[breakeyp]

Everyone seems to want to do restorations these days. Do you think this is worth the effort? I got them at Tulsa from a gentleman who obtained them from a local farmer who dug them up near Ypes Belgium. It is interesting that the safety is on which may indicate that a round is up the spout. A few pieces of BLO challenged wood fragments remain.

Condition is nice but not everything. I did not use my C&R paperwork to purchase.

I have no idea on how to put this in the rack.

 

[Garron]

Hey

I had a relic SMLE from the Somme in France, My barrel was straight so I had an easy time restoring mine, it was in a simliar shape to your except the magazine and triggerguard was missing.

mine ended up like this once finished

I am doing the same to the battlefield found Lebel 1886/93and hopfully a G98

I live in the UK so parts are thin on the ground for everything, lukcy I have friends in the US who are awilling to ship stock parts over. (the legal cosmetic stuff like stocks)

The cocking peice is down and now sticking out, so I think any round would be fired.

Gaz

 

[bones92]

Paul, can you tell if the bend in the barrel is from explosive force or perhaps having been plowed up once or twice? I would expect to see some nicks on the barrel if it had been plowed.

I think you may be right about a round in the chamber. Might be good to keep this one over a desk or doorway, and not over the fireplace.

Very neat, though. One can only imagine the circumstances surrounding its condition.

 

[LuvThmGuns]

Those 2 enfields look beyond repair IMHO. Maybe a good conversation starter.

 

[03man]

I would leave it as a relic; there are many fewer relics like yours than live or restored arms today.

Perhaps if it were a rare rifle it would be a different call.

 

[JB White]

Nothing a little Naval Jelly, followed by a good soaking in transmission fluid couldn't fix.
Paul, maybe you can salvage enough from both to get a good one? Just be sure to check the HS before firing.

If they were mine, I'd display them in a polished brass basket.

 

[Ike27]

Mount it on plaque and keep it as a piece of history!

 

[breakeyp]

Paul, can you tell if the bend in the barrel is from explosive force or perhaps having been plowed up once or twice? I would expect to see some nicks on the barrel if it had been plowed.

I think you may be right about a round in the chamber. Might be good to keep this one over a desk or doorway, and not over the fireplace.

Very neat, though. One can only imagine the circumstances surrounding its condition.

The barrel and action have a uniform patina with no indication of impact with a farm implement. I wonder if the barrel bent during an air burst as it seems to be in a natural uniform curve. Interestingly, the forestock wood segment has a three inch long section of chared wood centered around the barrel channel??? If the metal was in a fire--the wood would not have a local burn area. There does not seem to be follower, spring or cartridge remains in the magazine. If it could only talk. I think its neat.

 

[falm16]

it is a nice relic. i'd hated to be the one holding it. display it as is.

 

[Joe Turner]

relic enfield

Ypres! What memories of great conflict and terror must resonate in that decayed old rifle. I had a 1910 Ross that was a battlefield relic. I had a local shop that specialized in metal work stabilize the remains and donated it to a museum. Old soldiers deserve their final rest, so just have it stablized and display it. Maybe some time on a quiet evening it may speak to you of what it saw and did. Thanks for sharing. Joe

 

[Lithy]

Ypres! What memories of great conflict and terror must resonate in that decayed old rifle. I had a 1910 Ross that was a battlefield relic. I had a local shop that specialized in metal work stabilize the remains and donated it to a museum. Old soldiers deserve their final rest, so just have it stablized and display it. Maybe some time on a quiet evening it may speak to you of what it saw and did. Thanks for sharing. Joe

Ditto IMHO.

The prettiest horse in the stable needn't necessarily the best

 

[jrhead75]

I'd certainly agree that they should be preserved and cherished for what they are. Were I a betting man though, I'd be willing to wager that the restoration question was originally posed with tongue firmly in cheek, as JB White has pointed out.

 

[bones92]

The bend of the barrel is similar to other milsurps that have been in the proximity of a mortar or arty round going off. The charred but not burned wood could be from the flash of an explosion, without the wood actually burning.

I would try to get some of the damaging rust off, then just leave it as is, maybe mount it to a board and hang in the gun room.

Reminds me of Good-bye To All That, which I read earlier this year.

 

[John Sukey In Memoriam]

Everyone seems to want to do restorations these days. Do you think this is worth the effort? I got them at Tulsa from a gentleman who obtained them from a local farmer who dug them up near Ypes Belgium. It is interesting that the safety is on which may indicate that a round is up the spout. A few pieces of BLO challenged wood fragments remain.

Condition is nice but not everything. I did not use my C&R paperwork to purchase.

I have no idea on how to put this in the rack.

I have a No1Mk1 in similar condition, picked up from the SOMME. The magazine was loaded, and the safety is on. If it hasn't gone off since 1916, I am not going to worry about it.

 

[breakeyp]

I'd certainly agree that they should be preserved and cherished for what they are. Were I a betting man though, I'd be willing to wager that the restoration question was originally posed with tongue firmly in cheek, as JB White has pointed out.

You both win a cookie. The foreend charing is in the barrel channel under the barrel.

 

[bones92]

Oh good... I hadn't taken it seriously from the start!

But I do like to know the story behind these rifles with such terrible bends in them. IMHO, surely the effect of being close to a grenade or artillery round going off.

 

[Story]

You look at a piece like that and put yourself in the grunt's shoes during the barrage that obviously caused it - "how can I crawl up inside my own helmet?"

Wonder what happened to him.