 Lee Enfield Rifle |
Remembering Today:
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 Dec 31 2005, 08:55 PM
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#76
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211  |
QUOTE (Andrew Upton @ Dec 31 2005, 03:14 PM)  Interesting - mine appears to have no markings other than the numbers - and from the overall condition of the rifle, I'd say that if it was sold out of service, the new owner can hardly have touched it, let alone used it, wonder what the story is...?  Andrew ; I have sen for sale in the US from time to time these sling swivel loops that mount in place of the front action screw. Almost always they have been advertised as "sniper" equipment for the No.4 rifle. On another note here's some pics I took this beery eyed afternoon, enjoy.
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Dec 31 2005, 08:57 PM
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#77
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 08:59 PM
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#78
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:00 PM
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#79
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:02 PM
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#80
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:03 PM
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#81
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:05 PM
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#82
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:07 PM
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#83
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:08 PM
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#84
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
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Dec 31 2005, 09:11 PM
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#85
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
Sanderson , august 1908 Patt'07 bayonet. Looking for a 1911 dated english issue hookie or a hookie marked to the K.R.R. to take the place of this poker...help !.
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Jan 1 2006, 01:55 AM
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#86
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 196 Joined: 7-October 05 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 8,287 |
QUOTE (gew98 @ Dec 31 2005, 09:11 PM) Sanderson , august 1908 Patt'07 bayonet. Looking for a 1911 dated english issue hookie or a hookie marked to the K.R.R. to take the place of this poker...help !. Very interesting rifle gew98 ... I wouldn't worry too much about the date of the bayonet as I doubt that armourers paid too much attention to the dates when they issued them with the rifle. I am fortunate in that my rifle was made in 1913 and issued in April, 1914, meaning a "garden variety" 07 with straight cross piece was most likely issued with it ... even so it took some looking to find a bayonet made in 1914 or before that hadn't been unit or rifle serial marked, and came with it's correct "tear drop" scabbard. I also had only a "small window" of six months to choose from, as the Brits started to lop the quillions in September 1913. I managed to track down a relatively rare 1913 Ishapore, but I think it has the clearing hole drilled in the pommel, which is a 1916 modification (bought from eBay, and I'm yet to receive it to inspect first hand). 
ishy1.jpg ( 20.52K )
Number of downloads: 14Which stock disc belongs to your rifle? Have you figured out the unit it was issued to? It is indeed a treasure to find a 1911 SMLE action with a matching bolt, let alone all the early features intact. I note your rifle's sighted for MkVII ammunition (note the "U" taken out of the range adjustment slide to clear the screw in the sight base) and wonder if it's a very early example of one of these rifles or if it was originally MkVI and converted. What is the date on the barrel? Is the fore end numbered to the rifle? I would also be most interested to verify which type of magazine is fitted.
gurrear1.jpg ( 50.07K )
Number of downloads: 11I would also be interested to see if the cocking piece is numbered to your rifle (an early feature not often seen as these were among the first components to wear and need replacement). More pix follow of the MkVI rear sight and numbered cocking piece from my 1913 BSA |
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Jan 1 2006, 01:57 AM
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#87
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 196 Joined: 7-October 05 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 8,287 |
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Jan 1 2006, 01:59 AM
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#88
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 196 Joined: 7-October 05 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 8,287 |
The numbered cocking piece ... never encountered one before on an SMLE!
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Jan 1 2006, 03:32 PM
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#89
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Lieut-Colonel Group: Old Sweats Posts: 624 Joined: 24-March 04 From: North Wales Member No.: 2,587 |
Beautiful!!!!!!! If thats the right word?
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Jan 1 2006, 03:34 PM
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#90
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Lieut-Colonel Group: Old Sweats Posts: 624 Joined: 24-March 04 From: North Wales Member No.: 2,587 |
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Jan 1 2006, 03:36 PM
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#91
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Lieut-Colonel Group: Old Sweats Posts: 624 Joined: 24-March 04 From: North Wales Member No.: 2,587 |
Interestingly this one is a fake.......
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Jan 1 2006, 09:05 PM
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#92
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Lieut-Colonel Group: Old Sweats Posts: 581 Joined: 26-December 03 Member No.: 1,565 |
That's some lovely hardware.
I thought you might like to see a couple of pics of one of my own all-matched-number SMLEs - a 1905 MkI - and its web sling made by Wright's Ltd in 1905 - presumably before the birth of master Wright Jnr making the company famous as MWS! Cheers, Taff
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Jan 1 2006, 11:37 PM
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#93
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Sergeant-Major Group: Members2 Posts: 56 Joined: 3-December 05 From: Australia Member No.: 9,477 |
Some of you guys will be spewin' about this.
I gave away a 1916 Lithgow (from memory) SMLE a couple of years ago, a bit rough around the edges, front wood 'sporterised' but it still fired ok. Smokey. |
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Jan 2 2006, 04:01 AM
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#94
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 196 Joined: 7-October 05 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 8,287 |
QUOTE (Smokey in Oz @ Jan 1 2006, 11:37 PM) Some of you guys will be spewin' about this. I gave away a 1916 Lithgow (from memory) SMLE a couple of years ago, a bit rough around the edges, front wood 'sporterised' but it still fired ok. Smokey. Plenty of 1916 rifles around in that condition Smokey ... it's finding them intact that's that hard part - as I said, in 30 years of collecting, I've encountered only one Great War SMLE in the configuartion it left the factory in. About 15 years back the Australian War Memorial was after seven rifles - one for each Victoria Cross won at Lone Pine, Gallipoli - for a display, and the best they could come up with after scouring Australia were former Queensland Police rifles, which were 1912-13 No1 MkIII SMLEs which basically sat around Outback police stations and were only very ocasionally fired, if at all, until they were sold off. Those rifles remain on display in the VC gallery, but to the best of my knowledge the memorial does not have a documented rifle that served with the Australian at Gallipoli. |
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Jan 2 2006, 04:59 AM
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#95
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Sergeant-Major Group: Members2 Posts: 56 Joined: 3-December 05 From: Australia Member No.: 9,477 |
You're right Heatseeker, they were as common as blowflies for a long time. Interesting the AWM didn't have or couldn't find good nick originals..... I wouldn't mind one like yours in the safe. Did I see pics of your rifle on another site recently? It looks familiar and the description is identical to one that surfaced elsewhere that I read about. Particularly the 1/5 Ghurka and Turkey history.
Smokey. |
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Jan 2 2006, 07:26 AM
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#96
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Corporal Group: Members2 Posts: 16 Joined: 7-January 05 From: Whangarei, New Zealand Member No.: 5,782 |
"About 15 years back the Australian War Memorial was after seven rifles - one for each Victoria Cross won at Lone Pine, Gallipoli - for a display, and the best they could come up with after scouring Australia were former Queensland Police rifles, which were 1912-13 No1 MkIII SMLEs which basically sat around Outback police stations and were only very ocasionally fired, if at all, until they were sold off. Those rifles remain on display in the VC gallery, but to the best of my knowledge the memorial does not have a documented rifle that served with the Australian at Gallipoli."
Unfortunatly, all those rifles went on to serve in other theatres such as France and Belguim as well as North Africa with the Mounted Brigades so there would have been little chance of them returning to Australia. Not good odds for their owners either! I would expect that not many soldiers who survived Gallipoli AND the Western Front to return home would also have been carrying their original rifle too. The only ones guaranteed to be 'Gallipoli rifles' are the ones we left behind. Those set up with water dripping into a tin that was attached to the trigger Now one of those would be worth having............. |
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Jan 2 2006, 08:48 AM
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#97
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 196 Joined: 7-October 05 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 8,287 |
QUOTE (nzzephyr @ Jan 2 2006, 07:26 AM) "About 15 years back the Australian War Memorial was after seven rifles - one for each Victoria Cross won at Lone Pine, Gallipoli - for a display, and the best they could come up with after scouring Australia were former Queensland Police rifles, which were 1912-13 No1 MkIII SMLEs which basically sat around Outback police stations and were only very ocasionally fired, if at all, until they were sold off. Those rifles remain on display in the VC gallery, but to the best of my knowledge the memorial does not have a documented rifle that served with the Australian at Gallipoli." Unfortunatly, all those rifles went on to serve in other theatres such as France and Belguim as well as North Africa with the Mounted Brigades so there would have been little chance of them returning to Australia. Not good odds for their owners either! I would expect that not many soldiers who survived Gallipoli AND the Western Front to return home would also have been carrying their original rifle too. The only ones guaranteed to be 'Gallipoli rifles' are the ones we left behind. Those set up with water dripping into a tin that was attached to the trigger Now one of those would be worth having............. You got that right mate ... as it is my "Gallipoli Gurkha" rifle would almost certainly have required a rebuild after its hard service at Gallipoli (the bore has been well looked after but it has done a bit of work) at which time it would have been bought up to III* standards without magazine cutoff and long range volleys and non-windage adjustable rear sight and probably a new fore end. There's probably a few actions around that served at Gallipoli, but unfortunately in most cases, as with most Great War SMLEs, only the ghost of the original rifle remains. Alas, it was only the few rifles taken "out of the system" (whether as captures or issued to state police forces in various Commonwealth nations) that have managed to stay intact. As it is, of the rifles of the correct era I inspected in the recent batch of Australian imports from Turkey, mine was the only one with all matching components, and many were in a very sorry state. As it was, mine was without a magazine and front handguard (easily replaced, and neither was a numbered part), which thankfully left it languishing in the crate, and not in the sale racks! Smokey, you've probably seen the rifle across at Gunboards ... there has been much discussion about it over there. |
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Jan 2 2006, 12:10 PM
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#98
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Sergeant-Major Group: Members2 Posts: 56 Joined: 3-December 05 From: Australia Member No.: 9,477 |
Yep I found it, British Militaria site, we spoke about a bayonet.
Cheers, Smokey. |
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Jan 5 2006, 01:36 AM
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#99
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
QUOTE (Heatseeker @ Dec 31 2005, 08:55 PM) I managed to track down a relatively rare 1913 Ishapore, but I think it has the clearing hole drilled in the pommel, which is a 1916 modification (bought from eBay, and I'm yet to receive it to inspect first hand). Which stock disc belongs to your rifle? Have you figured out the unit it was issued to? It is indeed a treasure to find a 1911 SMLE action with a matching bolt, let alone all the early features intact. I note your rifle's sighted for MkVII ammunition (note the "U" taken out of the range adjustment slide to clear the screw in the sight base) and wonder if it's a very early example of one of these rifles or if it was originally MkVI and converted. What is the date on the barrel? Is the fore end numbered to the rifle? I would also be most interested to verify which type of magazine is fitted. I would also be interested to see if the cocking piece is numbered to your rifle (an early feature not often seen as these were among the first components to wear and need replacement). More pix follow of the MkVI rear sight and numbered cocking piece from my 1913 BSA HS ; The barrel on my SMLE is dated 1911 and is marked High Velocity where it should be , the forend is serialed to the rifle. Quite original in all respects. The fellow that sold it to me years ago got it out of an estate sale in his home state of florida and had zero knolwedge of english rifles - he was a jap and WW2 german rifle diehard. I don't think my cockpeice is serialed like yours - I'd have to have a peek at it again to be certain. The bore is immaculate - if it ever fired more than a couple rounds of cordite SAA I'd be darned amazed. I am not enough of a SMLE entusiast to know what type magazine Mk VI SAA requires , but this rifle chambers and shoots 303 fodder like a dream ( reloads using pulled Mk VII bullets ) , and very accurately.
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Jan 5 2006, 02:21 AM
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#100
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Lieutenant Group: Old Sweats Posts: 150 Joined: 3-June 05 From: Rural Abode , USA Member No.: 7,211 |
QUOTE (gew98 @ Jan 4 2006, 08:36 PM) HS ; The barrel on my SMLE is dated 1911 and is marked High Velocity where it should be , the forend is serialed to the rifle. Quite original in all respects. The fellow that sold it to me years ago got it out of an estate sale in his home state of florida and had zero knolwedge of english rifles - he was a jap and WW2 german rifle diehard. I don't think my cockpeice is serialed like yours - I'd have to have a peek at it again to be certain. The bore is immaculate - if it ever fired more than a couple rounds of cordite SAA I'd be darned amazed. I am not enough of a SMLE entusiast to know what type magazine Mk VI SAA requires , but this rifle chambers and shoots 303 fodder like a dream ( reloads using pulled Mk VII bullets ) , and very accurately. Serialed forend.
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