trajan Posted 12 April , 2015 Share Posted 12 April , 2015 Nice selection there 4G! I admit that were circumstances (and cash flow! different I could get into this rifle thing! I have fired (once!) a SMLE, long ago, but would love to do it again - and a Gew.98! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 12 April , 2015 Share Posted 12 April , 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 12 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2015 Very nice 4th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted 12 April , 2015 Share Posted 12 April , 2015 I must admit as much as i would love a live firer, a deact would be preferable. However i need to be able to afford one and with a baby boy due on Wednesday, i am a long way off. The next enfield i am getting is going to be for him, i will put it away just in case (fingers crossed) he might be interested in WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted 12 April , 2015 Share Posted 12 April , 2015 Some lovely 'Not Bayonets' being shown on here. Many thanks to the custodians for showing them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 24 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 24 April , 2015 Was hoping for more contributions to this thread, a few more of mine to give it a bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 24 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 24 April , 2015 This one is interesting as it is made on a BSA Mk1 SMLE receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 25 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 April , 2015 This one is also interesting as while it is marked as a 1939 Lithgow it was originally a 1918 BSA MkIII* that received a replacement Lithgow receiver, all other parts appear to be the original parts from 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 If I get a mo' this weekend I'll get the camera out -- but yours always give me an inferiority complex! Just got a nice 1928 Ishapore this week which fills a gap in my chronology but is outside the frame here.... super nice shape MkIII though Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Fascinating. How can you tell these are reworks of older rifles? Also, does anyone have any idea of the WW2 British dispersal rifles being reworks of ww1 rifles and being stamped with a WW2 date? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gew98 Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 The title of the thread is "Not Bayonets" but please do show us some photos of your rifles I collect Lee Enfields & have no other types of WW1 rifles but if someone could post their rifles, please do, this thread does not have to be all about Lee Enfields. Is your 1911 date SMLE still Mk VI ball registered ?. My 1911 SMLE is Mk VII from the get go. Some more pRon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gew98 Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 ah yes more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Fascinating. How can you tell these are reworks of older rifles? Also, does anyone have any idea of the WW2 British dispersal rifles being reworks of ww1 rifles and being stamped with a WW2 date? Thanks I have exchanged thoughts with a few people about this. My view is that many of them are not, and were new made rifles. However, I have at least two that look like they might be using/reusing an earlier receiver: where the flat on the wrist of the rifle is slightly "dished" (Concave) or flattened giving the appearance that an original set of marks have been removed. On one it appears there are the remains of an early III also (although it could be poor stamping - but I do not think so) I do not think that this is the case with my other ones so I think probably a mix. I have not been able to find documentary support either way. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Pardon for a pointy-thing person butting in here, and probably a totally stupid question - but is there anyway of telling what is being used in the photographs at: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=447&GalleryID=2513&gpid=66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 l Pardon for a pointy-thing person butting in here, and probably a totally stupid question - but is there anyway of telling what is being used in the photographs at: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=447&GalleryID=2513&gpid=66 link does not work for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Maybe this one? http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=447&GalleryID=2513#PhotoGallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Trajan, SMLE's on parade! Oddly in one of the shots the bolt on the rifle is open (66). Can't see enough detail to i.d. the pointy things. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Indeed they are SMLEs I'd love to have a look at the markings on those rifles to see what the deal is! As far as I can see they are all MkIII* (I see no evidence of cut-offs or volley sights) - on one them has the unit disk missing from the butt (I don't seen any on any others). They do not appear to have piling swivels attached. The most I see in any one shot is 8. Intriguing! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Do the crowns change between GV and GVI on the enfield? Could that be a way of confirming the reworking of older rifles? It makes sense that these rifles were refurbished at this time in ww2 but not sure why they might be re dated instead of 'ftr' marks Enfields are lovely rifles and each seem to have their own story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 April , 2015 Share Posted 25 April , 2015 Do the crowns change between GV and GVI on the enfield? Could that be a way of confirming the reworking of older rifles? It makes sense that these rifles were refurbished at this time in ww2 but not sure why they might be re dated instead of 'ftr' marks Enfields are lovely rifles and each seem to have their own story. Nope, I think the crowns are the same. (see below) The only one that might show a difference was if there was an SSA/NRF rifle (WWI Peddled Scheme) that became a WWII Dispersal rifle because there is a difference of crown there (see last pic) but I should think the chances of that are slim I have a 1918 BSA rifle that underwent a full FTR in 1953 - it is about as close to a new SMLE MkIII as I am likely to see - all the original cypher is there - there is just a big FTR / Date mark. I also have an Indian No1 MkIII produced in the 1988 but that's another story! Compare crowns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 26 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2015 Fascinating. How can you tell these are reworks of older rifles? Also, does anyone have any idea of the WW2 British dispersal rifles being reworks of ww1 rifles and being stamped with a WW2 date? Thanks The 1916 EFD still has the RH stop nib for the sliding bolt head charger guide & has BSA inspection stamps at the rear of the receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 26 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2015 The 1939 is a MkIII* with no cutoff slot when Lithgow in 1939 were still producing the MkIII with a slot & cutoff, the serial number I84115 is not a Lithgow serial number & as everything other than the receiver is BSA marked & carry the matching I prefix number point to a replacement receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 26 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2015 Ian Skennerton has had a good personal look at this rifle & has no doubt it is what it appears to be, enough so he included a small write up about it in his latest book The Lee-Enfield on page 566 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thBatt Posted 26 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2015 Is your 1911 date SMLE still Mk VI ball registered ?. My 1911 SMLE is Mk VII from the get go. Some more pRon. I believe mine was originally sighted for MkVI but converted to MkVII while in Australian sevice, the only evidence of this is the dial sight is still sighted for MkIV but the barrel is marked HV & there is a Lithgow stamp next to the British proof stamp. The barrel is the original 1911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 26 April , 2015 Share Posted 26 April , 2015 Indeed they are SMLEs I'd love to have a look at the markings on those rifles to see what the deal is! As far as I can see they are all MkIII* (I see no evidence of cut-offs or volley sights) - on one them has the unit disk missing from the butt (I don't seen any on any others). They do not appear to have piling swivels attached. Thanks 4G. I noticed also that one of the men had the bolt out... I did wonder if they chose to use these because they seem to me to be about the same length as a Garand which is what these guys usually carry... So as they are used to drill with something this length, perhaps the powers-that-be though it best to use these rather than the longer(?) Mausers - perhaps you or another can confirm. And boy oh boy, would I love to know where they came from - and when! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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