnish Import from a couple weeks ago. Except for the Colt 1911 and Remington Rand 1911a1 those I had already.




Prices in America have forced me to look elsewhere, but some items you just can not find in America period. One example is Uruguayan Mausers. Frankonia bought them all from Uruguay.

[Warren]

Some very nice Lahti's there and what looks like one Canadian contract 45.
Might also be a Colt .455 RAF contract.
Very nice!!!!!

[browningautorifle]

Nice looking handgun collection, they'd be worth an extended picture heavy thread.

[Gripster]

The two BSA No7 Mk1's with the 5-shot .22rf magazine that i own both have brass butt plates

[capt14k]

Some very nice Lahti's there and what looks like one Canadian contract 45.
Might also be a Colt .455 RAF contract.
Very nice!!!!!

Besides the 1911 Colt and 1911a1 Remington Rand I already had there is a 1916 Russian Contract Colt 1911 and a 1942 Kongsberg Colt made for Nazis under occupation.



---------- Post added at 08:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------

Nice looking handgun collection, they'd be worth an extended picture heavy thread.

I can do that.

[fjruple]

In light of Warren's post, were / are your No7 Mk1 the BSA ones with the 5-shot .22rf magazine, or the single shot Canadian CNo7 Mk1 single loading ?


RIFLE CNo.7 Mk I
The first Enfield built from the ground up as a .22 trainer and not as a conversion or retro-fitting of an earlier rifle - albeit built on a No.4 body and intended to mirror the Rifle No.4 as closely as possible. About 20,000 made at Longbranch, Ontario 1944 - 1950's. Unknown number of wooden transit chests also produced.

RIFLE No.7 Mk I
Although a No.7 Mk I, the British version is very different from it's Canadian counterpart (above). This rifle was a conversion of an existing No.4 and is interesting in that a BSA five-round commercial .22 magazine was welded into a SMLE Mk III* magazine to produce the only Enfield .22 repeater. These rifles were a special contract and produced exclusively for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1948. Total production 2,500.


The magazine looks like this on a No7 Mk1

Alan-- At one point, I had three of the BSA No7 MKI .22LR rifles. I gave one to my twin brother as a birthday gift. All of the rifles had steel butt plates and were later built rifles in the 2300 and 2400 serial number range. All the parts looked like new. The serials numbers do not match and they are within two or three numbers. The rifles did not come with bolt heads and magazines. I was able to get several bolt heads and modified a number of BSA sportmans .22LR magazines so the rifles can be used as a repeater. I purchased the rifles as shooters and both have match Parker Hale sights on them. They are real excellent shooters at 100 yards with good match ammunition. I do not know the story behind the rifles other than they were built for the RAF in 1948. I remember purchasing the rifles from Springfield Sporters in the late 80's early 90's.

[Alan de Enfield]

Alan-- At one point, I had three of the BSA No7 MKI .22LR rifles. I gave one to my twin brother as a birthday gift. All of the rifles had steel butt plates and were later built rifles in the 2300 and 2400 serial number range. All the parts looked like new. The serials numbers do not match and they are within two or three numbers. The rifles did not come with bolt heads and magazines. I was able to get several bolt heads and modified a number of BSA sportmans .22LR magazines so the rifles can be used as a repeater. I purchased the rifles as shooters and both have match Parker Hale sights on them. They are real excellent shooters at 100 yards with good match ammunition. I do not know the story behind the rifles other than they were built for the RAF in 1948. I remember purchasing the rifles from Springfield Sporters in the late 80's early 90's.

Sounds like the ones that were sold off as parts rifles at the end of the contract.
As I understand it of the original order for 2500 only some 2000 were actually buit and assembled, the contract was then cancelled with parts and part built rifles still in the BSA 'system'.
Never built and never issued, were sold off at auction with (mainly) US dealers getting them.
I'd suggest that the steel butt plates were put onto the rifles after arrival in the US, as I mentioned Brian Dick had a few of them and had all the missing parts manufactured for him.

I sold several BSA Sportsman 5 magazines to the US via Ebay, and even modified some myself, quite a simple mod, just turning the locking tab 'upside down' and trimming the case to suit.

Obviously being designed to 'push up into' the action from underneath the locking tab was on the bottom of the mag, now they were to be 'pushed in downwards' the locking tab needed to be at the top of the magazine.


I bought several BSA Sportsman 5 rifles at auction, just for the magazines - took them out and left the rifles for disposal (otherwise they would have had to be listed on my licence), the Auction house were not best pleased, but sold the rifles (without magazines) at the next auction and I actually got most of my money back. (The complete rifles only made GBP £8 to GBP £20)





A BSA Sportsman 5 magazine and a No7 MK1 magazine.

[capt14k]

When it rains it pours I may have a chance at buying another one but the stock looks refinished on this one. I'm waiting for more pics.

[Alan de Enfield]

When it rains it pours I may have a chance at buying another one but the stock looks refinished on this one. I'm waiting for more pics.

In times of war 'hoarding' was a criminal offence - between you and fjruple you'll have most of the No7 Mk1 not already in 'collector captivity' - an endangered species.

[Promo]

There is currently one up for auction on EGun with a seller from Germany: https://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=14410343