Picked up an SMLE, looking for expert advice about whether or not this is a DP rifle

Picked up this SMLE last week. I was told by the previous owner that it was a British Homeguard rifle which is why is has the red paint stripes on it. Wikipedia seems to confirm that the British Homeguard did paint red stripes on their issued rifles. All numbers match on the gun except for the nose cap.

My confusion is the large amount of DP stamps I have found on the rifle. These DP stamps are only located on the wood furniture, and on the nose cap. There are no DP stampings anywhere else on the actual rifle itself. I have disassembled the rifle, and have found no stampings on the actual rifle itself that indicate it being demilled or DP'd.

I’m looking for insight as to whether this rifle is not actually a Drill Purpose rifle, but simply had DP furniture added when it was reissued to the homeguard?

The previous owner told me he fired many rounds through it quite often with no issue. The bolt matches the receiver, everything locks up right, and the bore is nice and shiny.

Images below

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Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

There are others better qualified than I to comment, & they probably will in due course, but the forend on your rifle is definitely a late-ish Indian replacement. It has the No4 Mk1 style keeper plate at the back end. If the wood was all correct to the rifle the stripe at the front end would go around the front hand guard as well, I suspect. One has to err on the side of caution, & if there is any doubt, get the rifle checked over by a competent gunsmith, but my money is on replacement wood fitted after the event. The red stripe is, I think, Indian, not British WW2. IIRC in Home Guard use a red stripe around the woodwork was used to denote a rifle not in the standard service calibre (ie not .303) - a great many US M'17 rifles were so marked. In fact, a pal of mine has just bought one!

---------- Post added at 10:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 AM ----------

Whoops! Sorry, just noticed this was a 'double post'!

Formerly sporterized rifle restored with Indian DP marked stock set.

Exactly. You'll always know the Indian DP forends because they are cut out on both sides at the top rear so you can see a horizontal hole which is drilled straight through the breech on a real RFI DP rifle. Folks using this wood to restore legit, functional rifles never take the time to patch the forends on the top to put them back to the original configuration making it a very obvious post service restoration.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian Dick

Exactly. You'll always know the Indian DP forends because they are cut out on both sides at the top rear so you can see a horizontal hole which is drilled straight through the breech on a real RFI DP rifle. Folks using this wood to restore legit, functional rifles never take the time to patch the forends on the top to put them back to the original configuration making it a very obvious post service restoration.

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What you and others have said makes alot of sense, I appreciate the feedback. Do you know of any places I can find some original "period correct" furniture? I know that Liberty Tree has some stuff in stock but I would like to buy a complete set of the same wood.

You don't slap a forend on it has to be fitted to the draws etc. What is period correct. All furniture is correct when fitted correctly to a SMLE. These are battle rifles not Prima donnas. It is a pity yours has lost her original furniture. Just strip the paint off what you have if it worries you that much. I would also check to make sure that it has been fitted correctly then give it a good dose of BLO before refitting because this will tighten the fit.