Enfield SMLE III* question
Hi All- I'm new to the forum and to SMLE rifles. I recently purchased a 1918 Enfield SMLE III* at auction in Columbus Ohio, USA. The walnut wood furniture is very dark- it was covered liberally with grease for apparently many years. The barrel and receiver have olive paint on them, then grease on top of the paint. When I disassembled the rifle for cleaning that grease off everything so I could take it out shooting, I noticed the barrel channel has a layer of sand, then rust-red dirt on top, then bits of the olive paint that came off the barrel on top of that. It's my understanding that SMLE rifle metal parts were painted olive in WWII to prevent corrosion and that WWi use would have simply had grease applied. The 1918 manufacture date would have put the rifle at the end of WWi, so it's use was likely WWII. The barrel has the BNP proof stamp and 18.5 tons stamped over the serial number. No US company import markings. Was this returned to British arsenals after use, then sold to the US, or could this have been a US GI battlefield pick-up that was sent to the US? It had never been cleaned- the barrel is shiny, but has gunpowder residue in it and the external grease, with years of dirt in it, made it impossible to hold without getting covered in greasy dirt. If it was proofed and sold, would it have been disassembled and cleaned prior to sale? To have sand under rust red soil would imply to me that it was used in an amphibious assault, then made it inland a bit, but not far enough to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm curious as to the history of it. Thanks in advance for your input.
