Set of 3

Irish Enfields made in the Fazakerley Royal Ordnance Factory

This is a completely unissued and unused set of 3 sequential serial numbered Irish Enfields made in 1954 !  Here is some history on this fine gun:

The so called “Irish contract” (which we prefer to put within quotation marks) rifles and their serial number ranges have been subject to much debate. About 50,000 of these were sold to Ireland, but it is believed that most were never delivered. There is also evidence that some were ordered by the British Ministry of Defense, allegedly for use by RAF but never delivered. There are many theories about the serial number ranges included in these contracts, but since they include far more than 50,000 rifles there is no way to tell if a particular rifle was part of the Irish, British or any other contract. However, one thing is undisputed: Some Enfield No 4 Mk 2 rifles were never issued. Instead, they were put in storage until they were eventually sold as surplus in as-new condition. The late production, unissued rifles are often referred to as “Irish contract”, while in all reality they could just as well be part of other contracts.