Lee Enfield 303 with unused Bayonet? Thoughts?
Hi everybody,
I came across this the other day and am hoping to make an offer on it, apparently it is a legit
1943 303 that has never been fired and also has an unused/sharpened bayonet to go with it.
Although it seems like a rare find to me, i was hoping to get the forums thoughts on it before i part with my hard earned.
Any views/opinions would be much appreciated.
Sorry about all the photos, but like i said i want to be sure.
Thanks.
Very nice rifle! A beauty. Go for it.
Does it look like it’s fired a shot? I can’t tell by looking at the firing pin.
It's a very nice condition Lithgow SMLE and P1907 bayonet (made 1944). The state of the bluing suggests little use. In fact note the ball of the bolt lever, this usually loses the blue finish quickly when seen some service. In this case the ball blue finish is as left factory. As to whether anyone has put a few rounds through it, you could examine the bore, but other than that no way to tell. Probably not much use if any. Quite a collectable rifle and bayonet based on condition.
Hello,
I agree with the above comments, it looks in nice condition, you'll notice the receiver was made in 1942 and the woodwork in 1943 but the serials match up so they were assembled together. This may affect value as people might want the years to match up. Ive noticed some sellers like to state that these types of rifles have never been fired in order to up the value. As long as it's in good condition, does it really matter? Do you want to shoot it or do you want it to sit in your safe? If you want an unfired safe queen, you really need to do your homework and check every individual piece on the rifle as they should be all marked with the correct lithgow / OA or BA proof/inspector marks for that time period. Its not unusual to find a nice rifle like this with a random ww1 Lithgow part thrown in somewhere by someone at sometime. A good book to get your hands on is The Lee-Enfield by Ian Skennerton. If the price is right I'd buy it. If not, they are not that rare that you won't find another one.
Alex
Very nice...
I specialize in M1 carbines and Lugers.
Very nice.
John
Thanks for your feedback everybody, my purchases are decided by this forum.
So very much appreciated.
Hello Aussie,
Just came across your thread. Hope you got this rifle. I have one that is identical to It, even has the receiver dated 1942 with stock dated ‘43. It’s the rifle that got me started collecting. It taught me a lot deciphering all its markings and numbers and dates. Hope you enjoy her she’s a good one
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