Lee enfeild 303

[Jimmyboy1128]

 I just purchased a Lee enfeild 303 and was looking to identify the markings 

[Jimmyboy1128]

[Jimmyboy1128]

[Jimmyboy1128]

[t.ryan]

You don't state where you are from.

Your SMLE Mk 111 Short Lee Enfield rifle was made in 1915 at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, New South Wales, Australia.

The A inside star is a early Lithgow proof mark.

ACP in shield is also early Lithgow mark.

1 M.D. is 1 Military District which was Queensland Australia, and 13818 is a military number

25791 is the rifle serial number, if you prise up the timber guard just in front of serial number it should have same number stamped in barrel if original barrel.

B 29574 is a miss matched bolt number, so not original bolt and has screw missing.

U on bolt head, British made bolt head, bolt cocking piece made by Enfield, ^ over EFD over 12

S with arrows, sold out of service mark.

Cheers

Edited 23 December , 2023 by t.ryan
Add extra info.

[Jimmyboy1128]

Thanks so much, sorry I’m from Ontario 

[4thGordons]

Any chance of an full view of the rifle?

Have you removed the upper handguard to look at the markings on the barrel (see if it is original or a replacement/date etc)

Also would be interested to know what style of foresight protector it has fitted, I suspect the second in line here or the third

 

Tryan has given you all the relevant information - one comment - it looks to me as though the rifle has almost certainly been completely refinished. The honey coloured wood and the very black bluing do not look like the standard original finished.  While it could very well be a one off refinish, there are two sources of rifles refinished in this style that I have run across - one was the very last UK factory thorough refinish (FTR) in the early 1950s (these rifles have the year of the refinish electro-penciled into the receiver rail) - the other was commercial refinishes done in the US by Navy Arms in the 1980s (I have a Pattern 1914 rifle from this source and it looks very like yours with deep black bluing and honey coloured wood) see below

 

Excellent acquisition btw

Chris

 

[DisasterDog]

4 hours ago, 4thGordons said:

it looks to me as though the rifle has almost certainly been completely refinished. The honey coloured wood and the very black bluing do not look like the standard original finished.  While it could very well be a one off refinish, there are two sources of rifles refinished in this style that I have run across - one was the very last UK factory thorough refinish (FTR) in the early 1950s (these rifles have the year of the refinish electro-penciled into the receiver rail) - the other was commercial refinishes done in the US by Navy Arms in the 1980s

My first instinct was JJCo, some had very light NOS wood & very dark park.

[Jimmyboy1128]

[4thGordons]

Thank you!

So - as you know it has been "sporterised" (ie had the wood cut back and the foresight protector removed) to lighten the rifle for hunting etc.

Originally it would have looked like this:

[Jimmyboy1128]

How hard is it normally to find Lee enfields, would you happen to know the approximate Value of it  

[4thGordons]

4 minutes ago, Jimmyboy1128 said:

How hard is it normally to find Lee enfields, would you happen to know the approximate Value of it  

The price these exchange at is really going to depend on the location/market/laws etc -- best way would be to look at a gun trading site or auction site (eg Gunbroker) and look at the price of similar examples THAT HAVE SOLD! (don't look at the prices people ask for them!)

Millions were produced so they are unlikely to ever really have a "rarity" value (apart from specific variations)

Yours was produced by Lithgow which was a slightly lower volume produced so that is a point in its favour however it is also mismatched (bolt) and a long way from original condition and as a result has very low appeal to collectors.

That said, it remains (probably - I haven't seen the bore etc) a functional and reliable firearm so will command some value.  Thousands of rifles were converted like this in the 1950s-80s when surplus bolt action rifles were cheap and widely available. I have 4 or 5 myself, in some ways they are a testament to the strength of the design and part of the history of the rifle - albeit an unofficial part - they used to be very cheaply available in pawn-shops etc all over the US but these days the prices are up a little.  It is possible to restore them to the original appearance but it is not cheap, nor as easy as sometimes suggested (stocking up on Enfields is quite complex) and at the end it will not be original so you you are probably not going to make back the money you will have to spend for components.

Chris

[Jimmyboy1128]

Awesome thanks