Mil surp

[Micro man]

I was recently checking the online section of used firearms from a gun shop located about an hour from my home. I came across 2 rifles that caught my eye.
They were both Enfield #4 MK1 303 bolt guns and priced at $299 each. The shop had graded them as very good. I thought the price was very reasonable considering some I have seen listed elsewhere.

My question is since I have never bought a used military surplus rifle before what things should I look for to decide if they are a good value or a ripoff.

Thanks for your experience.

[44 AMP]

First step is to decide if you're buying it to collect, or to shoot.

The days of cheap military surplus ammo for calibers not in current standard use by the world's militaries are long gone. If you handload, you can make up for that a lot, BUT some guns are better suited for that than others.

The .303 British milsurps are famous for short brass life, even when one uses all the tricks to maximize case life.

I have, or have had nearly all the standard rifles from the major powers from the WWI-WWII era, other than the French and Italian ones. Never had any interest in them. The things to look for are the same for any used gun, condition of the bore, and the rest of the metal and wood, cracks, rust, missing parts, those kinds of things.

Won't speak to the price, whether its a good deal or not is situational these days, I bought most of mine back when paying $100 was a high price.

If you have the interest, and the cash, go for it, they haven't been made in a long time, and they aren't going to get any cheaper.

[Terrierman]

I just sold a 1942 Husqvarna Model 38 6.5x55 for $800 if that tells you anything.

[Dfariswheel]

Look for....
All matching serial numbers.
Many if not most surplus rifles will not have bolts that match the receiver.
These are usually okay, but having the head space checked on any military surplus rifle is a smart move.

Rust and pitting.
Most today will have some. How much is too much is up to you.

Signs of very heavy and abusive treatment. Most were well used but look for actual damage to parts.

Since other people will have owned it, look for alterations or home gunsmithing.

Rusty, pitted, badly worn bores and chambers, heavily worn or damaged crowning at muzzles.

Bulges or rings in the bore.

Safeties that don't work correctly.
Cock the rifle, put the safety on, pull the trigger and release, snap safety off.
The firing pin should not drop.

Cracks in the stock that may need repair.

Cracks in the receiver.

Sights bent/damaged or can't be adjusted.

[Shadow9mm]

Depends on if you want a collector or a shooter. Personally I only buy shooters.

My first move would be to check the bore. if the shop wont let me run a bore scope i should at least be able to pull the bolt and look down the barrel. If they wont let me do that, I would walk away. Its a surplus gun dont expect miracles, but you dont want a rusted out bore.

[FrankenMauser]

If you're seeing No 4 Mk I rifles for $299 each, it probably means that they are goat shed rifles from Ethiopia.
In other words: They're very, very, very bad, even if they look okay on the outside.

Royal Tiger Imports, aka RTI, is behind all of the "Goat Shed" rifles, and the reputation for these rifles being quite terrible is finally starting to really make sales tumble. So, they have turned to pushing them on dealers for stupidly low prices (like $99 each), in order to hide the point of origin.

1 in 900 might be a diamond in the rough. But the vast majority are garbage.


But, in general, for surp:
Check the bore.
Check for corrosion along the stock line.
Look for weirdness. (Welds, grinding, hammer marks, broken brazing joints, smashed sights, etc.)
Check function.
Check for completeness.
See if you can verify that the chamber has not been altered.
And anything else that seems reasonable.