Yesterday I purchased a sporterized Lee Enfield MK III* (mfd. 1916 by BSA) for $75.00.
We're over here in Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls) visiting family and my wife loves hitting all the thrift shops in the city. She's found that here in Eastern Idaho she can find vintage clothing for very reasonable prices plus there seems to be more of it then in the Boise area shops. I opted to go with her because sometimes the book selection at the various shops can be pretty good.
Well after several hours I was bored. As we were pulling up to the Youth Ranch thrift store I noticed a little tiny gunshop on a side street called Max's. Wasting no time I told my wife that I would be in the shop. This guy had a terrific selection of 19th century Winchesters (73's, 76's, 85 high wall, 94's) and old double barreled Remington shotguns both 12 and 10 gauge models. Very impressive and not very cheap.
But he also had some neat old 22 Winchester pump actions and a really neat sporterized Lee Enfield. The previous owner had reshaped the stock to give it a more pronounced pistol grip configuration, installed Pachmayer recoil pad, reblued the barrel, etc. I had to admit that rifle caught my fancy instantly. I quickly checked the bore, extractor, bolt, firing pin etc. Everything was in great shape. No importer stamp so I am assuming the rifle was brought in before 1967. The store owner was asking $75.00 and I took it.
It isn't a Griffin & Howe job, but whoever did it probably many years ago definitely believed in doing a job right. So now I have a poor man's hunting rifle with a solid action and a good clean bore. It works and I like Lee Enfields of all models and sizes. I own both a MK III* Lithgow (1918) and a No 4 I/II BSA (1947) and both are milspec. I also own a No 4. that has been sporterized and shoots like a dream.
If done right the old sporterized rifles just catch my fancy. They take me back to a different time in this country when we might not have had as much money( or easy credit), but we had a sense of pride. Men wore woolen hunting clothes and drove twenty-five year old pickups and even Model A's and T's into the woods to hunt. Or they just walked.
Well anyway just thought I would tell about my newest rifle. And no I have no intention of restoring it to it's original configuration. Who knows eventually the old sporterized rifles might have their own unique collector niche.
We're over here in Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls) visiting family and my wife loves hitting all the thrift shops in the city. She's found that here in Eastern Idaho she can find vintage clothing for very reasonable prices plus there seems to be more of it then in the Boise area shops. I opted to go with her because sometimes the book selection at the various shops can be pretty good.
Well after several hours I was bored. As we were pulling up to the Youth Ranch thrift store I noticed a little tiny gunshop on a side street called Max's. Wasting no time I told my wife that I would be in the shop. This guy had a terrific selection of 19th century Winchesters (73's, 76's, 85 high wall, 94's) and old double barreled Remington shotguns both 12 and 10 gauge models. Very impressive and not very cheap.
But he also had some neat old 22 Winchester pump actions and a really neat sporterized Lee Enfield. The previous owner had reshaped the stock to give it a more pronounced pistol grip configuration, installed Pachmayer recoil pad, reblued the barrel, etc. I had to admit that rifle caught my fancy instantly. I quickly checked the bore, extractor, bolt, firing pin etc. Everything was in great shape. No importer stamp so I am assuming the rifle was brought in before 1967. The store owner was asking $75.00 and I took it.
It isn't a Griffin & Howe job, but whoever did it probably many years ago definitely believed in doing a job right. So now I have a poor man's hunting rifle with a solid action and a good clean bore. It works and I like Lee Enfields of all models and sizes. I own both a MK III* Lithgow (1918) and a No 4 I/II BSA (1947) and both are milspec. I also own a No 4. that has been sporterized and shoots like a dream.
If done right the old sporterized rifles just catch my fancy. They take me back to a different time in this country when we might not have had as much money( or easy credit), but we had a sense of pride. Men wore woolen hunting clothes and drove twenty-five year old pickups and even Model A's and T's into the woods to hunt. Or they just walked.
Well anyway just thought I would tell about my newest rifle. And no I have no intention of restoring it to it's original configuration. Who knows eventually the old sporterized rifles might have their own unique collector niche.
