First Post: 191? Enfield SMLE

[Ramrod711]

Greetings, to start things off I wanted to share my first acquisition of my vintage (work in progress) gun collection.

I acquired this piece at a gunshow, and it came with a magazine and bayonet(still sharp! (the sling was added later). I have Serial #K1477 on the bolt, under the rear sights, receiver(haven't checked the barrel number yet), and the Nosecap. I also found a mysterious P behind the trigger guard.

One of the reasons I'm posting this is because I've seen most enfields on the nets marked to hell like a 5 year old went nuts on the stamper and this one doesn't is there any particular reason for that? Ill post every marking I can find and leave it to your expert judgment.

Checked for headspace with a Forster Field Gauge and fired about 20 rounds through it without a problem. I'm loving the Enfields cock on close action!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

Not to worry about it but the sling looks like a repro, but the rifle looks nice. All original patina and that shows up well in the photos. Bayonet still bears the edge the armorers put on...just the last four inches... Yes, the "P" is a strange mark, the lack of the rest means it didn't undergo a dozen inspections is all. That's why they'd be stamped, over stamped and changes made...

And...welcome to the neighborhood!

[Ramrod711]

Thank you for your reply, yes i bought the sling because I hate shooting long guns without one. Patina is that brown discoloration thats not really rust right?

[RobD]

Rifle looks lovely and nicely un-messed-about-with. All numbers matching, and stock disc hole filled in, just as things should be. Patina = the plum or brown coloured surface oxidation of the metal, slowly produced by being handled by salty hands for a century. Means the rifle has not been re-blued.

[Flying10uk]

Your rifle has a lovely patina, Ramrod, please don't ever be tempted to refinish it. Looking at the middle picture, top row, I wonder if the the date is 1917? The remains of the last digit look as if it could be a 7 and it would fit in with it being a MK3* as apposed a MK3?

[Ridolpho]

Ramrod: That is, indeed, very nice. Hardly see anything that original at shows any more. The serial numbers stampings are particularly nice. As to "patina" versus "rust", only you can tell which is which- photos can be misleading. The final photo of the triggerguard looks a bit like active rust to me and, if so, can be dealt with rather easily. As it sounds like this is your first Lee Enfield, before you strip it look at lots of old threads here about how to do it properly. Regards.

Ridolpho

[browningautorifle]

Patina is that brown discoloration

Yes, and as RobD says it's unmessed with. Nice, nice, nice...

[Ramrod711]

Thanks all for your replies, I don't intend to turn into bubba that's what my AR 15 is for.

[Frederick303]

It does likely look to be a later date, as the wood is for a MK III* and the action body is marked as such. Also the rear sight notch is the later ~1918 Enfield variant.

[Flying10uk]

I had thought in my post 5 that the last date digit could be a 7 and therefore it being a 1917 rifle. Looking at the picture again, I think you could be right Frederick303, there does seem to be part of a figure 8 which would make it a 1918 rifle.