Ruggles
12-30-2006, 20:51
I just put a Enfield No 5 carbine (1946 Shirley) in layaway ( along with a sweet Mauser!). The No 5 is in pretty good mechanical condition with no pitting at all. There is a very small piece of the flash guard missing, looks like it chipped off. The furniture is tight and steady but very beat up in appearance, the rubber butt plate is over half gone thru wear. I paid $279 for it, might be a little high but they seem to be getting harder to find all the time.
My original plan was to take this rifle and replace all the furniture with brand new pieces:
http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=527250&chrSuperSKU=&MC=
And also sending the metal (rifle & magazine) to be refinished (as close to the original color as possible):
http://www.bearcoat.com/prodserv.htm
(If anyone has a better place to refinish please let me know)
My thinking is that this would make a very nice little rifle, a very durable rifle for many many years to come. But I am having second thoughts about altering this rifle, i.e. I feel "guilty" about ruining the rich history of this firearm.
What should I do, work this "project" or leave this rifle as is. Money is not the issue, I just do not want to create some kind of Frankenstein looking rifle out of this fine piece of history.
Any suggestion are welcome.
My original plan was to take this rifle and replace all the furniture with brand new pieces:
http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=527250&chrSuperSKU=&MC=
And also sending the metal (rifle & magazine) to be refinished (as close to the original color as possible):
http://www.bearcoat.com/prodserv.htm
(If anyone has a better place to refinish please let me know)
My thinking is that this would make a very nice little rifle, a very durable rifle for many many years to come. But I am having second thoughts about altering this rifle, i.e. I feel "guilty" about ruining the rich history of this firearm.
What should I do, work this "project" or leave this rifle as is. Money is not the issue, I just do not want to create some kind of Frankenstein looking rifle out of this fine piece of history.
Any suggestion are welcome.
