No4 Mk1* Valuation (Pic Heavy)

Hi everyone,

I am just starting to set up for single stage rifle reloading (already reloading 9mm on a progressive) so am tossing up selling my No4 Mk1* to free up some funds. Can people please have a read below and give me an indication of what it might be worth to sell? I am not necessarily selling yet (hence why the thread is her not in the trading post) as that will depend on whether it's value is worth it to me.

I bought it as a rough, somewhat rusted but fully wooded No4 Mk1* as a project of refurbishment. I stripped the rifle down and had steel components phosphated, cleaned up the bore and refinished the woodwork with linseed oil. It is a Savage, stamped U.S. Property with NZ markings and two serial, both serial numbers are present on the bolt. The magazine has no serial number and a patch that did not take to the phosphate so must have had an alloy repair. Bore i would say is a 6/10.

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/...psqxsecbkr.jpg
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It's worth about half to 3/4 what a good original condition one would be on the present market. Phosphating wasn't used untill the early '50's and while it makes it look good it basically de-values it for a collector.

Yeah fair enough, I didn’t have access to bluing at the time and it was more of a project for myself so wanted something to preserve it and stop corrosion degrading it anymore than it already had.

US property!, Mr Trump might want it back. IMO the refinishing will have had a negative effect on value, no 4s are typically $350-450 in original condition with an average bore. Most savages I have seen had the 300 600 flip sight yours runs a singer sight so it could be a later one, or an armourer exchange. The NZmark may have a poeitive effect on value but the $3-400 mark is my estimation from the photos.

The Savage made Enfields are probably the least desirable of the family.

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Originally Posted by Ryan

The Savage made Enfields are probably the least desirable of the family.

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Ouch...

2 land rifleing still shoots but the finish is just for looks i would agree that 350-400 would be a good deal

I am sure you could sell that on Trademe for $500 with not too much trouble.

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Originally Posted by Oli1102

Yeah fair enough, I didn’t have access to bluing at the time and it was more of a project for myself so wanted something to preserve it and stop corrosion degrading it anymore than it already had.

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I think the rifle looks really good.
I'd say while it had collector value with the original patina and finish, the amount of pitting from corrosion evident may have limited its desirability as a collector piece.

It will make a great shooter for some one if you do choose to sell it !
Good luck with your decision.

Cheers guys! Yeah, i bought it with the intention to restore it back to some level of use rather than seeing it be destroyed a few years down the track. I am really happy about the finish, however didn't consider the resale value for a collector at the time. I imagine the level of corrosion would have left it pretty undesirable anyway. 3-400 seems to be the consensus, so thanks everyone for your feedback.

Decision time now I guess, i'm edging towards holding onto it for that sort of coin and reassessing later down the track.

Perfectly good for service rifle matches, and they are just generally fun to shoot.

Bottle caps are also collectable, but they dont cost very much. I even knew a guy who used to collect plastic bags. ""Collectable" does not mean ""worth more"".

.303's recently became collectable because they had history but also because they were cheap. Now they are not cheap because everyone has been reading on the internet about how collectable they are, so people think anythiing with full wood is by definition ''çollectable''. They come up on Trademe all the time for $800-1200 and they dont sell. Its still just an old military rifle. No offense to the Lee Enfield rifle, of which I have a had a fond relationship since I got my first one as a very much younger man, although I prefer the sporting rifles.

I dont know if there is any point in hanging on to it in the hope it might appreciate, in ten years the same people who would buy it now might pay another $100 for it. But then petrol will cost 4.00 a litre and a packet of cigarettes will cost $100.

(btw, you could have just painted the metal black. Thats what they used to do with the No.4 rifles.)

Bottle caps are also collectable, but they dont cost very much. I even knew a guy who used to collect plastic bags. ""Collectable" does not mean ""worth more"".

.303's recently became collectable because they had history but also because they were cheap. Now they are not cheap because everyone has been reading on the internet about how collectable they are, so people think anythiing with full wood is by definition ''çollectable''. They come up on Trademe all the time for $800-1200 and they dont sell. Its an old military rifle. No offense to the Lee Enfield rifle, of which I have a had a fond relationship since I got my first one as a very much younger man, although I prefer the sporting rifles.

I dont know if there is any point in hanging on to it in the hope it might appreciate, in ten years the same people who would buy it now might pay another $100 for it. But then petrol will cost 4.00 a litre and a packet of cigarettes will cost $100.

(btw, you could have just painted the metal black. Thats what they used to do with the No.4 rifles.)

Bottle caps are also collectable, but they dont cost very much. I even knew a guy who used to collect plastic bags. ""Collectable" does not mean ""worth more"".

.303's recently became collectable because they had history but also because they were cheap. Now they are not cheap because everyone has been reading on the internet about how collectable they are, so people think anythiing with full wood is by definition ''çollectable''. They come up on Trademe all the time for $800-1200 and they dont sell. Its an old military rifle. No offense to the Lee Enfield rifle, of which I have a had a fond relationship since I got my first one as a very much younger man, although I prefer the sporting rifles.

But there are plenty of people with a passing interest in military .303's who just want to have one, these people are your market, and they wont care much about the refinish, because it looks quite in keeping. These people will pay about $500 for that rifle.

I dont know if there is any point in hanging on to it in the hope it might appreciate, in ten years the same people who would buy it now might pay another $100 for it. But then petrol will cost 4.00 a litre and a packet of cigarettes will cost $100.

(btw, you could have just painted the metal black. Thats what they used to do with the No.4 rifles.)

That a bad stutter youve got there carlsen highway!

TBH I've been shocked at what people want for any 303 nowadays. If it shoots its 250-300 no matter how much butchery has gone on and like Carlsen said, anything that looks mint instantly has a mega price tag.
Still a nice rifle for 4-5hundy but I would want to fit a scope so maybe not so much.

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

That a bad stutter youve got there carlsen highway!

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Dunno what happened there....