Lee Enfield Factories

Yo.

I am creating a personal database of WWI and WWII rifles. Information was bountiful on American rifles, But... When it comes to Lee-Enfields it gets rather confusing.

I am looking for dates of production for each factory that made:
ShtLE Mk III, Mk III*s and No4 Mk I, Mk I*s and No. 5 Mk 1s
What dates they switched models. When they started and ceased production, stuff like that.
Plus identifying marks for each rifle, if possible.

Is there any websites or posts around here that can fill me in. Its a tall order but it would be a great help

Thanks

Get a copy of the book "The Lee Enfield" by Ian Skennerton. He has painstakingly researched all this stuff and presented it clearly for everyone. An excellent book that will be very useful for your database---worth every penny.

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Thanks. I was looking at books and didn't know which one to get. but now I know.

On a smaller scale - size wise - the Charles Stratton books on the SMLE and the #4/5 are quite good. Lots of charts showing exactly what you asked for.

I have Ian's book too. Ya really need all 3 books!! :D

Yeah, I'll second the Stratton books---they have some shortcomings, but for the most part, they are really useful. They are the sort of books that you keep on the workbench where you clean and disassemble guns. You leave thumbprints all over those books---they should have come in a 3-ring binder! They are less expensive than Skennerton.

Now, the Skennerton book is the ultimate Lee Enfield book. We're talking about "The Lee Enfield," published in 2007...the big one that sells for about $80... NOT the little "Lee Enfield Buyer's Guide" that unfortunately has the SAME cover (doh!). Skennerton's magnum opus is not for the workbench...not just because it's so big, nice, and expensive, but because it's not really organized as a shop manual. It's a history and a reference...the best there is. If you are serious about Lee Enfields, this book will give you years of enjoyment and will pay off in every way. It has the factory information you are seeking.

There is an older book by E.G.B. Reynolds called "The Lee Enfield" that was published about 50 years ago. It is noteworthy because it was the first serious, comprehensive piece of scholarship on Lee Enfields. It broke new ground. Skennerton may have surpassed Reynolds, but the older book is still a fun read. Reynolds was a good writer and it is well worth reading.

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Has anyone got an image of the London Small Arms Factory, Old Ford.

I grew up near to where the original factory once stood on the Old Ford Road in East London and have been looking for an original image for a number of years with no success.

Simon

Thanks for the book tips. I might have to buy both the Skennerton and Charles Stratton books... in time. But luckily I found the information I need on Amazon.com from the samples that were provided. And the Reynolds book filled in the gaps.

and sorry Simon P I cant help ya with that. The closest thing to British military around here is CFB Suffield.