xcom Posted 24 January , 2014 Share Posted 24 January , 2014 Hi all: New to the forum and to LE's (so forgive my lack of proper terms). I just purchased a fairly good shape LE marked 1907 (see pics). The gent I bought it from told me that it was in his grandfather's attic and he just got it when he passed and they were cleaning it out. It had some surface rust but cleaned up very nicely and the bore is bright with strong rifling and the ME looks to be good as well but I can't really tell with respect to TE. The sights, volley sights, barrel, muzzle and reciver all have matching numbers. The bolt looks to have a different number so it may be a replacement. The barrel has several marks under the wood. It has ". 08" which I belive means it was accepted into service in 1908 by the British Army. As noted above, it has volley sights as well as a mag cut off. Seems to shoot well as I was getting 4 inch @100yrds but admittedly, I was playing with the sights. Mag is marker with a "4" if that means anything. The rifle does not bear any US import marks so it's been in the states for a while. The disc in the but looks like this: I I5 8NF 715 Anyone know if this is a unit mark? Anyway, any help you could provide would be great! Thanks! Xcomsends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 24 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2014 More pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 24 January , 2014 Share Posted 24 January , 2014 (edited) An excellent example of the first year of production - in what looks to be very nice shape. The most obvious interpretation of the unit disc would be Jan 1915 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers rack/weapon number 715 The 8th Bn was a wartime raised (Service Battalion) I think from the Newcastle area and I believe one of the battalions that served at Gallipoli in 1915. A very very nice example Chris Edit: Btw the 4 on the spine of the rifle indicates it is the 4th variation magazine body I would need to check when this was introduced but I suspect that this means it is not the rifles original magazine but I need to check the dates. Out of interest is your rifle marked HV or HV over SC on the barrel just rear of the rear sight? Edited 24 January , 2014 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 24 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2014 Hi 4thgordons. Thanks for all the info! I will check when i get home but i think it only has an "HV" mark on the barrel near the rear sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 24 January , 2014 Share Posted 24 January , 2014 HV = High Velocity meaning is is sighted for the MkVII .303 round rather than the earlier MkVI round nosed bullet. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 24 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2014 Thanks again. I did not see any armoury marks for a rebuild but it looks like from the splints that it had work done at some point (and the work looks done well and to be old). Would this have been marked someplace? I also looked for an out of service mark but could not find one. I am happy as I think the years in storage saved her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 24 January , 2014 Share Posted 24 January , 2014 Looks like a nice example of a 1907 Enfield manufactured MkIII SMLE. unfortunately you cant read too much into the History of the rifle by assuming the butt disc is original to the rifle as the butt is marked (to the right of the butt disc) as a I* so is not the original butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 25 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2014 Looks like a nice example of a 1907 Enfield manufactured MkIII SMLE. unfortunately you cant read too much into the History of the rifle by assuming the butt disc is original to the rifle as the butt is marked (to the right of the butt disc) as a I* so is not the original butt. I don't see a mark what does it mean? Again, I am not Enfield gent and appreciate the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 25 January , 2014 Share Posted 25 January , 2014 I don't see a mark what does it mean? Again, I am not Enfield gent and appreciate the info! It means the butt is from a Mk1*, yours is a MkIII & would be marked III Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 January , 2014 Share Posted 25 January , 2014 I saw that and thought it might actually be a MkIII* mark. It looks to me as though the rifle furniture has been refinished (possibly sanded, see fit around buttplate etc) and the colouring (dark staining at edges) also looks that way too to me (compare with 5thBatt's recent posts) although hard to tell in photos Certainly the disc has been cleaned -- the total absence of tanish or any dirt within the disc shows that. There is a thriving market in unit discs and so I would agree with the observation that not too much can be read into the presence of a particular disc unless you have a full provenance of the rifle (almost never happens). Discs are also easy to stamp too of course.... regardless -- these are nit-picks on a very nice complete early example and I for one am very envious! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangeRover Posted 25 January , 2014 Share Posted 25 January , 2014 Very nice rifle with all those early features. Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 25 January , 2014 Share Posted 25 January , 2014 Btw the 4 on the spine of the rifle indicates it is the 4th variation magazine body I would need to check when this was introduced but I suspect that this means it is not the rifles original magazine but I need to check the dates. Out of interest is your rifle marked HV or HV over SC on the barrel just rear of the rear sight? The magazine Case No.4 is the one which was brought in during the war, to better handle the Mark.VII ammunition. So it would have been added as part of the HV upgrade (which makes it correct) And I'm with 5thBatt on the replacement butt. It does look like it is marked with the I* ... in fact it is the perfect match for the I* marking which is stamped on my MLE (just checked) Cheers, S>S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 25 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2014 Thanks! I did a rubbing of the stock and it looks like you folks have eagle eyes as it does look like a roman "I*". It is a little box-like and you could make a 2 or 3 out of it but that might just be force of imagination and I will just assume that it is a "I." The rubbing also turned up what looks like a 1x1/2 rectangle box made up of dotted lines. I took off the disc and the back is pretty tarnished so I think that is real but likely not original for the reasons stated. I took it to the range again today and it hads a real problem. It wants a sister... As a Yank, it is nearly impossible for me to admit that the M1903 Springfield and the M1 are not the most God given rifles ever produced (Alvin York's M1917 excepted) but that is a real smooth and quick action and surprisingly balanced. Ten rounds in a detachible magazine huh.... looks like my '17's and 03's have some WW1 friends on the way. I'm happy but my wallet won't be. Thanks gents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Be very, very careful..... 20 or so years ago I bought a 1917 Lithgow for $35.00 in a Roses Dept Store in Ga. This one: pretty soon joined by other Lithgows.. and some Ishapores and the odd British rifle.... and..... well you get the picture.... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 26 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Be very, very careful..... 20 or so years ago I bought a 1917 Lithgow for $35.00 in a Roses Dept Store in Ga. This one: 1917Lith.jpg pretty soon joined by other Lithgows.. Ozzielineupweb.jpg and some Ishapores ISHAPORE24-88web.jpg and the odd British rifle.... SMLEContextweb.jpg and..... well you get the picture.... Chris Nice! Looks like my collection of M1s and '03's. Ishapores, those are .308 right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Nice! Looks like my M1s and '03's. Ishapores, those are .308 right? Not all of them. Ishapore was location of the rifle factory in India that produced Enfields for virtually the whole 20th Century. Between 1963 and 1969/70 they produced a version called the Rifle 7.62mm 2a or 2a-1 which was 7.62mm(.308). from @1906 -1963 and again 1970-1989 they produced versions of the SMLE in .303. The rifle on the far right of my Ishapore group is a 1988 produced rifle in .303 only the rifle labelled I in the the picture is 7.62mm People often ignore Ishapores or dismiss them as crude etc. I think this is 1) because of ignorance and 2) because by the time they make it on to the surplus market they have often had very very long service lives and so are battered, but for my money an inter-war Ishapore in original condition is amongst the best produced of all Enfields, bar none. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Be very, very careful..... 20 or so years ago I bought a 1917 Lithgow for $35.00 in a Roses Dept Store in Ga. This one: 1917Lith.jpg pretty soon joined by other Lithgows.. Ozzielineupweb.jpg and some Ishapores ISHAPORE24-88web.jpg and the odd British rifle.... SMLEContextweb.jpg and..... well you get the picture.... Chris I started with a 1917 BSA MkIII* for my first full wood .303, dont think it matters with factory you start with, the results the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 You're quite right! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcom Posted 26 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Curse you all! That is a fine group of ladies! Looks like I'll pick up that Ishapores .308 for $300... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 What wonderful collections! I was fortunate enough to find a post-WWI SMLE, a MK V if memory serves me well. All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-maj Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Gentlemen... you certainly have my admiration for your efforts in acquiring certain Enfields. Chris, I knew from my last time with the forum... 2010?... that you had a rather extensive stable. I'm impressed. I had a few lovelies whilst over that side of the pond, including a nice 1916 Lithgow. I have a few here at present, but they would become lost within either of your's or 5thBatt's collections. Seph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Think I'll stick with bayonets - you lot seem to have cornered all the rifle markets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Think I'll stick with bayonets - you lot seem to have cornered all the rifle markets! I have a collection of Bayonets too, must get them all out & do a "Family" portrait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-maj Posted 10 September , 2014 Share Posted 10 September , 2014 Sorry chaps... slightly off-topic, but related... Whats the main provider / system for uploading pics to the site? Everytime I try with the one my system uses, all I see is an onscreen message for the pics 'URL'... which my present system does not show. Yet I have no problem posting to anywhere else! Seph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdt Posted 10 September , 2014 Share Posted 10 September , 2014 Hi Seph, I just resize mine to a pixel width of 500 in Paint Shop Pro and save them to an appropriate folder, then after writing my post click 'More Reply Options', and at the bottom 'Browse' to the folder and file, then 'Attach This File'. Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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