4T with"DP" stamped on barrel, action and rear sight

[Craig Eberhardt]

Ideas about the meaning of DP? Drill purpose?

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[brnom2]

Is this in regards a particular T just listed/ advertised on a very prominent on-line Oz firearms sale site? Im but a simple novice, but $3500 Aus. for DP marked, miss-matched bolt (no bracket/scope) rifle, seems somewhat extravagant for what's effectively a wall hanger. But I guess anything's only worth what someone is willing to pay

[Peter Laidler]

The meaning of DP/Drill Purpose is well documented within other sections of this forum. Others more knowledgeable - usually shysters out to make a quick buck - suggest that it means Double Proof or Doubly Precious or even Dublin Police. But it's Drill Purpose.

I dare say that there were DP No4T's but the only ones I ever saw - and that was quite a few I hasten to add - had the pads removed and as such were relegated to just bog standard DP marked, white lined No4 rifles.

[CINDERS]

Stay away from it smells of fish

[Badger]

Craig...

We have a magical and powerful customized Google search capability, by typing any phrase into the input box titled "Search Milsurps.com" located in the top right corner of our web site. Try typing drill purpose and see what happens ...

Here's a few links to other threads where Peter and others have discussed the pitfalls of DP and ZF marked rifles ...

ZF marking on Enfields?

DP Stock Marks Query

DP Rifles

Please read them all thoroughly before you go and shoot any Enfield marked in that way ...

Regards,
Doug

[Homer]

A NSW dealer was selling DP'd No4T barrelled actions some years back. A friend of mine bought one. This is probably one of them.

[Seaforth72]

Adding to the odd inventive explanations that people have come up with for "DP", in one of Ian Skennerton's books on Lee-Enfields, he mentions having overheard a seller at a U.S. gun show saying to an ignorant buyer that "DP" stamp stood for "Detroit Police." Not on a Lee-Enfield it doesn't! It would indeed be DRILL PURPOSE as mentioned above.

[Seaspriter]

Ideas about the meaning of DP? Drill purpose?

Be sure to read this thread: Combining a DP Enfield, a Shooter and a Gunsmith ended up with catastrophic failure! This is the "Sad Saga of Old Joe."

Peter Laidler and others chime in on the horrors of a DP rifle. I heeded the warning when I purchased a DP 1942 Long Branch (only $150) from a friend who had been shystered. The barrel was bulged to .36" 4 inches from the muzzle -- probably by a warrior who shot it a lot in combat and it heated the barrel red-hot.

I immediately restored it by painting the white DP stripes and black stencils back on it and put an engraved plaque on the left side stating its condition -- NEVER TO BE SHOT. The gun is now a wall-hanger for conversation purposes. (Every visitor to my gun room wants to know about this gun; the other Enfields look so mundane in comparison.) I put a piece of paper in the butt-hole documenting what happened to the gun and why it must never be shot. (see: Dropbox - Recording Provenance Restoration.jpg )

For all practical purposes, DP really means DEFECTIVE PARTS -- DP guns were proclaimed defective by an expert armourer. Then other defective parts from the scrap bin were probably swapped into the gun (mine had a number of non-original parts). A DP gun is not a good purchase unless you can get it for cheap. But, for heavens sake, mark any DP gun for posterity so that some Bignorant doesn't try to shoot the gun a generation from now and blow off his hand like "Old Joe."

Hope this saves someone's grandchild ages hence.

Robert

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Stay away from it smells of fish

Or somthing a bit SMLEER.

[mike1967]

A NSW dealer was selling DP'd No4T barrelled actions some years back. A friend of mine bought one. This is probably one of them.

Correct, good memory there Homer, he also sold the scopes which were all very ordinary at a not very ordinary price!