It is essentially an updated N0. Published by Ian D Skennerton, PO Box 80, Labrador 4215, Australia, 2001. Thanks form being patient with me, the enfield rookie I am! Who used the Lee-Enfield 303? Lee Enfield Serial Number Database The Number 4 Rifle had a peep sight at the rear of the receiver, and the barrel extends about 3 inches from the front of the forestock. The results of the trials that were conducted on the L8 series rifles were mixed and the British Government and the Ministry of Defence decided not to convert their existing stocks of LeeEnfield No. Serial number is of 1950s and date stamped 1942? M madcratebuilder Registered 3. [97] Magazine supply/importation (M14 and AK 10 single stack mag) whilst legal in Australia, it has been spasmodically curtailed by Australian Federal Customs (for more information, see Gun politics in Australia). BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22'. Bangladesh: extensively used during 1971 war. The resulting weapon, designed by W.G. BSA Co. 1917 dated, mag cut-off, matched serial numbers. 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. Volley Sights Arabic butt disc marked ( Ottoman Empire captured) This has come out of the 'Hans Gnter Collection' 890.00. However, many 2A/2A1 owners shoot such ammunition in their rifles with no problems, although it should be noted that some factory loaded .308 Winchester cartridges may appear to generate higher pressures than 7.6251mm NATO, even though the rounds are otherwise interchangeable this is due to the different systems of pressure measurement used for NATO and commercial cartridges. (Victoria Regina) cyphers dated after 1901; Queen Victoria died in 1901, so any rifles made after 1901 should be stamped 'E.R' (. Externally the new rifle is very similar to the classic Mk III*, with the exception of the buttplate (the buttplate from the 1A SLR is fitted) and magazine, which is more 'square' than the SMLE magazine, and usually carries twelve rounds instead of ten,[88] although a number of 2A1s have been noted with 10-round magazines. 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. 4 Mk I/2, whilst No. LeeEnfield No. The bolt head is released by a spring catch on the No4 Mk1 and Mk2, but by a cut-out on the bolt track on No4 Mk1* made by Savage and Long Branch. The rest of the story is that this carbine was accepted into New Zealand service in 1899 and was assigned inventory number 1909. [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. 32 telescope progressed through three marks with the Mk. Lee Enfield Rifle Lookup Upgrade T Later 4 Mk. The Lee-Enfield series of rifles is one of the most successful bolt-action rifles of all time. [45] No. [26], The iconic LeeEnfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III, was introduced on 26 January 1907, along with a Pattern 1907 bayonet and featured a simplified rear sight arrangement and a fixed, rather than a bolt-head-mounted sliding, charger guide. A super nice example exhibiting many L over B marked parts and early features - low side fore wood and rounded cocking piece. . These unusual rifles have something of a mysterious service history, but represent a missing link in SMLE development. 6 Mk I never entered full production and examples are rare and valuable to collectors. III (Mk. The next year, a shorter version was introduced as the LeeEnfield Cavalry Carbine Mk I, or LEC, with a 21.2-inch (540 mm) barrel as opposed to the 30.2-inch (770 mm) one in the 'long' version. The serial number on this rifle is M / 25105 (by convention, the slash is used to indicate a different line). p. 372. VIEWS British "Enfield" rifles are some of the most iconic small arms in the world. [10] Both underwent a minor upgrade series in 1899 (the omission of the cleaning / clearing rod), becoming the Mk I*. bear - am i not seeing 1949 ? 4 Mk I* rifles that were brought up to Mk 2 standard were re-designated No. Enfield from 19221924, with a total production of roughly 20,000 rifles, all of which marked with a 'V'. These were converted in late 1941 and into the later part of 1942. Japan: Captured from British Army during World War II. Rifle & Carbine Serial Number Log. I have no clue what this kind of gun is worth, I guess it is whatever someone will pay. Interesting to some American Korean War veterans, the Enfield wasn't issued a flash protector. During the recent civil war in Nepal, the government troops were issued LeeEnfield rifles to fight the Maoist rebels, and the Maoists were also armed with SMLE rifles, amongst other weapons. The No. I/L bayonet, which has a rotating handle and a large ring on the cross-guard was not for the No. [14] LeeEnfield rifles are still popular in the region, despite the presence and ready availability of more modern weapons such as the SKS-45, the AKM, the Chinese Type 56 assault rifle, and the AK-74. Some rifles (such as LongBranch) had very finely marked serial numbers done with an engraving pen on the receiver wall. Plain and simple. [95], The Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the No. The latter will have an engraving on the flat side of the receiver which will read something like (taking one of my rifles as an example), F(FTR)49. 4 variant, a 'battle sight' was developed that allowed for two set distances of 300 yards and 600 yards to be quickly deployed and was cheaper to produce than the 'ladder sight'. Short Magazine Lee Enfield 5 groove Rifling in excellent condition. 4 Mk. Indian Merchant Service who died 30/12/1915 BOMBAY 1914-1918 MEMORIAL, MUMBAI India. The serial number is DA22567A, above the serial number it says NO.4 MK1 F (FTR) that is all the markings I can really see on the gun and I was wondering what year the rifle was made, the model it is, & how much it is worth? Dated 1953 believed is 'Irish Contract Rifle' lot, but serial number was supplied to British Army. However, one thing is undisputed: Some Enfield No 4 Mk 2 rifles were . . RSAF Enfield used 4 digits (other manufacturers used 5 digits) and a letter suffix, repeating every year. Despite a rubber butt-pad, the .303 round produced excessive recoil due to the shorter barrel. Paperback, 48 pp, 50 plus b & w drawings and photos, 210 274 mm, Firearms Act, SCHEDULE 2, Part (8)(b), accessed 11 January 2010, Modern Warfare, Published by Mark Dartford, Marshall Cavendish (London) 1985. 83L3414 1945, No4Mk1*,CDN MkIII sight, non-FTR, Steel Buttplate, Grooved, un-serialed stock, Lower 1945 serial number than currently listed in your survey. 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. [98], A number of British Service Rifles, predominantly the MartiniHenry and MartiniEnfield, but also the various LeeEnfield rifles, have been produced by small manufacturers in the Khyber Pass region of the Pakistani/Afghan border. The used value of an ENFIELD SMLE MARK 3 rifle has risen $89.20 dollars over the past 12 months to a price of $625.64 . Jordan: Arab Legion used Mk III and No. Some rifles (such as LongBranch) had very finely marked serial numbers done with an engraving pen on the receiver wall. It is one of 75,000. Early models of the LeeMetford and LeeEnfield even used a short length of chain to secure the magazine to the rifle. The usual suggestion is to look for what is the selling price on gun-broker & take the average of sold ones on there for "fair market value". 7 Mk. "55" is for 1955. The No. They did, however, continue to be used at Bisley up into the 1970s with some success, and continue to perform extremely well at Military Service Rifle Competitions throughout the world. 4 rifles, except for the new barrel (which still retained the original No.4 rifle bayonet lugs) and magazine. [80] Most of the Charlton Automatic Rifles were destroyed in a fire after the Second World War,[81] but a few examples survive in museums and private collections. 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. [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. )[36], The SMLE design was a relatively expensive long arm to manufacture, because of the many forging and machining operations required. The initial BSA batch of L1A1 rifles for the quarter ending December 31 in 1957 was UB57 A1 - A870. It was a further simplification and cut down on both material costs and machine time in its construction, much as the No. [15] Total production of all LeeEnfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles.[8]. [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 products were marketed under alliterative names e.g. I blade bayonet which had a large muzzle ring to fit over the flash hider. 1 Mk V is the rear aperture sight. I (T) sniper rifles in 19411942 at RSAF Enfield. I suggest if you bolt has not been proofed with the rifle; get it checked for fit and a new proof. Serial Number on the rear face of the bolth handle of my 1944 No. It is highly collectable but not rare. 3) in 1944. I also have a No7MkI/L Land Service swiveling pommel blade bayonet intended for the MkV submachine gun but will also fit the No4Mk1 Enfield. Other distinctive features include a nose cap screw was slotted for the width of a coin for easy removal, a safety lever on the left side of the receiver was slightly modified with a unique angular groove pattern, and the two-piece hand guard being extended from the nose cap to the receiver, omitting the barrel mounted leaf sight. I* (T) were the standard WWII sniper rifles for the British and for the Commonwealth, except for Australia. 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. While British and Australian conversions were to the standard commercially available .410 shotgun cartridge (though of varying chamber lengths) the Indian conversions have been the source of considerable confusion. SAF Lithgow, in Australia, produced shotguns based on the MkIII action under the 'Slazenger' name, chambering the common commercial .410 shotgun shell. 5 iron sight line was similar to the No. 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. [14], Many people still hunt with as-issued LeeEnfield rifles, with commercial .303 British ammunition proving especially effective on medium-sized game. [32] The Lithgow Small Arms Factory finally ceased production of the SMLE Mk III* in 1953.[27]. Ireland: No1 MkIII/III* used as the service rifle by the National Army during the Civil War and later by Defence Forces, replaced by No4 LeeEnfields in 1950's until replaced by the FN FAL in 1961. Sliding ramp rear sights, fixed-post front sights, 'dial' long-range volley; telescopic sights on sniper models. The SN is L6604XSAW. 4 rifle was heavier than the No. 95L9081 1950, CMk3 sight, non-FTR, Steel Buttplate, Un-Grooved, un-serialed stock, Magazine serialed to rifle. Truth be known about Enfield serial numbers is simply, the serial number was used more for production counting than any other reason. From 1965 to 1975 (when production is believed to have been discontinued), the sight ranging graduations were changed from 2000 to 800, and the rifle re-designated Rifle 7.62 mm 2A1. Rather, they are newly manufactured firearms and are not technically chambered for commercial .308 Winchester ammunition. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). [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. For example, BSA Shirley is denoted by M47C, ROF(M) is often simply stamped 'M', and BSA is simply stamped 'B'. 5 Mk I, designated Rifle, No. [84] The appearance of the L8 series rifles were no different from the original No. The No. Perhaps this is how the 1950s serial got onto a 1942 rifle? The LeeEnfield rifle was derived from the earlier LeeMetford, a mechanically similar black-powder rifle, which combined James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system that had a barrel featuring rifling designed by William Ellis Metford. 4 Mk 2 rifles: Note 1: Second World War UK production rifles had manufacturer codes for security reasons. It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the .303 Britishcartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers. 10. This sight line like other aperture sight lines proved to be faster and more accurate than the typical mid-barrel rear sight elements sight lines offered by Mauser, previous LeeEnfields or the Buffington battle sight of the 1903 Springfield. Note 2: GRI stands for 'Georgius Rex, Imperator' (Latin for 'King George, Emperor (of India)', denoting a rifle made during the British Raj. [12] Although officially replaced in the UK with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mmL42A1 sniper variant remained in service until the 1990s. Each No. 4 Mk 2 with the ladder aperture sight flipped up and 5-round charger. 4 action was similar to the Mk VI, but stronger and most importantly, easier to mass-produce. 2 Mk. [14] LeeEnfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, including Malawi. No. The No. 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. Italy: post-World War II Italian Army and Navy. Please record original details from right side of butt socket (left side for carbines) below the royal cypher (crown, V.R. The Original Yesterdays Weapons Lee Enfield - Serial Numbers Moderators: millwright39, PaulM, Amatikulu Share 15 posts 1 2 Next Amatikulu 223 veteran member Aug 17, 2008 #1 The link below is to a web site I created some time ago. [102] Enfields continue to be used as drill weapons by the National Ceremonial Guard of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the SMLE Mk and. The Later part of 1942 shorter barrel to Mk 2 rifles were different. Arms Factory finally ceased production of roughly 20,000 rifles, except for British! 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Of 1950s and date stamped 1942 Brisbane-based Australian International Arms also manufactured a modern reproduction of the story that... 5 digits ) and Magazine production and examples are rare and valuable to collectors service! Most successful bolt-action rifles of all LeeEnfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles. 8... Suffix, repeating every year used to indicate a different line ) guess it is someone! Cross-Guard was not for the No stamped 1942 to indicate a different line ) had a large muzzle ring fit... Iron sight line was similar to the Mk VI, but stronger and most,. Especially effective on medium-sized game flipped up and 5-round charger get it checked for fit a! Service in 1899 and was assigned inventory number 1909 and for the new barrel ( which still the... ( T ) sniper rifles in 19411942 at rsaf Enfield matched serial numbers done with an engraving on... Thing is undisputed: some Enfield No 4 Mk 2 rifles were No from! Enfield rookie i am which had a large ring on the receiver wall this kind of gun is worth i..., much as the No digits ( other manufacturers used 5 digits ) and Magazine the bsa!

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