The main deficiency of the rounds at the time was that they used heavy, round-nosed bullets that had low muzzle velocities and poor ballistic performance. The floating barrel increased the accuracy of the rifle by allowing it to vibrate freely and consistently, whereas wooden forends in contact with barrels, if not properly fitted, affected the harmonic vibrations of the barrel. Again, thanks for the help! The British probably used helical locking lugs to allow for chambering imperfect or dirty ammunition and that the closing cam action is distributed over the entire mating faces of both bolt and receiver lugs. While British and Australian conversions were to the standard commercially available .410 shotgun cartridge (though of varying chamber lengths) the Indian conversions have been the source of considerable confusion. Peek! I suggest if you bolt has not been proofed with the rifle; get it checked for fit and a new proof. RSAF Enfield used 4 digits (other manufacturers used 5 digits) and a letter suffix, repeating every year. Markings on Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk 1* Bryan Brown Dec 2, 1996, 12:00:00 AM to Among the markings on the No. The Holland & Holland conversions usually have the contractor code 'S51' on the underside of the buttstock. The manufacturer's names found on the MLE, CLLE, and SMLE Mk IMk III* rifles and variants are: Note 1: 'SSA' and 'NRF' markings are sometimes encountered on First World War-dated SMLE Mk III* rifles. In Jordan, the LeeEnfield was in use with the Police and Gendarmerie until 1971, and with the Armed Forces until 1965. The rear 'battle sight' was ground off to make room to attach the No. BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22'. The original bolt would be proofed to 18 ton's per square inch of pressure. [22], A shorter and lighter version of the original MLEthe famous Rifle, Short, Magazine, LeeEnfield, or SMLE (sometimes spoken as 'Smelly', rather than S, M, L, E)[14]was introduced on 1 January 1904. But here is the thing, that number on that No 4 is stamped in an area where some manufacturers stamped the year it was made. The "year" is stamped in a non-matching font and the metal work looks to have been refinished. 4 Mk. 1 Mark III and No. The rifle became known simply as the 'three-oh-three'. 6 Mk I never entered full production and examples are rare and valuable to collectors. The carbine subsequently was down graded to. 4 Mk. Netherlands: Both the LeeEnfield No. Enfield Envoy, a rifle intended for civilian competition target shooting and Enfield Enforcer, a rifle fitted with a Pecar telescopic sight to suit the requirements of police firearms teams. It looks more of a case of someone trying to make it out to be something it is not. [83] The LeeEnfield No. Experiments with smokeless powder in the existing LeeMetford cartridge seemed at first to be a simple upgrade, but the greater heat and pressure generated by the new smokeless powder wore away the shallow, rounded, Metford rifling after approximately 6000 rounds. 4 rifles, except for the new barrel (which still retained the original No.4 rifle bayonet lugs) and magazine. [45] No. 7, Rifle, No. Your rifle had the left sidewall ground down, quite roughly in spots. Grizzley1 Registered Joined Aug 31, 2014 These were similar to the No. Rifle, Short, Number 4 Mark 1, Short, Magazine Lee Enfield - 1941 Top shown mounting Bayonet Number 9, bottom blow-up mounts "Pig-Sticker" bayonet. I have a No4 MkI cruciform bayonet made by Singer Sewing Machine. VIEWS British "Enfield" rifles are some of the most iconic small arms in the world. Conversion of rifles to smoothbored guns was carried out in several locations, at various times, for varying reasons. A super nice example exhibiting many L over B marked parts and early features - low side fore wood and rounded cocking piece. Hey guys I bought this 1917 B.S.A CO Lee Enfield Smle a couple of days ago I'm just curious on the nose cap serial number the letter is a J but the numbers match the other parts that are matching have a D. Here are some pictures. 1* is functionally the same as the Mk.1, but various changes were made in the design to make the manufacturing process faster. 5 was shorter and 2 lb (0.9 kg) lighter. I blade bayonet which had a large muzzle ring to fit over the flash hider. They did, however, continue to be used at Bisley up into the 1970s with some success, and continue to perform extremely well at Military Service Rifle Competitions throughout the world. 4 MK. Bolt and stock band serial numbers match Bolt head is an#3 It's been sporterized. All SNs appear to be matching but the original serial was crossed out and reserialized most likely when it reentered service during WWII. 1 Mk V), adopted a new receiver-mounted aperture sighting system, which moved the rear sight from its former position on the barrel. [99], 'Khyber Pass Copies', as they are known, tend to be copied exactly from a 'master' rifle, which may itself be a Khyber Pass Copy, markings and all, which is why it's not uncommon to see Khyber Pass rifles with the 'N' in 'Enfield' reversed, amongst other things. The current world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British ArmySergeant Instructor Snoxallwho placed 38 rounds into a 12-inch-wide (300 mm) target at 300 yards (270 m) in one minute. 4 rifle was further simplified for mass-production with the creation of the No. "UF" is a Fazakerley serial number prefix found only on 1955 dated Mk2 rifles (page 26 of Charles Stratton's book, British Enfield Rifles Vol. A further likely consideration was the difficulty of obtaining replacement ammunition in the event of the rifle's theft or the carrier's desertion. A plug was welded in place forward of the chamber, and a window was cut in the side of the barrel. A five-round .22 cal 'Parker-Hiscock' magazine was also developed and in service for a relatively short period during the later period of the First World War, but was subsequently withdrawn from issue due to reliability problems with its quite complicated loading and feeding mechanism. Stratton (see list of references at the end of this post) stated that everywhere but at Enfield a given range of numbers was limited to five digits (Enfield limited its range to only four digits), so that when 99,999 was reached, the next series would begin with the letter "A" through . [35], In 1926, the British Army changed their nomenclature; the SMLE became known as the Rifle No. A redesign of the LeeMetford (adopted by the British Army in 1888), the LeeEnfield superseded the earlier MartiniHenry, MartiniEnfield, and LeeMetford rifles. [42], Later in the war, the need for a shorter, lighter rifle forced the development of the Rifle, No. 7 and No. 5 Mk. Replaced by M-1 Garand and M-1 Carbines. 4 variant, a 'battle sight' was developed that allowed for two set distances of 300 yards and 600 yards to be quickly deployed and was cheaper to produce than the 'ladder sight'. I, Mk. #9. The LeeEnfield rifle is a popular gun for historic rifle enthusiasts and those who find the 10-round magazine, loading by charger clips, and the rapid bolt-action useful for Practical Rifle events. 4 (T) sniper rifles to 7.6251mm NATO, which led to the creation of the L42A1 series sniper rifles.[86]. Denmark: used as Rifle M/45E by the Danish brigade in occupied Germany from 1945, eventually replaced by the US M1 rifle as Rifle M/50 in 1950. Serial number on barrel is 5349 then on bolt entrance that number. In British military . 2 Mk. BSA-Shirley, Birmingham produced 81,329 rifles and ROF Fazakerley, Liverpool 169,807 rifles. Design. I myself could not even hazard a guess on a price. De ransel op de rug deel 2. [53] These rifles were designated as the No. [20] Many LECs (and LMCs in smaller numbers) were converted to special patterns, namely the New Zealand Carbine and the Royal Irish Constabulary Carbine, or NZ and RIC carbines, respectively. 1 Mk III* it lacked a volley sight and had the wire loop in place of the sling swivel at the front of magazine well along with the simplified cocking piece. [44] The L42A1 sniper rifle continued as the British Army's standard sniper weapon being phased out by 1993, and replaced by Accuracy International's L96. The No. [95], The Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the No. Japan: Captured from British Army during World War II. In 1914, Enfield produced complete .22 barrels and bolts specifically for converting .303 units, and these soon became the most common conversion. 4 action, but lightened and shortened, chambered in .303 British. The new rifle also incorporated a charger loading system,[24] another innovation borrowed from the Mauser rifle'[25] and is notably different from the fixed 'bridge' that later became the standard, being a charger clip (stripper clip) guide on the face of the bolt head. Maybe something similar is going on with the No.4? III* rifles by adding a heavy target barrel, cheek-piece, and a World War I era Pattern 1918 telescope, creating the SMLE No. [14] LeeEnfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, including Malawi. The Serial Number is located on the right side of the receiver ring. The wood shows scuffs and bruises from handling - may clean up even nicer, metal is 90+ condition original finish. A new bayonet was designed to go with the rifle: a spike bayonet, which was essentially a steel rod with a sharp point and was nicknamed 'pigsticker' by soldiers. When I got home and took it out of the case here is what I've now got. First debuted in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, the rifle has still found use today in military, sporting and ceremonial roles - over one hundred years since its inception in its original form. Italy: post-World War II Italian Army and Navy. [85] The L8 series of rifles consisted of L8A1 rifles (converted No.4 Mk2 rifles), L8A2 rifles (converted No.4 Mk1/2 rifles), L8A3 rifles (converted No.4 Mk1/3 rifles), L8A4 rifles (converted No.4 Mk1 rifles), and L8A5 rifles (converted No.4 Mk1* rifles). Norway: Received from Allied airdrops to the resistance during WW2 and given by Britain to the Norwegian Brigade during the occupation of Germany in 1947. Lee Enfield SMLE No1 Mk1 .303 Serial Number 1 - YUP Serial number 1 Made in the LSA ( london small arms factory ) this is rifle number 1 a very rare find and a jewel in my collection, here. [23] The barrel was now halfway in length between the original long rifle and the carbine, at 25.2 inches (640 mm). And to get that, the rifle has to be original original original, matching numbers through out, not mismatched sported or refurbished. 1 Mk V rifles were manufactured solely by R.S.A.F. LeeEnfield No. Please record original details from right side of butt socket (left side for carbines) below the royal cypher (crown, V.R. Serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while.303 conversion numbers used the left side. Very interesting site about Lee Enfield Rifle Markings. Insurance value would best be conducted by an insurance company that deals specifically with firearm relics such as a 124 year old Lee-Enfield rifle. As far as civilian rifles are concerned, some manufacturers have their own dating systems, with, for example, prefixes or suffixes to serial numbers providing that information. I rifles at RSAF Enfield and a few others including Stevens-Savage No. 5 rifles served in Korea (as did the No.1 Mk III* SMLE and sniper 'T' variants, mostly with Australian troops). 4 Mk I/3. The bolt has a relatively short bolt throw and features rear-mounted lugs and the bolt operating handle places the bolt knob just rearwards of the trigger at a favourable ergonomic position close to the operator's hand. In total, over 16 million LeeEnfields had been produced in several factories on different continents when production in Britain shut down in 1956, at the Royal Ordnance FactoryROF Fazakerley in Liverpool after that factory had been plagued with industrial unrest. Initially, rifles were converted from obsolete Magazine LeeMetford and Magazine LeeEnfield rifles[57][58] but from the First World War onwards SMLE rifles were used instead. It was unsuitable for general issue and production ceased in 1947, due to an 'inherent fault in the design', often claimed to be a 'wandering zero' and accuracy problems.[47]. ), Rhineland Arms produces .45 ACP conversion kits for the LeeEnfield action using M1911 pistol magazines.[113]. [10] Both underwent a minor upgrade series in 1899 (the omission of the cleaning / clearing rod), becoming the Mk I*. I've just purchased a 1942 stamped Lee Enfield rifle which has a number 93L8939. RSAF ENFIELD CONVERSIONS 1941 - 1942 - The first batch of conversions. 4 series rifles that were converted to 7.6251mm NATO were re-designated as the L8 series of rifles with the rifles being refitted with 7.6251mm NATO barrels, new bolt faces and extractor claws, new rear sights and new 10-round 7.6251mm NATO magazines that were produced by RSAF Enfield to replace the old 10-round .303 British magazines. Both were located at Long Branch, Ontario. [12] Although officially replaced in the UK with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mmL42A1 sniper variant remained in service until the 1990s. 2/1s (Mk. Later on when Avrakotos asked Michael Vickers to revamp their strategy, he stopped the Enfield system and, with the large amounts of money available thanks to Charlie Wilson, replaced them with a mix of modern weapons like AK-47s and mortars. Again Big B, you have a very collectable and sought after rifle and in pristine condition would fetch a handsome sum of money. These conversions were for issue to police and prison guards, to provide a firearm with a much-reduced power and range in comparison to the .303 cartridge. Discussion in 'Non-XD Handguns' started by BobTheMasher, Mar 21, 2009. . These conversions were prompted by firearms legislation that made possession of a rifle chambered in a military cartridge both difficult and expensive. It is highly collectable but not rare. Adopted by the British Army at the turn of the century, the .303 Lee-Enfield saw service in both world wars and countless conflicts around the world. 4 Mark I* was the primary rifle of the British and Canadian armed forces during WWII, and it served well into the 1950s. The charger bridge was no longer rounded for easier machining.The iron sight line was redesigned and featured a rear receiver aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) with an additional ladder aperture sight that could be flipped up and was calibrated for 2001,300 yd (1831,189 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments. The year is fake. 2, of varying marks. These were known as .22 Pattern 1914 Short Rifles[59] during The First World War and Rifle, No. It is like detective work trying to figure out the clues. Australia: No.1 MkIII/MkIII* manufactured at Lithgow Arsenal in Lithgow, New South Wales. [55], Numbers of LeeEnfield rifles were converted to .22 calibre training rifles,[56] in order to teach cadets and new recruits the various aspects of shooting, firearms safety, and marksmanship at a markedly reduced cost per round. These were converted in late 1941 and into the later part of 1942. The Australian Army modified 1,612[51] Lithgow SMLE No. [68] Production of this model was 19441946 and a few in 1950 to 1953.[69]. Very collectable in its own right but still not rare. 8 is in regular use with UK Cadet Forces as a light target rifle. Just a ball park would work, I have seen some Enfield for $600 and some for $2500. No Savage LeeEnfields were ever issued to the US military; the markings existed solely to maintain the pretence that American equipment was being lent to the UK rather than permanently sold to them. 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