Ishapore 2A1 Enfield

[Shadow8088]

So, my next classic rifle purchase, after bumping into a british .303 at the Laporte gun show, is HOPEFULLY going to be an Enfield in .308... i'm not a reloader, i'm not quite there yet, and the thought of reloading a now obscure rifle cartridge isn't really high on my list of things I want to do. I want to fire this thing, so a .308 seems to be my best option. I have no idea what prices i should be looking at... or even what I should be watching out for while looking.. It's not like the Mosin where there's hundreds of youtube videos telling you what to look for... and before I get yelled at about the K98, its on the list... I just want one of these first.. if I DID get it in .303, it'd probably get cleaned up and put in a case.. never to be fired... a sad life for such a beautiful piece of historic weaponry.

Any helpful thoughts/pointers/etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BogWalker]

Just look for what you would with any other rifle. Make sure it has a magazine with it, that or take of $40-$60 for the cost to replace one. You can find them easily in prices generally ranging from $150-$250.

 

[elemonator]

Just FYI, the Indian mfg. Enfields will be painted black on metal parts not blued. So dont let painted black be a deterrent from buying one...as I would like one also, but most all I've looked at via the net or in person are seriously worn, much like any Israeli Mauser in .308, there are some really good sites on the net about collecting these older firearms, parralax(sp)bills and gunboards comes to mind..with everyone in a frenzy to get an AR, these kind of rifles are hopefully gonna drop in price....fingers crossed, good luck.

 

[paddling_man]

They cycle really, really nicely. The difference in build quality compared to my MNs is palpable.

 

[Russ]

Its a great rifle for the price, when its full of ammo its the slickest bolt gun out there for the price. i've had mine for about 5 months and put both surplus and new factory ammo, everything works great and its a joy to shoot.

Personally, loading for some obscure, ancient caliber is half the fun! (i've got a M1871 beaumont which is another great bolt gun, very interesting too) but i can understand people not enjoying it as much as I.

308 is easy to come by, but with the recent events i was lucky to get my hands on one of the last boxes of brown bear 308 in sight. haven't seen anymore at my local shop since.

as a fellow surplus nut, ill recommend the M96 swede Mauser to 'go on the list' haven't owned one (still haven't found one with my name on it) but its just about the best of the Mauser world, with one of the best cartridges out there.


Good luck on your Ishapore hunt, its a great gun that is often overlooked.

 

[Shadow8088]

thank you guys, I appreciate the input. the list as it stands right now
Ishapore
K98
K31
SKS
M1Garand
M1903
(already have a Mosin 91/30.. considering an M44)

 

[Iroquois]

I've had three of these...two jungle style and one full length. The jungle styles kicked terribly so they were traded. The long rifle had too much head space so I had it converted to 6.5 Swede... Looked better on paper but it shoots well
One thing about the SMLE, the reciever stretches every time you fire it, and returns to original size.
It's not something you can see but you will notice on your brass. Repeat loadings will greatly shorten the life of your brass. If you can find affordable surplus that shoots well you'll probably like this gun. If not you'll probably trade it ...

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I have one and it is my favorite firearm that I own. I paid $225 for it at the 1500 back in June. I actually plan on getting another one if it is in good condition.

 

[BogWalker]

Only neck sizing will greatly mitigate brass stretch and increase case life. I'm hoping to pick up a decently priced one at the 1500 if I can.

 

[njbenja06]

I own one as well, not quite as nice as paddling mans but I love it. The bolts on them are very nice and you can clear a cartridge very quickly. I got mine about a 6 months ago for $220. One thing to look for, as you would with any rifle, is the condition of the stock. The upper handguard on mine had a little wobble and was not a tight fitting with the rest. Could be an isolated issue and not common, just letting you know that was an issue with mine.