Does anyone have any experience with the Enfield's? Average MOA? Ammo prices? Magazine prices?
If y our looking for a tack driver you will be sadly disappointed with the Briiths Enfields. They are noted for not being particularly accurate.
The were very reliable guns but that is about all you can say for them.
The earlier WWI models were built to better standards than the later models especially those made during WWII.
Chambers were often oversize to aid in reliablity but give handloaders fits due to short case life unless neck sizing only is done but this is often a problem of another type resulting in a hard bolt cam down.
The action itself is a realtively weak one and will blow up far sooner than more robust military bolt action designes. Not a worry if the weapon has good headspace and you only shoot quality ammo and do not handload for this weapon. Be aware though that many brand new Enfields have headspace on the generous side.
Be aware that the gas escape system is not as good as say the excellent 98 Mauser (the standard by which all bolt action military rifles are judged). So I would stay away from questionable military surplus ammo of advanced age or handloads done up by Joe Terrific in the back room of his garage.
Later model WWII Enfields had replaceable bolt heads to correct excess headspace which was one of the few designs of this weapon that I really admired.
Bolt throw was very smooth and very fast for a military rifle and it did hold 10 rounds as opposed to the 5 rounds of the ubiquitous Model 98 Mauser.
You will encounter many variations of these weapons and they are cheap enough in price so that begining collectors will be able to afford a collection of them.
There will always be a group of collectors that are drawn to collecting economically priced military weapons soley from the price standpoint and they will back their choice up with plenty of excuses for the weapon. Another example would be the crowd that loves the Russian designed Mosin rifles. A real example of an abortion of a military rifle if there ever was one.
From an historical stanpoint just about every collector may want at least one example of these rifles in his collection by I personally have not collected every variation possible. I chose rather to concentrate on some of the elite , premier series of military rifles viz "The 98 Mauser" which is "Sine qua non" to any military collection.
The firing pins of the Enfields took a special tool to remove them with , a point of design that I have never been enamored with.
The late WWII Jungle carbine was a dashing piece of ordinance that was a very handy weapon to use in jungle fighting or close range deer hunting. It was rugged and reliable but also suffered from pedestrian accuracy and some were plagued by a wandering zero although I have had no problems with my own personal Jungle Carbine in regards to a wandering zero.
In conclusion if I were you and I did not have an example of the WWI or WWII British Enfield I recommend that you buy it, just beware of its shortcomings.
evil: )
