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This is purely anecdotal & was a long time ago, but I have seen Indian rifles specifically marked GF............(or is that Gujarat Forces?!;)).
......Though they were wrapped & bore discharger cups. Somebody here in the UK had some deactivated a while back. I glanced at a few at arms fairs at the time.
Would that make an "EY" rifle a "Yule Log"?
I'll see myself out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Payne
In 2019 D&B Militaria had them for sale at the 'War & Peace' show.
Both the shortened rifle and the grenade launcher were deactivated.
No cup launcher, or wire binding here .....................
https://vod-progressive-ak.vimeocdn..../985033297.mp4
They hadn't experienced burst barrels then! We had a few examples of grenades exploding in the cups at Warminster.
Yes, in the restrictedbook issued to Quartermasters dealing with foreign markings, GF did indeed indicate Gudgerat (?) Forces, part of the Indian Territorial or state forces. The ILO provided a list of the others that I recall. AL being one
In support of the assertion that the "E.Y." stamping does mean, May be used for ball ammo in emergency, and actually has little or nothing to do with Yule, Yielding, nor grenades, an artifact in the collection provides a bit of evidence.
Naturally, the arrival of Canfield's excellent "The U.S. Model of 1917 Rifle - America's Enfield" had me digging into the back row of rifles in one of the safes yesterday to pull out the M-1917's. Along with them came a couple of Pattern 1914's. One of the P'14's is an Eddystone in the low 32000 serial range in what appears to be original condition - matching bolt, volley sights, "fatso" stock, with all marked parts bearing "E" stampings. The trigger guard screws have been staked only once and are still, so I doubt this rifle has ever been taken apart since it was first assembled.
The butt has those interesting P'14 designation markings, * IE PATT. '14 , and right below that stack of marks a very prominent, EY. There is another "EY" stamped into the receiver. As this rifle has quite obviously never been issued, and certainly had nothing to do with grenade firing, I suspect the "EY" designation in this case probably just reflects the leeriness with which Eddystone manufactured P'14's were regarded in general, but it does present an unexpected use of the marking.
Because they went into store after WW1 would the EY stamp show it was not to be issued except in a Emergency
I would think they went into store during WWI, but when they were actually stamped "E.Y." would be harder to determine. The decision was made not to issue them, but in the press of wartime activity would they have bothered to mark them at that time?
The EY mark appears as early as 1904, long before grenade projecting came back into fashion.
https://www.milsurps.com/attachment....64&cid=1&stc=1
What's para. 457 all about?