Came across this yesterday..based on the pics what do you think about it?

Looks like some old serial numbers were XX out and a new nu,ber given...the bore is VERY bright shiny and edeep lands and grooves...

The top of the breech area has two capital D 's with a broad arrow in it....any idea what that mark is??

The stock seems straightforward....

So my thoughts are that it was a WWI BSA rifle that was overhauled in WWII in AUS..... some of the other marks are MA on the trigger guard etc....

Thinking about picking it up to add with the other gals....

thoughts?? :thup::thdown:


https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../photo11-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/photo3-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/photo5-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../photo11-2.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/photo2-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/photo6-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/photo7-1.jpg

Gday nick,The D^D mark is a Australian ownwership mark used after 1920. I also see a broad arrow in a D which is a early Australian ownership mark.It looks like it spent both world wars in Aussie hands. I would be grabbing it

It looks like one of the 1950s FTRs too. When did the Aussies stop using the broad arrow in a D? My own 1916 Enfield * also has this marking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brit plumber

When did the Aussies stop using the broad arrow in a D?

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From what i gather the D with ^ inside it were special order rifles produced for the Australian government and these retained the sights for the Mk V1 ball ammo. I guess when Australia started producing the Mk V11 ball ammo in 1918 the special order rifles wernt needed.

Picked up a 1918 BSA also Yesterday. Has an Egyptian brass stock disc. Has the Crossed rifles with BSA on the bolt handle also. Have never seen one like this before. Bore is bright and strong. Will try and get some pics when the rain ends. Nice find there. I would be snapping that up..Real piece of History there....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by user1

From what i gather the D with ^ inside it were special order rifles produced for the Australian government and these retained the sights for the Mk V1 ball ammo. I guess when Australia started producing the Mk V11 ball ammo in 1918 the special order rifles wernt needed.

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Thanks for that, looks like my 1916 Enfield was sent there from the start of its life then. It has some Aussie wood on it but the bottom is darker, and has a cut out for the mag cut off. Its probably had more than a few FTRs!

Incidently, anyone know when BSA deleted the mag cut offs on the MkIII*? I have a 1917 BSA with provision for a cut off but the wood is MkIII* (I cant tell if it was MkIII or MkIII* as its been converted to MkIV)

Nick,

Would be more concerned with the area with proof marks and serial number on the action, it maybe the pics, but it looks like its been peened with a hammer or badly ground, I would guess if the number had been changed it would of been lined out, crossed etc, but not ground. The marks may indicate a barrel change by someone without the correct tools.

They have been xx'd out it's the pics....looked at her again today...the barrel was changed in 45. Ther are marks indicating such under the wood......what I do NOT get is the large SCRIPT R right on the barrel flat that you can see in the next to last pic

I made an offer at 175 on it..the guy was asking 275......let's see how motivated he is to move it...lol

Nick,i think the R ment some rust had been found in the bore.
cheers

Well I checked the bore and chamber and both were clear...kinda odd....BUT my offer was accepted and I'll pick her up on payday....!

I'll try to take some more detailed pics when I get her home....

I did notice one thing that escaped my initial views....

the little 'tab' at the rear of the action that prevents the bolt from flipping up on cycling seems to have lost its spring tension or has failed...seems it's going to need to be replaced...

I should be able to find that part i suspect....

:)

I thought the symbol for rust was *, perhaps the "R" is something else?

+1. Thats what I thought....

R....Found rusty by armourer,to be checked by armourer. According to Ian Skennerton. Pg.576 the Lee-Enfield


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Ok, didn't know that. Thought it might have been a repair marking.

I guess they used a few different markings for rust.
Thanks for the reference.

A script font "R" is the mark for rust, a block letter font "R" is thought to be a mark for replacement barrel or reserve grade barrel.
This is from Skenny's "Broad Arrow", page 78 under "Armourers Markings".
-----krinko

the 'R' mark was used by us Armourers of the era to mark a previously rusty barrel, noted by an Armourer during an inspection, that was otherwise serviceable and could be improved with regular cleaning. That was to prevent the next used getting a bollocking and the next etc etc. But I don't know what a stylised/italic R is supposed to mean. We just had the usual R in our set of stamps

here is where i found it
cheers

Wow. That is the R.... BUT not a hint of rust I'm the barrel..... :)

like Peter said it was probably cleaned up over the years
cheers