1923 Lee Enfield Mark V Trial Serial: 7576
Helllo Everyone,
New guy here....got a story to tell everyone...please be read on...
Now for my story.......in the early 80s I worked the night shift at gas station in Annandale Virginia, You know sitting in a booth/office behind bullet proof glass from 9pm to 7am. I was around 18 and going to school during the day. Well one night this guy pulls in, young guy...gets gas, about $20 worth. He comes up to the window to pay and lets me know that he didn't have enough cash to pay for the gas. I told him I have his tag number and that he can go home and get if and if he doesn't come back I will report him to the police. So he goes back to his car and pulls out a rifle and comes back. I got a little worried, wondering if the glass would hold..LOL... He steps up to the window and said I will give you this for the gas if you let me go. He said it used to be his grandfathers and he has no use for it. So I pushed out the money drawer, you know the sliding drawer and he laid the rifle on it and left. I waited for a little bit and after the coast was clear I went out to retrieve her. I was always into guns and never really knew anything about these. Of course no Internet. So I took a twenty out of my pocket and put it in the drawer and put the rifle my car and went home after my shift.
Not long after the acquisition of my Enfield, I took it to Dawson’s Gun shop in Woodbridge VA to have it checked out. They guy there was very knowledgeable about the Enfield and said that you need to make sure the is no head space gap or it could blow up or something like that. A couple of days later I got a call from the gun shop to pick it up, the first words out of the guys mouth was I will give $300 dollars for her. I was tempted...gee....basically paid $20 buck for her...what a profit. Told him no that that I was going to give it to my father for his B-Day. (Buy the way the headspace was fine)
Well the next part here I am not too proud of and was actually a really stupid thing to do but it’s the god’s honest truth!..So here goes.
After having the gun a while sitting in my room, i finally decided that I wanted to get out and shoot her, so I went to a gun store and picked up some ammo for her, called my buddies and said I really want to fire this rifle but have no place to do so. Well one of them for some darn reason came up with a crazy idea.......we went out late one night, must have been around 2 am, and drove to the 14th street bridge over the Potomac River...we stopped dead center of the bridge and pulled over.....waited until no cars where crossing over the bridge...and that's when I had my first pleasure of firing a single round into the river!...needless to say it was louder than I thought and we got the heck out of there!...Thank god we didn't get caught!
So holding true to what I told the guy at the gun store, I did give it to my dad for his B-Day (Of course not telling him the story!) which until now sat in my dad’s basement office, under his WW2 Mauser and is 700,000 serial numbered M1 Garand.
Little background on my dad, he was a West Point graduate (top 10 in his class) Special Forces Green Berets in Vietnam 2 tours. Retired full Col, then a second retirement from Civil Service. Military buff...My father is still around, we spent last this weekend chatting and I went down to look at the Enfield which I have been wanting to shoot ever since I started learning more about them. In any case, I wanted to share this unique story with everyone since I saw the early forum post of Mark V survivors. I have her here at home now, just got done oiling her up. Love the details on her...stock numbered to the barrel and the receiver, all the markings ECT....
Here she is on Photobucket....
1923 Lee Enfield pictures by airbornewings - Photobucket
If anyone needs a picture of anything paticlular let me know...
Not in bad shape for being 1 out of 2000 out of 20000 out of 17000000...LOL
Few Questions...
Is there a need to by extra magazines or should I just use stripper clips?
This guy has them and says they will work...thoughts?..
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Oh, if anyone would like to share knowledge on the markings and facts about her please do!!!
