Collector Value Of Enfield MKIII Wire Wrap Rifle?
I have aquired one of those Enfield MKIII wire wrapped grenade launcher rifles with a mirror bore and great mechanics but poor wood.
Was thinking about making it into a sporter but don't want to destroy any collector or historic value of the rifle if any.
Question: Do the Enfield .303 MKIII #1 wire wrapped rifles have any present or future historic or collector value that would that making
mine into a sporter detract from the value of a $100.00 rifle? May be a silly question but just thought I would ask.
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
Don't fly the river!
Was thinking about making it into a sporter but don't want to destroy any collector or historic value of the rifle if any.
Question: Do the Enfield .303 MKIII #1 wire wrapped rifles have any present or future historic or collector value that would that making
mine into a sporter detract from the value of a $100.00 rifle? May be a silly question but just thought I would ask.
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
Don't fly the river!
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If no good answers here try www.milsurpshooter.com and go to the enfield section...very smart enfield guys over there. 
Go Army Beat Navy
IF you wanna have fun join the cavalry0 -
If it is worth more than 100. to you don't sport it. If you want to sport it, it will knock some value off but the value is not enough to worry about. You could always buy another for about the same price. 0 -
One of my favorite rifles! I own more than several, and have watched with amusement and amazement the hype put out by SOG and others about the "rare" wire-wrapped grenade launching Lee Enfields. Years ago ('50s & '60s) when the No.1 Mk. III really started becoming plentiful these were considered to be the bottom of the barrel. Most of the specimens available then had been used extensively, and despite the wire wrap had split stocks and handguards, neglected metal (because how do you clean and oil the metal beneath the wire wrap) and bores that were neglected. I suppose that there must be some new condition examples out there somewhere, but I've never seen one. The British and their associates used two basic types of grenades launched from rifles. One was a Mills Bomb-type that looked somewhat like our old "pineapple" grenade and it was launched from a cup-like device that attached to the muzzle. One inserted the grenade in the cup, pulled the pin, and fired away. When the grenade left the cup the handle was released. The other type, much more destructive to the rifle, was a grenade on a rod. The rod slid down the bore and when the bulletless cartridge was fired the rod was expelled from the bore with the grenade on top. The rod tended to rattle around a little and remove some of the rifling on the way out. I have two rifles used in this manner, and when the barrels are examined from the breech the rifling seems quite serviceable, but when carefully examined from the muzzle it has been almost erased for the first 6 inches. I suggest that you carefully examine yours for such misuse before sporterizing it, as if such should prove to be the case with yours you might want to trade it off as an interesting relic, and obtain a non-grenade launching specimen with a better bore. Other than that, Lee Enfields make great sporters. 0 -
I'd probably just put some standard Enfield No.1 MkIII stocks on it, and have fun shooting it. I think bubbarizing any military type rifle is a crime in itself. Believe me, there are plenty of bubbarized enfields out there. He'll if you want one, the local pawnshop here has about 50 of the around $85, I'll give you there number. 0
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