6 replies to this topic

[Brimstone]

Hi all,

I have a MKIII SMLE dated 1912, the butt disc is stamped with 'B. U. C. (top) and 99 (bottom)' has anyone any idea what it might stand for? I would guess it's probably a college or school cadet outfit, I hope you can help.

Regs
B

[TonyE]

Your SMLE is rack number 99 from Buckland School Officer Training Corps.

Regards
TonyE

[Brimstone]

Hi Tony,

Many thanks for that infomation, it is greatly appreciated!

Regs
B

TonyE, on 01 February 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

Your SMLE is rack number 99 from Buckland School Officer Training Corps.

Regards
TonyE

[viking_raid]

Gentlmen,

I have a blank brass butt disc that I was hoping to get stamped.  Is there a way to get these stamped using the correct ww1 era font etc ?

[4thGordons]

viking_raid, on 22 February 2012 - 08:17 PM, said:

Gentlmen,

I have a blank brass butt disc that I was hoping to get stamped.  Is there a way to get these stamped using the correct ww1 era font etc ?

Hi,
You appear to be asking how to make a convincing replica (aka fake) Unit disc?
No offence intended, but I suppose as a someone who collects Enfields I would wonder why one would want to do this?

The technology is not complex - simple hand stamps and a hammer and there are plenty of threads on here that would guide format, but I have to return to the question as to why?

I suppose as a reenactor might want to mark his weapon or if displaying the weapon you might want it marked to a particular unit for that purpose but this would come periloulsy close to falsifying the record in my view.

PLEASE NOTE: I don't mean to cast aspersions in your direction personally but creating a "replica" disc could unintentionally and unkowingly cause other people problems further down the line.

EG Fred marks a rifle for reenacting the "19th Numptyshires", later on Fred sell the rifle to a mate in the reenacting group, whose widow at some point later sells his estate including a scarce rifle "marked to the 19th Numptyshires"... you see what I mean?

If you were to do it, I would hope that it would be permanently marked in such a way as to make it replica nature obvious.

Personally I set very little store by these sorts of marking for this very reason - there is a roaring trade in blank and marked discs on auction sites and anyone who can wield a screwdriver can replace them.... so I treat them all with a degree of scepticism.
  
Chris

[viking_raid]

No offense taken.  I have a 1942 dated Lithgow that I use for WW1 reenacting.  It has a blank disc, so I thought I would put our unit mark on it . Certainly not trying to create a fake.

4thGordons, on 22 February 2012 - 08:52 PM, said:

Hi,
You appear to be asking how to make a convincing replica (aka fake) Unit disc?
No offence intended, but I suppose as a someone who collects Enfields I would wonder why one would want to do this?

The technology is not complex - simple hand stamps and a hammer and there are plenty of threads on here that would guide format, but I have to return to the question as to why?

I suppose as a reenactor might want to mark his weapon or if displaying the weapon you might want it marked to a particular unit for that purpose but this would come periloulsy close to falsifying the record in my view.

PLEASE NOTE: I don't mean to cast aspersions in your direction personally but creating a "replica" disc could unintentionally and unkowingly cause other people problems further down the line.

EG Fred marks a rifle for reenacting the "19th Numptyshires", later on Fred sell the rifle to a mate in the reenacting group, whose widow at some point later sells his estate including a scarce rifle "marked to the 19th Numptyshires"... you see what I mean?

If you were to do it, I would hope that it would be permanently marked in such a way as to make it replica nature obvious.

Personally I set very little store by these sorts of marking for this very reason - there is a roaring trade in blank and marked discs on auction sites and anyone who can wield a screwdriver can replace them.... so I treat them all with a degree of scepticism.
  
Chris

[4thGordons]

viking_raid, on 23 February 2012 - 03:31 AM, said:

No offense taken.  I have a 1942 dated Lithgow that I use for WW1 reenacting.  It has a blank disc, so I thought I would put our unit mark on it . Certainly not trying to create a fake.

Hi,

Well a WWI unit mark and date on a WWII Lithgow would obvioulsy stand out so perhaps I need not have worried!

However, unless you reenact pre 1916 stuff - a blank unit marking disc would be accurate as the practice of marking discs was discontinued relatively early in the war and blanks were the norm on MkIII* rifles.
If your Lithgows is a MkIII* (changeover back to MkIII* at Lithgow happened in 1941 somewhere after serial number B7226x so I suspect it is) a blank disc or filled inletting would be more accurate than a marked disc.

Did your Lithgow avoid a post-war refinish? if not does it have solid sight protector blades or are there holes milled in them? if the latter then this would seem to be the most obvious inaccuaracy that could be easily changed (but keep the original!!)

Cheers
Chris