May have found one of my Enfield "Holy Grails"
First of all, let me say that I've been incredibly lucky in my 1 year of dedicated Enfield collection, and I'm very thankful for boards such as these.
The result of my one year's collecting:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/qqboza-1.jpg
I've lurked for awhile, as I didn't feel I had anything much worth sharing, but a recent find has changed that. I bought my first gun back in 2008, a 1918 BSA Mk.III* and fell in love with the Lee Enfield. I bought Skennerton's books, read all I could, but unfortunately I couldn't afford to really collect them. But in the years of waiting there was one Enfield I wanted above all others (ok, except for the 1902 trials SMLE's), a Gallipoli survivor. I never thought I would see one in person, and if I did it would be, shall we say, prohibitively expensive. It became my holy grail. And I think I may have found it.
A local collector remarked to me at a gunshow that he was going to be selling some Enfields, and said he had a Mk.III in the lot. I agreed, sight unseen, to buy it for $600. A bit foolish, but I was desperate for a Mk.III with volley sights. The next show he brings it and this is the rifle I received:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../10mst5f-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2dkd2te-1.jpg
It was built in 1910 by RSAF Enfield, sighted for Mk.VI ball, serial numbered M342x. The receiver, barrel, nosecap, rear-sight leaf, and forestock are all numbered matching to the gun. The wood is a little worse for wear, and a large section just behind the nosecap on the left side of the gun has obviously been burnt.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../123mzbt-1.jpg
The rifle was also import marked by Century. The owner says he thinks he's had the rifle for about 10 years or so, but was unsure. He's elderly, and couldn't quite recall:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2ebagiv-1.jpg
The wood matches in finish and wear, so I'm fairly certain she wears her original stock. Which led to my question. In the buttstock there is a unit ID disk, which looks to have been there a very long time.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/wa3eyx-1.jpg
It's mounted that way in the rifle, upside down. It reads:
2 15
6 BR
1101
I have been told that this indicates that this rifle was issued to the 6th Battalion of the Border Regiment in February of 1915, and was rack number 1101. Assuming that this is the original stock disk, and the unit ID is correct, this rifle was issued while the 6th was training in England, according to their unit history. In July they set sail for the Gallipoli and landed on 20 July at Helles. According to this website:6th (Service) Battalion Border Regiment - Border Regiment Wiki, they were operation at Suvla Bay from August 1915-December 1915. As I read this my eyes lit up, as I could tell this rifle left British service quite a long while ago, as it escaped the conversion to Mk.III*, and retained its burnt furniture. The rifle also sports a rather crudely made leather sling, which is sewed to the front and rear sling swivels.
So my questions for the much more knowledgeable and experienced collector are these:
1. Is the unit ID correct, or am I reading them wrong?
2. If the unit ID is correct, is there a chance that this rifle, based on it's condition, was present at the battle?
3. (I've tried to contact Century with this, but to no avail) Based on the import mark, could this have been one of the rifles Century brought out of Turkey some time ago?
4. And finally, am I grasping at straws, or do I have a solid case for this rifle being a Gallipoli capture piece?
I appreciate any input, however small, and also for anyone who's read my unnecessarily long post. Also, thanks to the moderators and contributors for such an awesome board. I've enjoyed lurking and am excited to have something worth sharing.
