Lee Enfield SN

[Seaspriter]

Thanks for the interesting insights on Wartime RRs.

While Savage was a private company, (as I understand it) one of the reasons why the US government interceded into the contract Savage had with Britain, was to guarantee payment for all production. If there was no cooperative agreement, it begs the question: "why?" Especially considering the M-1 Carbine parts exchanges between the 9 prime contractors for M-1s. According to an newspaper article I found on the internet, the Lee-Enfields shifted to using Canadian Maple for the stocks (neither beech nor birch was mentioned) due to a shortage of walnut in Canada. ( LONG BRANCH FACTORY Photo Gallery by mrclark at pbase.com ) Was there a similar shortage of walnut in the U.S. for the Savage/Stevens Enfields?

The article also highlights the large proportion of women that actually made the LB Enfields.. (26683779 photo - mrclark photos at pbase.com) (maybe this is why so many men are attracted to the LB Enfields!) Does anyone know if the Savage/Stevens Enfields were made by a largely female workforce?

I'm also interested in how the rifles got to Europe. Obviously by sea, but was it by cargo or ammunition ship? Did the ships leave from U.S. ports (such as NYC or Boston), or did they leave from Halifax?

FYI -- I'm collecting information to write a story about how the Enfields were conceived, journeyed to war, and returned into the hands of collectors to be preserved for history -- thus the questions.

Thanks to all, Robert