Lee Enfield Irish Contract

pilatus

Hi. This is probably a long shot but I am looking to buy an Irish contract Lee Enfield or "Blondes" as I've heard them referred to. I saw one in the flesh a month back and I was in the market for a 303 so I have to just get one of these. The one I saw was unfortunately not for sale. It was unissued and in pristine condition. If anyone has one they want to part with or even know anyone that would have one and may be willing to let it go, then I could give it a good home. If anyone knows an Rfd that has one in stock I'd appreciate being let know. Thanks

Heraldoffreeent

pilatus wrote: »

Hi. This is probably a long shot but I am looking to buy an Irish contract Lee Enfield or "Blondes" as I've heard them referred to. I saw one in the flesh a month back and I was in the market for a 303 so I have to just get one of these. The one I saw was unfortunately not for sale. It was unissued and in pristine condition. If anyone has one they want to part with or even know anyone that would have one and may be willing to let it go, then I could give it a good home. If anyone knows an Rfd that has one in stock I'd appreciate being let know. Thanks

Here might be a place to start?
http://www.shoot.ie/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=lee+enfield&x=-1034&y=-418

Although they may not have them in stock, they may be able to source one for you?

Grizzly 45

Most of these apprently went to the USA,via Canada's Century arms corp in the 1990s
Still in the grease and their" sleeping bags." for about £15 each.
There is some info on them over on the VCRAI web page and you might to need to talk to mr Tac Foley of boards fame here for further info.:P

I saw one or two on a gunshow in AZ around 1995 at about 150 USD.Didnt know much about them then,or had the money for such either.:(
They are apprently selling or trading for silly money now Stateside as everyone has realised their value. Moreso if they are still in the grease and unfired.

And with a quick search of Armslist.com

http://www.armslist.com/posts/1109380/phoenix-arizona-rifles-for-sale-trade--lee-enfield-irish-contract-rifle 500 $$$
BUT NFS anymore.:(
But just shows they are out there

PF 309348-PF359347 Irish Republic 50,000 are apprently the serial numbers


http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?259438-Enfield-No-4-MK2-(F)-questions
A most intresting debate on this web page,where I see our good selves of boards.ie are mentioned.

pilatus

Thanks for the replies. I'll get in touch with them in shoot, Hopefully they can help me get something sorted.

Thanks for the link Grizzly, interesting read. There seems to be a bit of confusion surrounding these guns. I found one in California, just out of wax and unfired but they aren't willing to sell it outside the states, typical :-/ I've made it my goal now to get one of these and I'm not going to stop until I do.

cruisedub123

pilatus wrote: »

Hi. This is probably a long shot but I am looking to buy an Irish contract Lee Enfield or "Blondes" as I've heard them referred to. I saw one in the flesh a month back and I was in the market for a 303 so I have to just get one of these. The one I saw was unfortunately not for sale. It was unissued and in pristine condition. If anyone has one they want to part with or even know anyone that would have one and may be willing to let it go, then I could give it a good home. If anyone knows an Rfd that has one in stock I'd appreciate being let know. Thanks

Irish contract lee enfields fall within a specific serial number range. The " blondes" you refer to are usually uf 55 rifles and not irish contract . Dealers are calling them irish contract to inflate prices .

rowa

I seen and was going to buy a blonde fazakerly made no.4 , it might still be for sale and i can enquire. The lee enfields aren't really a cheap milsurp rifle anymore and you won't get one for the same money you see people getting them for in america.
The irish contract no.4's were not the last lee's made in england as some will tell you, the last batch were made for the raf. They are still being made afaik in india in .308.

harmoniums

here in the states an unfired one will be about $1000
I've got a few, I think there's almost a de facto ban on military arms export, even for a C&R bolt action.
Having said that, If you can find an exporter, I will sell you one.

FISMA

pilatus,
I had an Indian Enfield. It was beat to hell but shot fantastic. To this day I love the peep sights on Enfields.

I too am looking for an Irish Enfield or something in mummy wrap.

The Irish Enfields, as mentioned before, do have the PF prefix. Many sellers nowadays refer to any like new Enfield as "Irish."

You should also look for the Long Branch rifles, some of the best Enfields made.

Also, steer far clear of anything with wire wrap - those jungle carbines.

Finally, watch out for the mummy wrapped Enfields. Just because it is in mummy wrap, does not mean it is new/unissued. I have heard that some people have unwrapped their Enfields only to discover a FTR - Factory Thorough Repair.

650gs

Dont mind me asking whats wrong with the jungle carbines ???? just thought the seem like a nice 303

Kryten

FISMA wrote: »

pilatus,
I had an Indian Enfield. It was beat to hell but shot fantastic. To this day I love the peep sights on Enfields.

I too am looking for an Irish Enfield or something in mummy wrap.
7
The Irish Enfields, as mentioned before, do have the PF prefix. Many sellers nowadays refer to any like new Enfield as "Irish."

You should also look for the Long Branch rifles, some of the best Enfields made.

Also, steer far clear of anything with wire wrap - those jungle carbines.

Finally, watch out for the mummy wrapped Enfields. Just because it is in mummy wrap, does not mean it is new/unissued. I have heard that some people have unwrapped their Enfields only to discover a FTR - Factory Thorough Repair.

The beech wood enfields were in active service in the Irish Reserve Defence forces into the 1990s. Around 1994, while I was in Ordnance, we started to shift all the now obselete Enfields from stores to an assembly area to readu tjem for shipping. We removed the rifles from the wooden crates, including bayonets. They were still heavily greased. No other form of packaging was on them. We then stacked them into the back of trucks loose and thats the last we saw of them. F****in shame we couldn't buy them here. I believe they were sold for £15 each.

harmoniums

650gs wrote: »

Dont mind me asking whats wrong with the jungle carbines ???? just thought the seem like a nice 303

Jungle Carbines or No5 enfields had a problem with wandering zero.

rowa

harmoniums wrote: »

Jungle Carbines or No5 enfields had a problem with wandering zero.

I have heard that dismissed as a myth though, the wandering zero could have been due to the conditions the jungle carbines were used, extremely hot and humid conditions causing the wood to shift. Another theory i heard was the british army wanted rid of bolt actions and a to shift to the slr (not before time), the top brass decided to berate the enfields as unreliable, accuracy wise to get the swap over moving.

http://youtu.be/wVO1Gp6BtJE

FISMA

650gs wrote: »

Dont mind me asking whats wrong with the jungle carbines ???? just thought the seem like a nice 303

650gs, I was specifically referring to wire wrapped jungle carbines. Actually, wire wrapped anything. Not, a regular No5 MkI, sorry for the confusion.

I am no expert, but this is how I understand the situation.

The Brits needed rifles for grenade launchers. They chose shot out old Enfields and wrapped them with wire to reinforce for grenade duty. Shooting Grenades introduced a whole new set of stresses and strains to an already tired Enfield.

Wire wrap is not easily removed and its installation damages the wood. If you buy a rifle with the wrap, the steel could be rusted underneath. If you remove the wrap, you lose what little appeal a wire wrap has.

I am looking for an Enfield. The way I see it, I would like: (1) An Irish, (2) Long Branch or any excellent condition No4 MkI or No4 MkII.

The only reason I would ever suggest buying a wire wrap is for the same reason I would suggest a Nagant - to complete your collection.

Just my $0.02.

Sika98k

York Guns in the UK were selling them some years ago.
It might be somewhere to start.

650gs

The only reason I would ever suggest buying a wire wrap is for the same reason I would suggest a Nagant - to complete your collectio

Hi ya thanks for that but I am a little confused now as to the wire wrap do you have a link or pic handy cheers

FISMA

650gs wrote: »

... do you have a link or pic handy cheers

Here ya go.

650gs

Thank I see what you mean terrible but I still like the jungle carbine.

Grizzly 45

Was the wire wrap just to keep the whole rifle together,or did it serve as an improv handgaurd when launching grenades too??

The second pic ,I could see Spike Milligan having some wittty title for this rather unorthodox method of shooting /launching grenades.:D

rowa

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Was the wire wrap just to keep the whole rifle together,or did it serve as an improv handgaurd when launching grenades too??

The second pic ,I could see Spike Milligan having some wittty title for this rather unorthodox method of shooting /launching grenades.:D

spike milligan was blown up (dunno if it was by grenade) at monte cassino in italy during ww2, when the allies were trying (and failing) to winkle the hun out of the bombed monastery. Just a useless bit of trivia for yiz.

I thought the wire wrap was to stop the relatively fragile fore end wood splitting when firing grenades. It was there to bind the whole lot together.

Grizzly 45

Passed by Monte Cassino once.Well worth a look and visit.Can see why the Allies had to fight for and take no matter what that place.

rowa

To me a much better quality milsurp rifle would be the straight pull k31 swiss in 7.5x55. They make the lee enfield, mosin's etc look like farming implements, and from what i have seen are cheaper to buy than lee enfields.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vme90gayUzc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Chiparus

Saw 2 Irish Contract, in paper wrappers 7 years ago in Micks gun shop in Sydney, $A900 each with bayonets.

harmoniums

How about a nice RIC carbine?
303, 5 round mag, handly little rifles.

rowa

Or a p14, the rifle intended to end the reign of the lee enfields.

http://www.guntrader.co.uk/Guns-For-Sale/Winchester_Rifle_P14_For-Sale_130529145724805