I’m gonna go a completely different direction. SHTF like society crumbling. For that, not so concerned with legalities like making sure the barrel length gestapo are happy. I want hunting performance, rock solid reliability, accuracy out to say 400 or 500 yards, ammo flexibility and...
Yep, for kicks and giggles I checked - If you could find a complete stock set you are looking at $300-600 just for the wood. The other missing or non-standard parts, you'd probably in it a grand to try to get it back to its original state. I picked one up a while back with a sporter stock...
They are typically pretty good shooters though. Smooth, fast to cycle, accurate, hold 10 rounds of a legit full powered cartridge (albeit getting hard to find these days)
Doesn't look to be abused. Just that in 2024, people looking for an old Enfield action are typically wanting it in original configuration. OR they have one and need some of the parts to refurb it.
I've been flirting with the idea of one for several years now so let us all know how it goes. Having talked to a couple of owners the general take I get is that its sort of a niche thing - a range toy for the most part. I suspect it'd do just fine as a home defense weapon. Carry, non-starter...
Yeah, I know......there are a few youngsters with common sense and respect still but the numbers seem to be dwindling. Wish it wasn't the case but it is. I hire quite a few youngsters and they seem to get more and more idiotic as the years go by. Maybe I'm just getting cranky in my old age
With rare exception I can't imagine handing a war production anything to a youngster these days. Most of them have zero appreciation for the blood and misery that paid for those arms and to me it's a dishonor to the brave men that carried them back in the day.
I used to see that quite regularly with cheap, ancient 9mm milsurp ammo out of Egypt where the metallurgy of the brass was the culprit. Was that factory or reloads? Exposure to ammonia can cause that kind of brittleness leading to that kind of cracking.
Non-static plastic, an old 8lb powder jug if the original container isn't available or metal and starting to rust. Container stored in a metal cabinet in a temperature and humidity controlled space.