Sporterized Lee Enfield Value

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Granth3w

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I have a revolver listed on another site and have received a trade offer of a CM9 and Lee Enfield with ten round magazine, sling, two and a half boxes of ammo. Seller says there are no issues with the Lee Enfield and it's in good shape with a nice bore. He said the only wear is on the outside and minimal and that it was made in 1916. I know almost nothing about them. I know what the CM9 is worth, but have no idea about the Lee Enfield. Any info would be appreciated. Here are the two pictures of it that he sent me:

11014748_10203563466881745_1219936855_n.jpg


11004905_10203563467001748_1313575510_n.jpg
 
That's an old No.1 Mk.III SMLE that's been sporterized a lot, at least the forestock. Has some metal parts missing too, I'd guesstimate it worth $100. Might be a good shooter though, depends on the bore condition.
 
That would be in the $200-250 range around here especially near deer season.
 
I agree with mio, obviously it depends where you are, but I'd certainly pay $200 for that it good mechanical shape. .303 is a great cartridge and any Lee-Enfield is a slick, fun action.
 
Your rifle isn't too butchered up and it wouldn't take much to get it back to original condition, a new forend wood & nosecap assembly would do it.
If the gun is numbers matching and with a good bore it could bring $300+ in my neck of the woods.
 
Luckily, the SMLE can "sporterize" into a nice looking gun that mimics the classic Lee hunting rifles from the 1890's - 1910's, if done correctly. If the gun has good bore, matching numbers, nice screws & wood, there is some decent value, probably $300 at the minimum.
 
These days, "sporterized" military rifles aren't in favor - they have more value in original condition.

The .303 British round is a good cartridge, but milsurp ammo has all but disappeared, and commercial ammo isn't cheap - that further reduces the value.

If I really, really wanted a knockabout deer rifle, I wouldn't pay over $150 - $200 for a 99-year old sporterized Enfield, and then, only if all the numbers matched, the stock fit me perfectly, and it was in very good condition.

Think of it as one step up from a sporterized Mosin-Nagant and you'll have a pretty good idea of the niche it would fill.
 
Very true, but a nicely done Lee-Enfield sporter retains value better than a bubba Mauser.
Click to expand...
And a nicely done Mauser sporter is better than a bubba Enfield . . . or a bubba anything. ;)

The Enfield picture in the OP looks like it went through a low budget sporterizing process, either done at home or by a mass importer a long time back - functional, but not very pretty. Bringing it up to turn-of-the-last-century standards for actual British sporting rifles would be a labor of love, and it probably wouldn't be particularly cheap.
 
Can you check the headspace before purchase? Definitely make sure the bolt serial number and the receiver serial match...

Overall, I'd say that rifle can be re-militarized and restored to its former glory.
You should price out what it needs, and see if the overall will have you in the gun for less than $400, i'd say. Most parts are available from Numrich; if not then try Liberty Tree. It looks like you'll need numrich parts # 37-39, 43-53, and 66-68.
 
I keep a close eye on the Enfields. Around here that's a $200.00 - $250.00 rifle. They normally just sit on Gunbroker with no bids over $200 or so. It's hard to find a correct stock for one.
 
$150 tops around here, if bore's in good shape.

In taking it on trade, if YOU'LL be using it, then it's worth whatever YOU think it's worth to you.

If accepting in a trade with the idea of selling it, you could get burned if you allow too high a figure on the way in & have to take a low hit on the way out.

Gunshop won't give you much.
Listing on something like GB will cut into your profit, but will give you a wider exposure.
Local ad on FTF sale would be best bet, but that'll depend on your region to determine local value.
Denis
 
I'm trading a Ruger LCR with a Bianchi holster and ammo, etc. that is worth, as a package, ~$450, but I would take $425. I would be receiving a Kahr CM9 with two extra mags (worth about $350 or so) and this Lee Enfield. It was going to be a straight trade, but the other interested party started regretting his original offer and would now need me to add $125 on my end to complete the trade. That would put me in at about $550 altogether. So as long as the Lee Enfield is worth around $200, I'd be in pretty good shape.

Based on what you guys have said so far (thanks for all of the replies- they're greatly appreciated), I think it may be a fair trade for me to make.

Edit - I also got another picture of it:
1620544_10201303926314643_1794397665_n.jpg
 
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I would not do that deal, a badly "sported" Ennie like that is only valued around $100-$150 at the most around here. If you did do a resto on it, then you have to throw another 250 or more at it for the correct parts. If it's left as a "beater" shooter for the deer season, then it will just keep decreasing in value by virtue of it's present condition and more wear an tear in the future.
 
Well, I ended up not doing the deal because I got a cash offer that I wanted. Plus, I was mainly interested in the Kahr, so I'm sure I would have wanted to sell the Lee Enfield after a little bit, so market value (not just what it's worth to me) was important. And last time I jumped too quickly into something I knew little to nothing about it didn't go all too well, which is why I appreciate all of the replies.
 
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