Why a good description is important when selling

-One of the things I stress when digging for gold in auctions or inventory listings is that you need to lay eyes on EVERYTHING, can't depend on a search tool. Because many times an item has a misspelled word or a clueless description that will be passed by in a keyword search. Yes, it's mind-numbingly tedious but does yield gold many times. Case in point is the following from a live and online supported auction from yesterday...
-Here's the listing (I kid you not!): Jjco Ba On Trigger Guard 7.62 X S4r. OK, without looking at the photos, what the hell is this? I'm old and luckily have seen the import mark of John Jovino Co many times before: JJCO. The BA is an Aussie mark for Bathhurst, who produced SMLE components. The 7.62 x S4r, damned if I know where this came from. Over the years I've noticed, as the number of Mosin Nagants has saturated the US market, the tendency of auctioneers unfamiliar with firearms to label everything as a MN. Perhaps that's what happened this time around.
-There was a SN listed "T1591". This was another key bit of evidence but did throw in a bit of confusion at the same time. The three auction photos were enough to confirm the basics but lacking in specifics to leave some mystery (beautiful photography that was worthless because it didn't highlight any marks or a complete 360 view).
-What we have is a Australian Lithgow built SMLE, with import marks of John Jovino Co who bought out the remaining Australian SMLE stocks and spares in the late 80s/early 90s. They imported roughly 6,000 complete SMLEs and built complete rifles using spare actions and new furniture. I've seen the "T" for target prefix/suffix (can't remember exactly which) on all of their in-house built No2 MK IV .22 trainers. In this case the mystery is the 7.62 x S4R description because I'm leaning hard that it's one of those .22 trainers and not a No1 MKIII* in .303 Br.
-But either way it sold stupid cheap for $325 OTD and I have no doubt the jacked up description and lack of a complete set of photos kept bidders at bay (not me!). If it's a No1 MKIII* I have no doubt it'll require installing copper recoil blocks since new furniture was supplied to arsenals without them as it was expected that the armorer would hand fit the forestock to the action. If it's a No2 MK IV then the recoil blocks won't be necessary and it's good to go as is. Won't know for sure what I bought, No1 or No2, until it arrives but I'm comfortable with it either way for this price!

Those are known to be fake. Put together from parts. $300 is about what they sell for.

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Yes, not original. The "T" prefix is the "tell" since Lithgow production stopped with "F" prefix. But selling for $300? Maybe back in 1995. The JJCO No2 MK IV bitsters routinely sell for above $600 (one just sold last week on GB at $1200, yikes!) as shooters since much of the time they're literally in un-fired condition. I watched one sell for $550 at a York show 20 yrs ago. I still remember it because of the interest it generated. You'd of thought they were giving away guns with the bunch gawking at it. Normally not my cup of tea as a collector but for shooting? Hell yes, esp. for just over 3 Benjamins when any decent original No2 MK IV sells at or above $500 these days.

At one time they sold for $2,000, but Larry Eisel aka The Grey Blanket had 3 this year and they sold for $300, $325, and one did reach $425. I don't normally watch them so others may go higher. Usually he gets top dollar. Should be a good shooter. You didn't overpay.

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capt14k said:

At one time they sold for $2,000, but Larry Eisel aka The Grey Blanket had 3 this year and they sold for $300, $325, and one did reach $425. I don't normally watch them so others may go higher. Usually he gets top dollar. Should be a good shooter. You didn't overpay.

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-Were these No1s or No2s that Larry was selling? All the T prefixed JJCO builds I've ever seen are No2s. If he sold No2s at those prices he took a beating. If they were No1s then he took less of a thumping. I have managed to decypher the online "handles" of many prominent resellers and do watch to see how much profit they turn on items of interest to me. Occasionally I see them take a loss but I've also seen some hanky-panky stuff that leads me to believe that if an item is on the path to sell at a loss they have a in-house shill bid it up and if nobody else bites they relist at a later date (saw this recently with a German trainer sold by a VA dealer well known to me whom I refuse to do business with). Though I can say that I've never seen Larry do this.
-Too bad I've never run across production numbers from anyone on just how many SMLEs JJCO built from spares. Cannot believe that the T series SNs started at 0001 as most I've seen are around the 1500 range and there's no way they built 1500 SMLEs, just not enough spares for that, esp. the No2s.

I'd say it's in 22 cal because it has a hole drilled in the bolt head.

Doco Overboard said:

I'd say it's in 22 cal because it has a hole drilled in the bolt head.

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I was going to bet it was a .303, but you make a good point. Now I'm not as certain. In any case, enjoy OP.

Clovis said:

I was going to bet it was a .303, but you make a good point. Now I'm not as certain. In any case, enjoy OP.

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Maybe maybe not, the picture almost looks like the hole is vertical with the bolt closed and a little large. Some bolt heads have a hole but its usually towards the left body wall leading back to the thumb slot for charger loading.
Kind of like 10:30 position while looking down the rifle. Either way for what he has into it I would be happy to wait and see. The wood and re-phosphateing are handsomely done.

Doco Overboard said:

I'd say it's in 22 cal because it has a hole drilled in the bolt head.

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Good eye! That's the tell for a .22 trainer. Shame on me for missing it. So now we know for sure that it's one of the No2 MK IV bitsters.
BTW, woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so I was up on GB looking for an item for a buddy when I ran across this VG Lithgow No2 MK IV. Shocked that nobody has bid on it at $550. Love the crisp stock marks and painted rack number.