Question Regarding Volley or Long Range Sights on the No 1 Mk III

[Peter Laidler]

Rob is right. The manufacturers were all (except Enfield) private contractors who's profits were presumably being nibbled away by the Government - as holds good today! As the labour and parts costs decreased you can bet that the unit price decreased accordingly. So they made hay while the sun shone and used up all the parts they had in stock as once the parts are declared obsolescent, no more are ever ordered * so if you've over produced, you've dipped out unless you use them up!

Same at H&H and Sten gun parts manufacturers. Paid up to a certain date and then STOP. What you have left over is tough luck!

* Only exception to this rule that I know of was the L4A1 mag catch with combined HOD that was re-ordered so as to make use of old, needy but otherwise serviceable L4A1's in Ordnance stores

[5thBatt]

Here's some auctions that ended last night on NZs Trademe all a bit rich for me without holding them in hand.
Collectors Item .303 Lee Enfield SMLE Mk I * 1906 | Trade Me
Collectors Item .303 Lee Enfield SMLE Mk III 1910 | Trade Me
Collectors Item .303 Lee Enfield No4 Mk I NO STAR | Trade Me

[Catch22]

I don't want to steal a thread, but it's related and I didn't see this until I posted a topic similar.

I'm looking at a 1912 ShtLE that's in a local gun shop. It's all-matching, including the magazine, and I'm looking at it as a restoration project.

The "problem" I'm having is that the cut-down stock doesn't have the volley sights, and I can't tell that the rear volley sight was in place when it was sporterized. It does, however, have room for the magazine cutoff, though the cuttoff isn't there anymore (I assume removed for practicality when sportered).

I haven't seen any marks indicating rearsenal, but I'm starting to wonder if it was. The magazine is matching, but there's another SN on it that's been crossed out.

Would it have been possible to have been put in a stock at some point that had the mag cutoff, but not the volley sights? Would that be the more appropriate direction for me to look for a replacement stock?

[SpikeDD]

1910 BSA
1912 LSA
1913 Enfield
1915 Enfield ( X2 )
1915 BSA
1917 LSA

All Mk. III's

[Bluenoser]

Please confirm that your 1917 LSA is equipped with long range sights. Nineteen seventeen seems a late date for long range sights. Is it original, or could it have been restored?

1910 BSA
1912 LSA
1913 Enfield
1915 Enfield ( X2 )
1915 BSA
1917 LSA

All Mk. III's

[SpikeDD]

Hello Bluenoser...

Finally found the 17' LSA. I remember the conversation now I had with Brian Dick about this rifle. Apparently, Enfield had an extensive FTR program and this rifle is the result of that.

LSA did make the Mk. III for a while longer than the other armories and I can't explain why the rifle still retained it's early features during a FTR but here are the particulars.

1937 view date with EFD proof near safety.
LSA marked butstock and buttplate.
LSA marked trigger and sear.
LSA marked safety.
LSA marked middle band.
17' dated LSA barrel with original number.
BSA bolt with EFD proof, numbered to rifle.
BSA rear sight leaf with EFD proof, re-numbered to rifle (one previous number lined out)
EFD marked cocking piece.
EFD marked rear sight base.
EFD proof mark on left side of receiver ring next to vent holes.
EFD marked end cap numbered to rifle.
EFD marked rear volley sight arm.
EFD marked front volley sight base ( Pointer boss has been sawed off )
Forestock numbered to rifle and barely visible, EFD marked on small plate across rear of buttstock.
EFD marked magazine and follower.
EFD marked magazine cut-off.