Navy Arms has some of these, said to have come from an underground French bunker from WW2 days. Anyone here bought one or seen one in person? I thought I might be interested when I first heard about it, but mostly lost interest at the posted price - most were in the $1200 - $1400 range. There were a few at $995 but I'm assuming the condition would reflect the lower price.

Provenance is driving the price. If they had original mags they would cost more. An interesting variant, and I would buy one were I single.

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Should be a slogan to not get married!

Saw a picture of one in the American Rifleman and it looks new.

If these were given by the Brits to the French, history would indicate that they have no firing pins!

Somewhere around 35,000 Sten guns with 10 loaded magazines, in a canvas bag for air dropping to the Underground were made, but less than a thousand delivered!

Southern France was the HOT Bed of the Underground! Th Nazis sent units that had delt with the Partisans there for R&R!

Something about the Underground smelled very Vichy!

Ivan

I have a couple of No4's, I'd be very happy with that kind of money!

Some 25 years ago, I sold a fairly nice #4 for around $100. It was made by Savage, a L-L rifle. It even had a spike bayonet with scabbard.

That was 25 years ago...they're going for quite a bit more than that now .

True for most milsurps. Even Carcanos have been getting proper money lately.

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I purchased a No 4 about 35 years ago years ago. From a Dealer for $35.00. I Quess the price has went up. I have another No 4 that is alleged to be new. but I really don't know.

When I was a kid, my local 5 and dime store had a huge wooden barrel that was stuffed full of these. Fifteen bucks apiece. Take your pick Wish I had bought the barrel full.

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In about 1968 Kmart sold #4's from Canada's Long Branch arsenal. Basically same as the French ones. They were unissued and in mint condition. I thought 50 bucks was a bit high, but they looked so good that i bought one.

Glad I did. It is simply a tack driver.

The prices turn me off as well. I have developed alligator arms with age.

From the Gibbs rifle company. I figured that for two hundred bucks it was and is a great deal. No way that I would pay what Navy arms is asking for one of those boat anchors today.

Is it in the grease paper and covered with cosmoline? I have one of those, their serials start with UF55. Rumor control says they were built on a "make work" contract for the Royal Air Force. Most went into stores and were never issued.

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I seriously considered getting one of those French Resistance #4’s, but I’m spread a little thin financially at present. Given the current market the asking price isn’t that outrageous. A poor condition Enfield will bring $500 at a gun show. A decent Enfield at a local auction will bring $750 or more. The cosmoline wrapped #4Mk2 rifles will bring $1,200 or more. The prices Navy Arms is asking are in line with the other Enfield prices.

I bought my first Enfield, a #4Mk1, back in 1995 for $40. Over the years I’ve bought many more, but never paid more than $600 for one. The $600 one I bought was a #4Mk2 back in 2016. I’ve accumulated a couple of #1MkIII, the #4Mk1, several #4Mk2, a #5Mk1 carbine, and one of the Navy Arms Jungle Carbines made from a 7.62mm Indian #7. I’ve also got a Royal Irish Constabulary Lee Metford. One of my #1MkIII’s was one of a batch transferred to the Irish Free State at the start of the Irish Civil War, and on of my #4Mk2’s is a “Irish Contract” rifle from that bunch imported in 1995/1996. I think it is safe to say I like Lee Enfields.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

Just read that ad tonight while eating dinner, or is it supper where you are?

Anyway, That caught my eye. My dad bought a surplus Enfield, unissued, in the 60's and made it into a sporter for a deer rifle. I think he paid less than twenty bucks for it and it shipped to our PO. The mail carrier left a note in our mailbox to come and get it. Lots of deer were shot with that rifle. Ironic that it was produced as an infantry rifle and only saw service putting venison in the freezer.

Looks like the prices have gone up.

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Sadly, the days of good deals on any mil surps are long over. Mosins, RC 98ks, Arisakas, etc. all over $500 now.

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I was at a gun show in Syracuse NY last weekend and a vendor had quite a few of the $995 edition of the French Resistance #4 Rifles on his 3 or 4 table display. In fact that is all that he had on display..
Some others marked $1200+ IIRC. These must have been the better condition rifles.

Yes they look to be in very nice condition, I did not bother to pick one up for personal hands on inspection though.
Dark wood, with hardly any marks on them. Grooved handguards.
There was an separate box full of 'spare' box magazines with a price/each on them but I really can't recall what the price was.
Same for a box of Spike bayonets w/scabbards.

Lots of signs and info about the display tables claiming the French Resistance connection.
(?... Is the claim of French Resistance usage more marketable than say Dutch Resistance use ?,,,not that I don't believe them of course... )

I didn't see any transactions on my walk-by visits as I walked the show in search of my own treasures.
Plenty of lookers though.

1K is a bit steep for a #4 for me but times change.
Maybe that's the going price now. A nice condition MkIII SMLE easily gets $500 now.
I remember paying under $100 not all that long ago for any SMLE.
Even the Australian madeLithgows at any show and there where plenty to choose from. $75 and less sometimes.
This was only in the 90's and early 2000's.
The large imports by Jovino in the 90's from Australia helped drive prices down at the time.

I've only got a couple pre-1907 SMLE w/sliding charge guide now and a CLLE left. A couple Lee Speed Sporters as well. Those are built on (Long) Lee Enfield actions with the dust cover.

I wouldn't trade any of them for a French Resistance #4 even if the values were truely even.



I was never interested in the #4 rifle as I was in the SMLE and earlier Long Lee Enfields. I only ever owned two of the #4's and 1 #5.

Per the article in the American Rifleman these rifles were dropped to the French Resistance and many went unused or used very little, then stored in France after the war so they've not likely been through an arsenal rework.

Hmm, I'm glad to see this. Means my $89.00 investment in a unissued still in the wrap Irish Contract No4 MKII has appreciated better than money in the market.

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Almost over.

Italian M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbine - 17.5" Barrel 6.5 Carcano 6rd

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I have a collection of milsurp rifles, from most of the countries. Carcanos were sold on the counter of a local KMart back in the 1960's. You could pick them up and examine them. I even bought a beautiful 03A3 back then.

The Carcano is the one I never gave a second look at.

A lot of people felt that way because it was the gun that killed a president. Add in the accuracy issues created by undersized US made ammo and the Carcano has been avoided like the plague for decades.

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31FordA -- I too have one of the "Irish Contract" rifles. It's the best of my Enfields and I need to shoot it a bunch more. (But I gotta confess, if I'm shooting milsurps I tend to pull out my Schmidt Rubins (I put some glass on a K31. These are true tack drivers, sweet trigger, and I like to novelty of 'em).

I saw one sat was in nice cond , I have a mint all matching even the mag , got from a guy that bought many of them years ago , even the wood has the correct numbers . never new how much it was worth ?