SMLE or SHTLE?

[Khaki]

Neither too proud or too old to learn more,

thanks

khaki

[Fuzzy]

Finally fired some Korean made .303 yesterday. Not a single misfire and the barrel was remarkable clean considering all. What I don't understand is why some of the rounds have a silver colored bullet and 2 small crimps on the casing neck. Anyone have any idea why?? As far as I know, there are no vampires in my area, but it's never bad to be ready for them. LOL

[TonyE]

Until about 1942/43 all British ball bullets had an envelope (bullet jacket) made of cupro-nickel (CN) which is silver coloured. After that date gilding metal (GM) envelopes came into use which is copper coloured. Also, coated steel envelopes started appearing, either as Cupro-Nickel Clad Steel (CNCS) or Gilding Metal Clad Steel (GMCS). This was to save nickel which was the most strategic of the materials.

Similarly, until 1944 the cannelure (groove) on the bullet was near the base and the case was crimped into this by means of 3 x 120 degree slit crimps. After 1944 a different method of bullet securement was used with the mouth of the case coned into the bullet. To facilitate this the cannelure was moved forward to the point where the case mouth could be coned into it.

Picture shows CN envelope with cannelure for slit crimps and GM envelope with cannelure for neck coning.

I believe your rounds would have all been WW2 manufactured, but highly likely to have been issued for Korea. Do you know the headstamps?

Regards

TonyE

[Fuzzy]

As a matter of fact, I do. The copper bullet case is stamped K52 and on the other side is stamped "7".

The nickle bullet case is stamped K28 and the other side is what appears to be VII.

[Fuzzy]

The images match what I'm seeing on both types of rounds. Thanks.

[Fuzzy]

As an aside to this conversation, Top Shot just announced that on their show next week Tuesday they will be using what appears to be a No.1 MarkIII in their challenge rounds. Should be an interesting episode. Rifle they showed looks exactly like mine..LOL. An update, Top Shot is naming this upcoming episode the "Mad Minute", which further leads towards the Lee Enfield. In fact, it's going to be a whole episode on British firearms.

[Fuzzy]

The guy has had his shop closed for the past few days. he must be at a gun show someplace, but as soon as I see him open I'll stop and check on them.

Sorry for the delay. My guy failed on the slings and as such I'm still searching.

[MikB]

Also, it is a common misconception that the "Short" in the title refers to the magazine rather than the rifle, but look at the punctuation in the title. Alternatively, remember that military nomenclature always puts the most important noun first, followed by the adjectives in order of decreasing importance, as in "Pots, chamber, china, Admirals" (Genuine, look in List of Changes)

Regards

TonyE

Yes, and many WW1 writers (Hesketh Prichard for example) would refer to the weapon as 'RSMLE' for 'Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee Enfield'. It's an interesting linguistic phenomenon that military nomencalture classifies the contents of the universe from the most general categories downwards, whereas 'common parlance' does the opposite, and I've often idly wondered why this is so.

Regards,

MikB