| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 13/04/13 12:21 AM |
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375 Express at Cabela's
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I am thinking too expensive by about half, but looks very nice and like the potential layout of the buttstock. Alot of "Lee's" have very odd stock architecture.
Very nice exterior for having a "poor" bore.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Gun-Libra...%3Bcat103796280
Please excuse the grainy blown up picture
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 13/04/13 01:10 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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One of the nicest looking "Lees" I've seen. I do like the lines - but agree - their price is rather high - perhaps $1,000 would be closer to what it's worth.
Sometimes, poor barrels can be salvaged for jacketed bullets only, using firelapping loads. That is how I salvaged my M71/76 Mauser barrel. If mostly the lands are bad, a bore riding bullet of fairly hard cast lead, rolled in fine compound,t hen fired, cleaned, fired, cleaned - etc, for maybe 20 or 30 shots might help immensely.
| lancaster |
| (.470 member) |
| 13/04/13 03:47 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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its nice but I see it more in the 2000 $ price range
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 13/04/13 04:15 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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$1000 with a Poor bore.
The bore is vital.
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 13/04/13 05:57 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Agree on the 1k poor bore up to a max of 2000us.
But what is "poor" ??? Metford rifling looks pretty poor to the unknowing....Cabela's has the market cornered on the unknowing in charge....The only C.W. Andrews I have handled was a 450/400 on a Lancaster spring actioned with oval bores. Could/would there be a possiblity of a lancaster oval/invisible bore in a Lee ???
Then again of course the bore could be just plain rotted away.........
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 13/04/13 05:59 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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"Metford rifling looks pretty poor to the unknowing"
Agree.
I have always found you need to really give
a Metford bore a really good clean to get
all the crap out to see if it is still good.
| 2152hq |
| (.300 member) |
| 13/04/13 06:14 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Built on an SMLE action,,the earlier MkI style using the sliding charger guide on the bolt head. Military use was 1904-'07 I believe.
I think commercial MkI* Military rifles were made by BSA up to at least WW1.
No reason to think the action wouldn't have been available to.
Not that it's a bad thing,,but it's not the earlier MLE/MLM style using the bolt dust cover.
The builder must have eliminated the safety from the left side of the SMLE MkI. They used the same side lever safe as the later No1MkIII did.
Leaves the rifle with only the half cock safety notch on the sear for a safety,,,the Metford Safety.
Though if it's the original MkI bolt (and they are the only ones that used the sliding charger), the bolt sear probably still has the small cutout for the side safety in it.
The bolt handle changed to a carbine style as none of the MkI bolts were that type.
I like the stock shape,could well do w/o the 60's style diamond in the left side though.
If the bore really is bad, perhaps it could be salvaged w/a rebore/rechamber to a 405Win.
..But not at the asking price.
2K I'd have to think about it more..
The black inlay in the stock bothers me more than anything!
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 13/04/13 06:18 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Just having another look at it, has that gun been refinished ?????
| 2152hq |
| (.300 member) |
| 13/04/13 06:23 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Quote:
Just having another look at it, has that gun been refinished ?????
I have no doubt the wood has been.
Cabella's lists it as metal reblued.
The magazine shows some roughness yet. Can't see the engraving well enough to see how it came through the reblue/refinish.
| Oldbrit |
| (.333 member) |
| 13/04/13 08:33 PM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Mine is a bit more plain jane and hasn't had the rather unsympathetic re-finishing but then I didn't pay anything like that for it. On the other hand the bore of my rifle is mint.
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 14/04/13 03:59 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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No doubt refinished wood and steel. But then again how many British rifles that where geniunely used didn't "return home" for a freshening up. This is not that, a bit too tarted up, but you get the idea.
Oldbrit, yours is a fine rifle.
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 14/04/13 04:13 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Cap
I think you summed it up. This looks "tarted" up,
not re done.
For some reason the bluing just seems wrong to me,
too shiny. I thought these guns had that dull blue
or blacking so typical of English guns.
| Oldbrit |
| (.333 member) |
| 14/04/13 06:13 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Quote:
Oldbrit, yours is a fine rifle.
Sir! You are too kind (as well as being wise and perceptive). When the rifle was offered to me I didn't need beating over the head with a bat to know that I was on to a good thing. In all honour to the vendor he did say that he wanted to sell the rifle to someone who would appreciate it.... I was happy to fulfil that wish.
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 14/04/13 08:58 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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"On the other hand the bore of my rifle is mint."
Hard to say NO!
| Oldbrit |
| (.333 member) |
| 15/04/13 02:54 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Quote:
"On the other hand the bore of my rifle is mint."
Hard to say NO!
Hell's teeth! But I'm such a failure... saying "no" didn't occur to me. Oh! And I forgot to tell you one other thing... my wife bought me the rifle for my birthday.
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 15/04/13 03:45 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Old Brit
Can you clone her please ? !!!
| Oldbrit |
| (.333 member) |
| 15/04/13 07:54 PM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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OK, time to stop bragging and confess!
The conversation went something like this:
Her: I've asked you a dozen times what you want for your birthday, have you made up your mind yet.
Me: Errr....
Her: Look, you've been going on about that rifle all day and all night. Do you want me to buy that for your birthday. I'd rather buy you that than something that will just get stuck in a drawer.
Me: Yes please, thank you very much.
Sound familiar to any of the other married men out there?
| GeezerD |
| (.224 member) |
| 15/04/13 10:35 PM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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After 40 yrs. it would go something like this -
Her - Have you thought about what you want for your birthday ?
Me - Well, I have been looking at a nice old rifle that is for sale.
Her - What happened to that rifle that you bought 35 yrs. ago ?
Me - I still have it.
Her - Why do you need two rifles ?
Me - Never mind. I could probably use some new sox and underwear.
GeezerD
| StephenCoker |
| (.300 member) |
| 16/04/13 07:54 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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I certainly gave way less for the Alexander Henry Lee-Metford sporting rifle I picked up a couple of weeks ago...waaaaaay less!
Albeit it's a grimy thing. It's currently sitting in pieces on my workbench soaking up some oil in an attempt to loosen some of the grime. It looks like it will clean up nicely though. The bore, being of Metford rifling warrants some of the same concern as mentioned above. The bore will will also get a thorough cleaning, and then I'll actually go shoot it before passing judgement.The "tarted up" comments seem very fitting on this offering from Cabela's.
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 16/04/13 08:58 AM |
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Re: 375 Express at Cabela's
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Quote:
Cap
I think you summed it up. This looks "tarted" up,
not re done.
For some reason the bluing just seems wrong to me,
too shiny. I thought these guns had that dull blue
or blacking so typical of English guns.
For sure 500. Way too "bright". Suprisingly the photos don't seem to show that it underwent a wheel, but is indeed shiny. Sometime on the bench with contouring stones and someones hands and shoulders besides mine would do wonders for the metal on this.
Chemical stripper down to the "bone" maybe the only hope for the wood. Then a few weeks of ochre and slaccum.........