British Enfield .303 Identification Help Wanted

[wubaja]

Hello to all. I am new to this site and I really don't know exactly how forums work, but I'm going to try to figure it out - - - eventually.

I have a .303 Enfield that I think is a No. 1 Mk III. I want to figure out what all the markings mean to determine where this rifle was manufactured and where it was used prior to getting it in the mid-1960's.

Here is what I think I know about the markings:

FTR = Factory Thorough Repair
England = British Private Export, pre-1968
GR Fasco, 1918, Sht LE111: GR=Gurkha Rifles? Year of manufacture? ???
Serial Number?: J (over) 58835
BNP (under crown) = Birmingham Nitro Proof between 1912-1954 (I don't know what Nitro Proof means)
Other markings that I have found:

Crown over FSA
M over R
Crown and R4
57

I would truly appreciate your help in accurately defining this rifle and hopefully tracing its ancestry.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Want to respond by e-mail? I'm ajraymonds@yahoo.com

Information

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[Thunderbox]

Post some nice clear photos, and we will be able to tell you most of the story.

It sounds like you have a "peddled scheme" rifle made by SSA or NRF. These rifles just have "GR" under the crown instead of a factory such as Enfield or BSA&Co.

The rest sounds like normal import marks, proof marks and inspection marks.

[Beerhunter]

1. England = British Private Export, pre-1968

2. BNP (under crown) = Birmingham Nitro Proof between 1912-1954 (I don't know what Nitro Proof means)

1. That is a pre-1968 GCA import mark required by the US authorities. That is to say it's not an export mark - we don't have them.

2. Yes it's Birmingham Nitro Proof but post 1954. Nitro Proof means that it has been Proofed for use with modern smokeless powder, as opposed to Black Powder.