SMLE serial numbers – WW1 era and a 1912 Enfield MK III....

Hi all,

I was reading through my copy of Stratton last night and wondered if I’ve misunderstood the section on serial numbers.

As I understand it a rifle would have been delivered ex works with just the action & barrel numbered stamped from the factory. Marking of the fore end wood/ nose cap / rear sight and bolt were then done at an armourer / unit level (or maybe at a receiving depot if that's how it worked?)

Does that sound correct, or have I misread it - ? I’d always assumed (not really thinking about it much and knowing very little about all this) that those parts would have been numbered on production.

I can understand FTR or unit repairs in the field causing a “force match” or fresh numbered parts, but hadn’t considered that the less than perfect (hand applied) stamping of numbers on those parts on the few matching rifles I have seen may not be down to the factory at all.

which leads me to the second part of my question about the typical process followed by a WW1 rifle as they were replaced and moved away from the front line-


Just picked up a 1912 Enfield MKIII that still has matching serial numbers on the Barrel, Action and Bolt, along with a its Volley Sights

The fore end wood has a different number on the underside and also again on the nose cap. It’s patina although old doesn't match the stock so its 100% not original to the rifle, but its of the right period. The rifle has EY struck through and DP on both the action and also the rear stock wood. It has sold out of service marks on the stock and action.

Given the different serial number is it possible that this rifle may picked up the for end as part of its process of heading “back down the line” and maybe back to the military establishments in the UK for training etc. If that were the case, would the military armourers have always marked the correct serial number to the replacement parts or was this process not always followed as “its wartime”

I’m presuming wherever it was it escaped the 1920’s reworks that saw the end of so much of the early wood. Could it have ended up in the Home guard or seen WW2 action ?

or do you think it’s been put together once it made it to the outside civilian world when sold out of service. It was deactivated in the early 90’s so it’s hard to tell how old the gunk is can be found in usual nooks and crannies…

The Butt Disc carries the work MALVERN and a rack number – does anyone know if there were any schools or depots / TA etc in that area that this may point to?

Any thoughts welcome -

cheers