inspection marks/stamps

[Pelago]

i have a recent purchase of a 1918 sht L.E.*

i was told it was rebuilt in 1938, now on the receiver (right side ) is a
crown, GR, then to the left is a unknown emblem with 31 underneath and a b under that, now right under the safety is the number 38??

on the sight is a small clear defined stamp it is a arrow and
crown and letters at

now i , along with all the rest have seen rifles with so many stamps on them that there is not a single sq centimenter of un stamped steel

this particular rifle has absolutely zero dings, stock is virgin
serial number is five digits starting with 2 ending in 8

if this was aresebal rebuilt in 1938, it looks like it spent the last 71 odd years in someones closet, it appears to be a real jewel, or else a very very good (someone built it up recently) beats me, but it shoots sub minute with a sling prone at 100 yards, shoots a bit high with sights zero elevation... (four inches high at 100 yards)

I am hoping to compete with this rifle in the vintage matches with the cmp and am developing a target load for it,, not at all hot, substantial load, but way way below HOT

btw

what was the minimum requirment that a brit giu had to shoot with one of these???

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Sounds like you found a very nice and very accurate rifle. The 38 below the safety is probably a rebuild date. Over the summer I found a No.1 rifle by NRF in similar condition-rebuilt in 1938 to "as new" and packed away in grease since then. Were you using factory ammo when you tried your rifle?

[Pelago]

i had some South African ball 174 grain, pretty hot stuff, did not chrono it but the whack on the shoulder told me it was legit...

i was really impresssed with the group it was about a minute for five rounds, prone at 100 yards i hold a 6 oclock picture (old school) and the group at 100 yards was 3" high and 1/2" left of what i want for point of impact, but this was only 100 yards and i will shoot competitively at 200 yards against standard NRA 200 yard target.

I am working on a load start will be 37 1/2 gr 4064, hornady 174 grain V Max match bullet, this is way below max and is a good place to start, building the round to match the rifle for 200 yards, and 200 only

course of fire is:
200 yard
prone 5 sighters, ten for score 15 minutes
prone, magazine of five, magazine or striper clip change in 60 seconds
offhand ten rounds in ten minutes

many rifles shoot this match, eddystones, brits, mausers, even a few krags, straight pulls (very popular)
I have alwasy got a medal in this event but have not won it, and i want it!!

shot first place with the M1 Garand (hight shooter in 2008 292 with 15X's), shot gold with the 1903, and only bronze with vintage, my goal is three golds and three overall first places

before i turn 70

will come back with some ammo reports, this should be agood load

[Surpmil]

Maybe there's an Aussie H barrel hiding under the handguards?