Ireland: No1 MkIII/III* used as the service rifle by the National Army during the Civil War and later by Defence Forces, replaced by No4 LeeEnfields in 1950's until replaced by the FN FAL in 1961. Serial numbers tend to be "electro-penciled" onto . 9, all .22 rimfire trainers and/or target rifles based on the Lee action, were adopted or in use with Cadet units and target shooters throughout the Commonwealth, the No.8 as of 2017 has been replaced among cadet forces due to obsolescence. . 3. 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. Returned to Britain in 1952 in exchange for P-17 rifles. None of these is known to have been successful,[71] though some owners have adapted 3-round magazines for Savage and Stevens shotguns to function in a converted SMLE shotgun, or even placing such a magazine inside a gutted SMLE magazine. 1 Mk III or III*, with the original MLE and LEC becoming obsolete along with the earlier SMLE models. for the rest of the story you need to post some really good photos , there is a question or two that jump to mind but ill leave those to the more knowledgeable among us . 1 Mk. I have a lee Enfield no1 mark3. 4 Mk. Thank you for your time. This proved fortunate for the LeeEnfield, as wartime demand and the improved Mk VII loading of the .303 round caused it to be retained for service. It has markings of a crown and GR I have a BNP .303 rifle. The Royal Canadian Air Force also used these as a survival rifle in the remote parts of Canada. During World War II, the British standardized their sniper equipment as the Lee-Enfield Number 4 Mark I (T). The SN is L6604XSAW. The rear of the bolt handle, bottom of the magazine . Short Magazine Lee Enfield 4 variants, Katanga: bought for police force but also used by army. 4 Mk 2 rifle, the British refurbished many of their existing stocks of No. LeeEnfields are very popular as hunting rifles and target shooting rifles. The stock and fore end was marked with broad white painted bands and the letters 'DP' for easy identification. The No. 1 Mk III to the 7.6325mm Mauser pistol cartridge. That needs inspecting for proper fit at the recoil lugs. Third quarter numbers commenced with A85831. L59A1 Drill Rifles were rendered incapable of being fired, and of being restored to a fireable form, by extensive modifications that included the welding of the barrel to the receiver, modifications to the receiver that removed the supporting structures for the bolt's locking lugs and blocking the installation of an unaltered bolt, the removal of the striker's tip, the blocking of the striker's hole in the bolt head and the removal of most of the bolt body's locking lugs. [77] Similar developments were the South African Rieder and Charlton of Australian/New Zealand origin. 1944present (produced 19441947) BSA-Shirley produced 81,329 rifles and ROF Fazakerley 169,807 rifles. We cannot say for certain it is a year, nor can we say for certain much of anything else about that number. The receiver-mounted rear sights and magazine cutoff were also present and 1,025 units were produced in the 1930 period.[38]. Yes, I know, I should get out more! [95], The Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the No. II in 1943 and finally the Mk. [68] Production of this model was 19441946 and a few in 1950 to 1953.[69]. Serial numbering of the .303in Lee-Enfield Rifle No.4 Serial numbering of the .303in Lee-Enfield Rifle No.4 This material was extracted from official papers. An SMLE owned by Maoist rebels in Nepal, 2005. The Howell Automatic Rifle was the first attempt to convert the LeeEnfield SMLE into a semi-automatic rifle. A transitional model the No. http://www.enfieldcollector.com/serials.html. [14], Many people still hunt with as-issued LeeEnfield rifles, with commercial .303 British ammunition proving especially effective on medium-sized game. [104] The CIA's Operation Cyclone provided hundreds of thousands of Enfields to the Mujahideen, funneling them through Pakistan's ISI. The latter will have an engraving on the flat side of the receiver which will read something like (taking one of my rifles as an example), F(FTR)49. Israeli female soldiers equipped with the SMLE Mk III during the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. This means that final head space is not achieved until the bolt handle is turned down all the way. [18][19], The LeeEnfield was adapted to fire the .303 British service cartridge, a rimmed, high-powered rifle round. 4 Mk I* rifles are all stamped 'US PROPERTY'. The Howard Francis Self-Loading Carbine was a conversion of a No. Early models of the LeeMetford and LeeEnfield even used a short length of chain to secure the magazine to the rifle. Canadian sniperSergeant Harold Marshall carries a No. 3. The bolt head is released by a spring catch on the No4 Mk1 and Mk2, but by a cut-out on the bolt track on No4 Mk1* made by Savage and Long Branch. thats what I thought. [17] Some straight-pull bolt-action rifles were thought faster, but lacked the simplicity, reliability, and generous magazine capacity of the LeeEnfield. 3s and Mk. VI but had a flat left side and did away with the chequering on the furniture. 9 blade bayonets were issued for use with the No. The rifle was also equipped with a detachable sheet-steel, 10-round, double-column magazine, a very modern development in its day. No4 serial numbers too. [80] Most of the Charlton Automatic Rifles were destroyed in a fire after the Second World War,[81] but a few examples survive in museums and private collections. 4 Mk 1* rifle I have are the following on the left side of the metal band holding the. The two Charlton designs differed markedly in external appearance (amongst other things, the New Zealand Charlton had a forward pistol grip and bipod, whilst the Australian one did not), but shared the same operating mechanism. Maybe I will phone some gun shops and see if I can get someone who has a guesstimate. 4 Mk. [37] The increased gap resulted in an improved sighting radius, improving sighting accuracy and the aperture improved speed of sighting over various distances. 2/1s (Mk. 4 Mk II rifle, which they marketed as the AIA No. Paperback, 48 pp, 50 plus b & w drawings and photos, 210 274 mm, Firearms Act, SCHEDULE 2, Part (8)(b), accessed 11 January 2010, Modern Warfare, Published by Mark Dartford, Marshall Cavendish (London) 1985. Still have it. 4s. Odd that the left side has been scrubbed and no FTR marks. Mark 4 #1 1942. Numbers and markings on rifles, I find fascinating. For example, BSA Shirley is denoted by M47C, ROF(M) is often simply stamped 'M', and BSA is simply stamped 'B'. 4 rifles to 7.6251mm NATO as part of a programme to retain the LeeEnfield as a reserve weapon. Such rifles would have 5-digit serial numbers with either an "E" or an "F" serial number prefix, and the serial number would be stamped on the rear of the bolt handle and on the bottom of the fore-end, as well as on the receiver ring. Very early production low serial number. I (T). Greece: Used by Hellenic armed forces during World War II and post-World War II period. . They are idiots. Such rifles would have 5-digit serial numbers with either an "E" or an "F" serial number prefix, and the serial number would be stamped on the rear of the bolt handle and on the bottom of the fore-end, as well as on the receiver ring. The 2A/2A1 rifles are not conversions of .303 calibre SMLE Mk III* rifles. [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. Serial number- 37978. 4 Mk I, chambered in the same .303 . [40] Towards the end of the Second World War, a bladed bayonet was developed, originally intended for use with the Sten gunbut sharing the same mount as the No. These were similar to the No. Remembered Today: Steward Augusto REBELO S.S. PERSIA (Greenock). Short Magazine LeeEnfield Mk I (1903), Swedish Army Museum, Stockholm. [65][66], In Britain, a .22RF version of the No.5 Rifle was prototyped by BSA and trialled with a view to it becoming the British Service training rifle when the .303'CF No.5 was initially mooted as being a potential replacement for the No.4 Rifle. In British military . Generally inferior workmanship, including weak/soft metal, poorly finished wood, and badly struck markings. It was never an official military designation but British and Commonwealth troops serving in the Burmese and Pacific theatres during World War II had been known to unofficially refer to the No. Ottoman Empire: Captured rifles, used as reserve weapons. Rifle No 5 on display at the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum. (serial) number on. [108] The Tongan security forces also retain a substantial number of No.4 rifles donated from New Zealand's reserve stocks.[108]. SAF Lithgow, in Australia, produced shotguns based on the MkIII action under the 'Slazenger' name, chambering the common commercial .410 shotgun shell. The rifles were manufactured by parts outsourcing and were assembled and finished in Australia, chambered in 7.6251mm NATO and fed from modified M14 magazines. A new rifle based on the Mauser design was created to fire the round, called the Pattern 1913 Enfield. Serial number on barrel is 5349 then on bolt entrance that number. All we can go by is the serial number. They are also still seen in the hands of Pakistani and Bangladeshi second-line and police units. The machinery from ROF Fazakerley was sold to Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Rawalpindi where production and repair of the No.4 rifle was continued from 1957. I* (T) sniper rifles were converted to this new calibre and designated L42A1. 4 rifles, selected for their accuracy during factory tests, were modified by the addition of a wooden cheek rising-piece, and telescopic sight mounts designed to accept a No. No. Like the No. Both Savage and Long Branch started off by making No4 Mk1 rifles (with bolt catch) before moving production to the slightly simplified 1* version. [42], Later in the war, the need for a shorter, lighter rifle forced the development of the Rifle, No. It was a simplified version of the Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield rifle that served the Empire so well in the first unpleasantness. Plain and simple. Most bolts were copper plated for identification. [23] The barrel was now halfway in length between the original long rifle and the carbine, at 25.2 inches (640 mm). I rifles were made for Trials. [96] AIA also offered the AIA M10-A1 rifle, a Jungle Carbine-styled version chambered in 7.6239mm Russian, which uses AK-47 magazines. [35], In 1926, the British Army changed their nomenclature; the SMLE became known as the Rifle No. 4 marks, in the hope of increasing sales of a rifle that had little U.S. market penetration. 5 was shorter and 2 lb (0.9 kg) lighter. [23], The SMLE's visual trademark was its blunt nose, with only the bayonet boss protruding a small fraction of an inch beyond the nosecap, being modelled on the Swedish Model 1894 Cavalry Carbine. I have a No.1 Mk III British SMLE.303 I already ordered a book/manual on the rifle that shows how to tell certain details by the markings but i would like to look up my specific rifle by serial number. l 1150.00. Very interesting site about Lee Enfield Rifle Markings. . The left side of the receiver is marked "No.4 Mk2 / UF 55 A17380". Bangladesh: extensively used during 1971 war. I* (T) were the standard WWII sniper rifles for the British and for the Commonwealth, except for Australia. Bermuda: used by the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps. 4 Mk IV. The Australian Army modified 1,612[51] Lithgow SMLE No. #9. Just a ball park would work, I have seen some Enfield for $600 and some for $2500. This puts collectors into a spin trying to figure it out and fake is called!. The trigger guards is marked: DF The wood just above the signt is marked: DR Rifle has the serial number 8832. Since formation in 1998, organisations such as the Lee Enfield Rifle Association have assisted in not just preserving rifles in shooting condition (many LeeEnfields are being deactivated and sold as 'wall-hangers' to collectors who do not hold a Firearms Licence in countries where they are required), but holding events and competitions. with lettered prefixes. 4 Mk I was officially adopted in 1941. 4 rifle as well. What should I mark down for insurance value? In British service, the No. The Lee action cocked the striker on the closing stroke of the bolt, making the initial opening much faster and easier compared to the 'cock on opening' (i.e., the firing pin cocks upon opening the bolt) of the Mauser Gewehr 98 design. [64], After the Second World War, the Rifle, No. Work on a long-range replacement cartridge began in 1910 and resulted in the .276 Enfield in 1912. However, one thing is undisputed: Some Enfield No 4 Mk 2 rifles were . [84] The appearance of the L8 series rifles were no different from the original No. (Thats why I prefer people to list their location). 4 Mk I and No. [50], The term 'Jungle Carbine' was popularised in the 1950s by the Santa Fe Arms Corporation, a U.S. importer who refurbished many surplus rifles, converting many of the No. It looks more of a case of someone trying to make it out to be something it is not. 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