IV[60] from 1921 onwards. [16] To further facilitate rapid aimed fire the rifle can be cycled by most riflemen without loss of sight picture. I (T) sniper rifles in 19411942 at RSAF Enfield. 409 Savage Lee Enfield Today I was gifted a family gun I saw once in the early 1960's. It was carried by a man who introduced me to deer hunting. Enfield from 19221924, with a total production of roughly 20,000 rifles, all of which marked with a 'V'. [62][63] No. VIEWS British "Enfield" rifles are some of the most iconic small arms in the world. 4 Mk I* in 1942, with the bolt release catch replaced by a simpler notch on the bolt track of the rifle's receiver. [43], In the years after the Second World War, the British produced the No. Thanks form being patient with me, the enfield rookie I am! yah I dont have a clue ether. An Afghan mujahid carries a LeeEnfield in August 1985, Canadian Rangers, photographed in Nunavut, June 2011. Sri Lanka: Phased out in the late 1960s with the arrival of the L1A1 SLR. Rack number?, club inventory number? Fixed and adjustable aperture sights incorporated onto later variants. Rifle No 5 on display at the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum. [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. 4 Mk 1 rifles so upgraded were re-designated No. [11] The Lee bolt-action and 10-round magazine capacity enabled a well-trained rifleman to perform the 'mad minute' firing 20 to 30 aimed rounds in 60 seconds, making the LeeEnfield the fastest military bolt-action rifle of the day. 5. [17] Some straight-pull bolt-action rifles were thought faster, but lacked the simplicity, reliability, and generous magazine capacity of the LeeEnfield. [14] The Canadian Rangers unit still use Enfield rifles, with plans to replace the weapons sometime in 20172018 with the new Sako-designed Colt Canada C19. A conversion specification of No.1 rifles to L59A2 Drill Purpose was also prepared but was abandoned due to the greater difficulty of machining involved and the negligible numbers still in the hands of cadet units. 4 (T) LE. I assume it's a Canadian longbrance, but I am a bit confused as a web post puts this serial number around 1950? These unusual rifles have something of a mysterious service history, but represent a missing link in SMLE development. The 'G.R.' It has markings of a crown and GR I have a BNP .303 rifle. AN ENFIELD SMLE MARK 3 rifle is currently worth an average price of $625.64 used . ), of Toronto, Ontario, produced a run of several thousand survival rifles based on the No. Both were located at Long Branch, Ontario. All SNs appear to be matching but the original serial was crossed out and reserialized most likely when it reentered service during WWII. Thanks for the tips! What does Smle stand for? [25][27][28][29] The windage adjustment of the rear sight was also dispensed with, and the cocking piece was changed from a round knob to a serrated slab. Indian Merchant Service who died 30/12/1915 BOMBAY 1914-1918 MEMORIAL, MUMBAI India. James Purdey and Sons fitted special buttstocks later in the war. Yours falls into the category of having a low serial number and one of 917,000 produced. By the late 1930s, the need for new rifles grew and the Rifle, No. Serial number- 37978. Roughly 1,400 of these were converted to No. The No. These design features facilitate rapid cycling and fire compared to other bolt-action designs like the Mauser. Stratton (see list of references at the end of this post) stated that everywhere but at Enfield a given range of numbers was limited to five digits (Enfield limited its range to only four digits), so that when 99,999 was reached, the next series would begin with the letter "A" through . What should I mark down for insurance value? The No. 123 Main Street Anywhere City, USA 55555 Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email Map & Directions Hours of Operation Follow Us On Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ Pinterest RSS Feeds Blog Posts, Gallery Images, Forum Topics Login Email: Password: Remember Me Forgot Password? Later on when Avrakotos asked Michael Vickers to revamp their strategy, he stopped the Enfield system and, with the large amounts of money available thanks to Charlie Wilson, replaced them with a mix of modern weapons like AK-47s and mortars. First debuted in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, the rifle has still found use today in military, sporting and ceremonial roles - over one hundred years since its inception in its original form. 1 Mk. 6, Mk I[49] was also developed, using an SMLE MK III* as a starting point (as opposed to the No. De ransel op de rug deel 2. (The Pattern 1914 became the Rifle No. 4 Mk. [33], Due to the poor performance of the .303 British cartridge during the Second Boer War from 18991902, the British attempted to replace the round and the LeeEnfield rifle that fired it. [111][112] (For more information see Gun politics in the United Kingdom and Gun politics in Australia. It retains the 10 round box detachable magazine, however the largest change to the rifle . Note 2: Savage-made LeeEnfield No. The L59A1 arose from British government concerns over the vulnerability of Army Cadet Force and school Combined Cadet Forces' (CCF) stocks of small arms to theft by terrorists, in particular the Irish Republican Army following raids on CCF armouries in the 1950s and 1960s. Enfield Serial Number Discussion in '. Again Big B, you have a very collectable and sought after rifle and in pristine condition would fetch a handsome sum of money. Many surplus LeeEnfield rifles were sold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States after the Second World War, and a fair number have been 'sporterised', having had the front furniture reduced or removed and a scope fitted so that they resemble a bolt-action sporting rifle. SAF Lithgow, in Australia, produced shotguns based on the MkIII action under the 'Slazenger' name, chambering the common commercial .410 shotgun shell. 4 rifle with the trigger hung forward from the butt collar and not from the trigger guard, beech wood stocks (with the original reinforcing strap and centre piece of wood in the rear of the forestock on the No.4 Mk I/Mk I* being removed in favour of a tie screw and nut) and brass buttplates (during World War II, the British replaced the brass buttplates on the No.4 rifles with zinc alloy (Zamak) ones to reduce costs and to speed up rifle production). [95], The Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the No. [27], During the First World War, the SMLE Mk III was found to be too complicated to manufacture (an SMLE Mk III rifle cost the British Government 3/15/) and demand was outstripping supply, so in late 1915 the Mk III* was introduced, which incorporated several changes, the most prominent of which were the deletion of the magazine cut-off mechanism, which when engaged permits the feeding and extraction of single cartridges only while keeping the cartridges in the magazine in reserve, and the long-range volley sights. Originally, the concept of a detachable magazine was opposed in some British Army circles, as some feared that the private soldier might be likely to lose the magazine during field campaigns. Denmark: used as Rifle M/45E by the Danish brigade in occupied Germany from 1945, eventually replaced by the US M1 rifle as Rifle M/50 in 1950. . Your rifle had the left sidewall ground down, quite roughly in spots. The floating barrel increased the accuracy of the rifle by allowing it to vibrate freely and consistently, whereas wooden forends in contact with barrels, if not properly fitted, affected the harmonic vibrations of the barrel. Other Equipment. [29] Rifles with some or all of these features present are found, as the changes were implemented at different times in different factories and as stocks of existing parts were used. that serial is definetly a longbranch range , and not an early one , longbranch did make rifles from 48-56 , my records show 1944 production was 58L to 84L , 42 was 1L to 20L so that is out , i show 1950 production in the 91L to 95L range that looks to be correct . 7 and No. It was a further simplification and cut down on both material costs and machine time in its construction, much as 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. Original Long Branch years are on the left sidewall of the receiver. No Savage LeeEnfields were ever issued to the US military; the markings existed solely to maintain the pretence that American equipment was being lent to the UK rather than permanently sold to them. These conversions were prompted by firearms legislation that made possession of a rifle chambered in a military cartridge both difficult and expensive. The No. The 7mm Mauser rounds fired from the Mauser Model 1895 rifle had a higher velocity, flatter trajectory and longer range, making them superior on the open country of the South African plains. 4s and a No. Ethiopian Empire: acquired after World War I. Finland: some stored in depots after the Finnish Civil War, Some captured from the Resistance were used by the pro-Nazi French militia Milice franaise, Nazi Germany: some captured No. [14] The design of the handguards and the magazine were also improved, and the chamber was adapted to fire the new Mk VII High Velocity spitzer .303 ammunition. Lee Enfield 303 Serial Numbers 1 How can I look up my SMLE's history by serial? I* (T) sniper rifles. [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. 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. The Howell Automatic Rifle was the first attempt to convert the LeeEnfield SMLE into a semi-automatic rifle. In the 1920s, a series of experiments resulting in design changes were carried out to help with these problems, reducing the number of complex parts and refining manufacturing processes. 3. The LeeEnfield series is very popular for service rifle shooting competitions in the UK and Australia due to the prohibitions on the legal ownership of semi-automatic centrefire rifles in Great Britain and restrictions on the legal ownership of semi-automatic centrefire rifles in Australia. Note the block-style S of the J. Stevens Company. 4 Mark I rifle was adopted on Nov. 15, 1939. 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. 950.00 . Bolt and stock band serial numbers match Bolt head is an#3 It's been sporterized. At some point just after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Rifle Factory Ishapore in India began producing a new type of rifle known as the Rifle 7.62 mm 2A, which was based on the SMLE Mk III*[87] and was slightly redesigned to use the 7.6251mm NATO round. When Japan entered the war in 1941, New Zealand found itself lacking the light machine guns that would be required for local defence should Japan choose to invade, and so the New Zealand Government funded the development of self-loading conversions for the LeeEnfield rifle. Odd that the left side has been scrubbed and no FTR marks. There were more than 317,000 Mk I MLE rifles produced and nearly 600,000 Mk I* MLE rifles. Netherlands: Both the LeeEnfield No. Previous conversions to Drill Purpose (DP) of otherwise serviceable rifles were not considered to be sufficiently incapable of restoration to fireable state and were a potential source of reconversion spares. Like the No. Ottoman Empire: Captured rifles, used as reserve weapons. I rifles were made for Trials. The carbine subsequently was down graded to. LeeEnfields are very popular as hunting rifles and target shooting rifles. Long before the No. Military equipment, such as the Lee-Enfield rifle, are often found with letters, numbers, codes, runes and symbols stamped, etched, scratched, embossed, pressed or branded into the wood or metal. Yours falls into the category of having a low serial number and one of 917,000 produced. "55" is for 1955. Often the serial number . Rifle & Carbine Serial Number Log. Lee Enfield Number 4 Mk2 .303 1953. [72] Post-Second World War, SAF Lithgow converted a number of SMLE rifles to commercial sporting rifles- notably the .22 Hornet model- under the 'Slazenger' brand. When I got home and took it out of the case here is what I've now got. Short Magazine LeeEnfield Mk I (1903), Swedish Army Museum, Stockholm. Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses [44] The L42A1 sniper rifle continued as the British Army's standard sniper weapon being phased out by 1993, and replaced by Accuracy International's L96. [34], The Pattern 1914 Enfield and M1917 Enfield rifles are based on the Enfield-designed P1913, itself a Mauser 98 derivative and not based on the Lee action, and are not part of the LeeEnfield family of rifles, although they are frequently assumed to be. Italy: post-World War II Italian Army and Navy. A transitional model the No. 4's spike bayonetand subsequently the No. [14] Soft-point .303 ammunition is widely available for hunting purposes, though the Mark 7 military cartridge design often proves adequate because its tail-heavy design makes the bullet yaw violently and deform after hitting the target.[109][110]. The Holland & Holland conversions usually have the contractor code 'S51' on the underside of the buttstock. A new bayonet was designed to go with the rifle: a spike bayonet, which was essentially a steel rod with a sharp point and was nicknamed 'pigsticker' by soldiers. 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. Lee Enfield Rifle Serial Number Lookup 1/26/2021 0 Comments Thus they ar usually very obviousIy stamped on th appropriate pressure-baring parts where thy can easily b seen.There are number of mthods by which rifle can b dated, or t least bracketed btween certain years f manufacture. Lee Enfield SMLE No1 Mk1 .303 Serial Number 1 - YUP Serial number 1 Made in the LSA ( london small arms factory ) this is rifle number 1 a very rare find and a jewel in my collection, here. Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: 866.686.7424 Fax: 877.486.7278 Maybe something similar is going on with the No.4? [28] It was produced in very limited numbers and an experimental folding stock version was made. 4 Mk I, because the Lithgow Small Arms Factory was producing the SMLE Mk III. 4 Mk I* rifles that were brought up to Mk 2 standard were re-designated No. All he really wants to know when it was built. Solomon Islands: used by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. 5 Mk. Adopted by the British Army at the turn of the century, the .303 Lee-Enfield saw service in both world wars and countless conflicts around the world. A super nice example exhibiting many L over B marked parts and early features - low side fore wood and rounded cocking piece. [103], Many Afghan participants in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan were armed with LeeEnfields. It was introduced in service in the 1970s. Serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while.303 conversion numbers used the left side. 4 MK. [29], The inability of the principal manufacturers (RSAF Enfield, The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited and London Small Arms Co. Ltd) to meet military production demands, led to the development of the 'peddled scheme', which contracted out the production of whole rifles and rifle components to several shell companies. . Numbers and markings on rifles, I find fascinating. A_square, I thought that at first as well, but that last number looks open at the top to me. A very collectable rifle indeed, but by no means rare. 1s, 4 No. No5 rifles (Jungle Carbines) serial numbers consisted of a sequential 4 digit number starting with 0001 running through to 9999, the numbers were preceded by a letter prefix. 1 Mk III pattern rifle. They are also still seen in the hands of Pakistani and Bangladeshi second-line and police units. III, largely due to its heavier barrel. [10] Replacing this with a new square-shaped rifling system designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield solved the problem, and the LeeEnfield was born. The accuracy requirement was ability to place 7 of 7 shots in a 5 inches (12.7 cm) circle at 200 yards (183 m) and 6 of 7 shots in a 10 inches (25.4 cm) circle at 400 yards (366 m). Advertisements. General Great War Discussion. Yes, I know, I should get out more! 4 Mk 2 rifle, the British refurbished many of their existing stocks of No. [14] LeeEnfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, including Malawi. The WWII British No.4 MK I* evolved from a long line of Lee-Enfield rifles that were first adopted by the British Army in . The Lee-Enfield No. . Recently acquired a Lee Enfield Mark4 1/2.303 ser # 52Y20xxx in good condition, & a early Lee Enfield SMLE.303, ser# 21xxx, Does Anyone Know the. Lee Enfield No.4 Mk. Thank you for your time. The Arsenal Rifles Lee Enfield No.4 mk1 identification. Identifying Serial Numbers Hi guys, A friend just inherited his father's Lee Enfield and doesn't know anything about it. Over 1,500 conversions were made, including a handful by Electrolux using Lithgow SMLE Mk III* rifles.[79]. Jordan: Arab Legion used Mk III and No. The No.4 (T) rifles were extensively employed in various conflicts until the late 1960s. Some rifles (such as LongBranch) had very finely marked serial numbers done with an engraving pen on the receiver wall. They were then known by the designation Telescope Straight, Sighting L1A1. RSAF Enfield used 4 digits (other manufacturers used 5 digits) and a letter suffix, repeating every year. 4 Mk. The magazine cutoff was also reintroduced and an additional band was added near the muzzle for additional strength during bayonet use. Recording of serial numbers for Enfield muskets,.577 Sniders and.450 &.303 Martini rifles. is there a site or data base of Enfield serial numbers where a person could track their rifle back to place of manufacture, deployment etc.? Right Handed or Ambidextrous. I blade bayonet which had a large muzzle ring to fit over the flash hider. (Victoria Regina) cyphers dated after 1901; Queen Victoria died in 1901, so any rifles made after 1901 should be stamped 'E.R' (. I rifle as many collectors believe. [46] With a cut-down stock, a prominent flash hider, and a 'lightening-cut' receiver machined to remove all unnecessary metal, reduced barrel length of 18.8 in (478 mm) the No. For the No. 4 Mk. Dated 1953 believed is 'Irish Contract Rifle' lot, but serial number was supplied to British Army. [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. 4 Mk I (T) and No. Serial numbers tend to be "electro-penciled" onto . Turkish 857mm conversion of a LeeEnfield captured during World War I. Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LeeEnfield&oldid=901787238', LeeEnfield conversions and training models, Special service LeeEnfields: Commando and automatic models, Models/marks of LeeEnfield rifle and service periods, Australian International Arms No. BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22'. [84] The appearance of the L8 series rifles were no different from the original No. It is one of 2500 out of 25,000 made by BSA. I do remember reading something by Peter Laidler, so forgive me if I dont recall it correctly. Rifle, Short, Number 4 Mark 1, Short, Magazine Lee Enfield - 1941 Top shown mounting Bayonet Number 9, bottom blow-up mounts "Pig-Sticker" bayonet. p. 372. The Commando units of the British military requested a suppressed rifle for killing sentries, guard dogs and other clandestine operational uses during the Second World War. Attachments DSCF2312.jpg 154 KB Views: 1,217 DSCF2313.jpg 63.7 KB Views: 775 32 telescope sight to the left side of the receiver. II in 1943 and finally the Mk. MAGAZINE LEE RIFLES & CARBINES Lee-Metford Lee-Enfield Note: Charger loaders and conversions are family. [67], The C No.7 22' MK.I rifle is a .22 single shot, manually fed, training version of the No.4 Mk I* rifle manufactured at Long Branch. [104] The CIA's Operation Cyclone provided hundreds of thousands of Enfields to the Mujahideen, funneling them through Pakistan's ISI. M madcratebuilder Registered RSAF ENFIELD CONVERSIONS 1941 - 1942 - The first batch of conversions. CIA officer Gust Avrakotos later arranged for the Egyptian Ministry of Defence to set up production lines of Enfield .303 ammunition specifically for the conflict. BSA Co. 1917 dated, mag cut-off, matched serial numbers. 4 action was similar to the Mk VI, but stronger and most importantly, easier to mass-produce. [75][76] During the Second World War, the majority of New Zealand's land forces were deployed in North Africa. Israeli female soldiers equipped with the SMLE Mk III during the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. When the number sequence reached 9999 the next letter assigned to the factory would be substituted in place of the former. It has markings of a crown and GR Numrich Gun Parts Corporation 226 Williams Ln. . SMLE serial numbers. Back to Blog Lee Enfield Serial Number Database Joseph Strickland Experiments with smokeless powder in the existing LeeMetford cartridge seemed at first to be a simple upgrade, but the greater heat and pressure generated by the new smokeless powder wore away the shallow, rounded, Metford rifling after approximately 6000 rounds. A further likely consideration was the difficulty of obtaining replacement ammunition in the event of the rifle's theft or the carrier's desertion. Some were later modified with special adaptors to enable magazine loading. From the late 1940s, legislation in New South Wales, Australia, heavily restricted .303 British calibre (and other 'military calibre') rifles,[72] so large numbers of SMLEs were converted to 'wildcat' calibres such as .303/25, .303/22, .303/270 and the popular 7.754mm round. 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. Each No. The No. Thailand: (the contract was concluded on 10 December 1920 when the king received shipment of 10,000 rifles.). [36] Many Mk III and III* rifles were converted to .22 rimfire calibre training rifles, and designated Rifle No. British India: In service with British Indian Army throughout First and Second World Wars. This means that final head space is not achieved until the bolt handle is turned down all the way. #9. (Thats why I prefer people to list their location). As far as civilian rifles are concerned, some manufacturers have their own dating systems, with, for example, prefixes or suffixes to serial numbers providing that information. The serial number on this rifle is M / 25105 (by convention, the slash is used to indicate a different line). 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. [100], The quality on such rifles varies from 'as good as a factory-produced example' to 'dangerously unsafe', tending towards the latter end of the scale. TonyE R.I.P. [102] Enfields continue to be used as drill weapons by the National Ceremonial Guard of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). In the early 1930s, a batch of 2,500 No. thats what I thought. I* (T) were the standard WWII sniper rifles for the British and for the Commonwealth, except for Australia. 1 Mk. 32 Mk. 4 Mk IV was designed with the modern shooter in mind, and has the ability to mount a telescopic sight without drilling and tapping the receiver. Conversion of rifles to smoothbored guns was carried out in several locations, at various times, for varying reasons. Sterling Armaments of Dagenham, Essex produced a conversion kit comprising a new 7.62mm barrel, magazine, extractor and ejector for commercial sale.
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