The Ishapore SMLE History

G'Day Folks,

I'm trying to find a little more information about the Rifle Factory Ishapore's contribution to the Lee Enfield Family. There's a chapter dedicated to Indian and Nepalese rifles in Skennerton's Lee Enfield Bible, but that's not the whole story.

Could anyone direct me to another published source of history of RFI's products please?

RFI made 681,000 SMLEs in WWII alone, so their contribution to the War effort can't be underestimated.

I'm keen to learn a bit more about Ishapore's story and the rifles it produced.

Thank you.

It would probably be interesting but doubtful any such animal exists. A web search generates about a dozen links which all seem to share the same two paragraph description and four references that are very limited in scope.

Searching for individual products gets a little more information.

There are the collector series of books by Stratton which break down numbers, serials and years along with differences but probably not what you are quite looking for either. That is contained in volume 1. It is also referenced from Skennerton.

“‘India’s Enfields”by Bob Edwards is the best reference book for RFI. Out- of-print and hard to find.

Ishapore information has always been very very hard to find - it is only in the last few years that Peter Laidler managed to obtain the Headspace figures from his Indian Contact who was acting as liasion officer between the British and Indian military.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by husk

“‘India’s Enfields”by Bob Edwards is the best reference book for RFI. Out- of-print and hard to find.

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Damn...

Thanks Husk, at least I have a starting point for libraries.

---------- Post added at 05:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:13 AM ----------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

A web search generates about a dozen links which all seem to share the same two paragraph description and four references that are very limited in scope.

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Thanks Aragorn, pretty much where I started from, too... :(

I'm sure you found this in your Googling, but the Indian Government has a number of web sites / pages about their fireams industry


Our History | RIFLE FACTORY ISHAPORE | Government of India

Extract :

Towards the end of the 18th century, the East India Company planned to set up a Gun Powder Factory of their own. They selected a place where the Dutch Ostend Company had run a Gun Powder Factory from 1712 to 1744. The selected land was in possession of Maharaja Nobkissen Bahadur since 1769. The East India Company made an exchange settlement with the Maharaja to acquire this land.

A Deed dated 28th April, 1778 was made between the Maharaja and the Governor General of United Company, Warren Hastings. In exchange for Noapara and certain other villages belonging to the estate of the Maharaja, the Company awarded him talookdari of several villages situated in Calcutta, containing bazaar Sootaloottee, Subah Bazar, Charles Bazar, Baugh Bazar etc.

It is known from the marble plaque on the main gate of the factory that the work for setting up the Gun Powder factory Ishapore, commenced sometime in 1787 under J. Farquhar, Agent and production started from 1st January 1791 and continued for more than a hundred years till 1st June 1902.

From the editorial note of the Statesman dated 8 July 1901, it is revealed that one Captain Moore of the Indian Ordnance department was assigned the task of creating facilities at Ishapore for turning out 25,000 rifles and carbines annually on the lines of an existing factory at Sparkbrook near Birmingham. The site of gun powder factory was selected for setting up this factory. On completion of the work, production started from 20th September 1904. The factory was renamed as Rifle Factory, Ishapore.

Yes, Alan, that's one of the good pieces that comes up.

Its interesting that with the Indian fascination for bureaucracy, there isn't much more competently researched and described history available.

That's not a criticism of Indians, just a reflection of the contrast between preferences and reality. My observation of Indian scholars and authors is their meticulous attention to detail.

Just not in this particular field, it seems. :dunno:

The info will be there just classified never to be released.
You could do a direct approach to find out .

We know from a multi-page article written by the RFI Proofmaster, that after independence RFI changed the steel used for the No1 Mk3 from what Britain had specified to a 'lower grade' and had horrendous problems, and rather than 'lose face' by admitting the errror they amended the proofing requirements so they did pass proof. When the same steel was used for the 2A / 2A1 the bodies distorted and 'locked up solid' so for the 2A / 2A1 they reverted back to the British speciied steel grade, which then managed to 'scrape a pass'.


The article covers a host of subjects (and several pages) based around the Indian firearms industry and more specifically the ‘Proof House’, but of particular interest are a couple of paragraphs regarding ‘Enfield’s’.


Extract from “Gun Digest 33rd Anniversary 1979 Deluxe Edition”
Article Author : Mr A G Harrison
Qualification : Former ‘Proof Master’ of the ‘Rifle Factory Proof House, Ishapore, India’

From 1908 to 1950 all military bolt action rifles made at Ishapore were proof tested with a dry-round, followed with by an oiled proof round. The proof cartridge was loaded to 24 tons psi breech pressure, or 15% higher than the service pressure. In 1950 (after the departure, in 1947, of India from British control) the material for the rifle bodies was altered from an EN steel to SWES 48 steel with the recoil shoulder and cam recesses being heat treated. With this change the rifle receivers distorted when oiled proof cartridges were fired. This was discovered when hard and sometimes impossible bolt retraction was experienced. Large quantities of rifles were rejected.
To avoid rejections the authorities ordered discontinuance of the oiled proof round. Therefore from 1950 to the end of SMLE production, rifles made at Ishapore were proof tested with one dry proof only, although the specification still called for both dry and oiled proof. All bolts and bolt heads issued as spares were always proofed with a dry proof round only.

A bolt action rifle similar to the SMLE MkIII*, modified to fire the 7.62mm NATO cartridge, was produced at Ishapore, first in February 1965. The receivers were made of SWES 48 steel (as per the SMLE MkIII*) and with the NATO proof cartridge the receivers were found to distort with both the dry and oiled proof round. The material was changed back to the EN steel so now the rifles stand up better to dry and oiled proof. After passing proof the barrels are impressed with the Indian national proof stamp. The bolt handles and bolt head claws are struck with the crossed flags only.




Another part of the article shows the knowledge level of some of the staff at the proof-house.

Really ?

Edwards published three editions. The last was the most informative.