12 Attachment(s)
Some Exciting SMLE Stuff :D
So I am feeling pretty privileged and excited right now (perhaps showing my youth and lack of time around Enfields) after recieving some old SMLE parts from a family friend who didn't have a use for them.
I am 100% sure that these parts all belonged to the same action prior to them coming into my posession, and that they made up a mildly accurised target rifle!
So first thing I noticed is that the barrel is a Heavy 'H' barrel, dated '51. There are lithgow markings around the knox, but also there is what looks like a British marking with the Crown over a number or something (I forgot to get pictures of this). Is it normal for these Australian barrels to be marked with the crown, or would that mean that the rifle this barrel belonged to was serviced or something in Britain? That aside this barrel had an empty shell stuck in one end and some dirt about halfway down. I was quite optimistic knowing the abuse that enfield barrels can take, but after a run with a bronze brush and maybe 4 patches it came out strikingly clean and sharp. Like, it looks brand new: Lands' are still sharp, rifling is not even slightly rounded, no pitting, no marks, and a tight crown. Honestly looks like it has never fired a round in its life.
Attachment 90113Attachment 90114
Second thing I noticed was some cork packing in the front hand-guard forward from the mid-band. The fore-end is untouched, but has a little 'H' stamp in one of the floating points, and the barrel fits in this fore-end nicely, so I say it is a genuine issued 'H' fore-end rather than a hacked out normal profile stock. However there is no spring in the nose-cap, which may have just gotten lost at some point in storage, or could it possibly have been done away with when the cork packing was added? Perhaps to utilise only down-pressure rather than up-pressure? Nose-cap barrel hole has also been opened up generously. So maybe floated barrel with down pressure from the hand-guard or something?
Attachment 90115
On the fore-end there is also a nice collection of markings and even what looks like a Serial No. and some other stuff, like a 'B', '2' under an arrow, 'F', and maybe an 'M'. Serial looks like 26958 (Wood is quite dry and the stamps have shrunken so pics don't show much). The fore-end receiver bed looks pretty shiny in the forward half; any chance someone might have bedded this the traditional way?
Attachment 90116Attachment 90117Attachment 90118
Finally and most exciting to me is the Butt-stock: When I first saw this part I noticed the back end which has been extensively drilled out. I believed it was to be filled with lead shot to help with recoil and balance the rifle backwards (Good idea with a heavy barrel I suppose), but I mean this is pretty damn extensive, and neat. My next thought was that it might be a No5 butt-stock since they tried to lighten the rifles as much as possible (I've never seen a No5 stock before but it makes sense to me). The butt-stock also has a nice collection of markings: '11.55' (FTR date?), '2/47' (back to stores?), 'N.S.W' (Self explanatory), 'III' (MkIII), 'HV' (Ammo), 'M.A - LITHGOW - S.M.L.E', 'R', 'MA', and the interesting ones: 'S.GERR' or 'S!GERR' or 'STGERR' (Initials or something?), '5504' (no idea), 'L709' or '1709' (no idea), and finally a very swollen vein running through what looks like two inward facing arrows and an '83' (Its easier to see in person). I've never seen so many markings. The brass id plate is blank on the outside except for some scratches, but underneath is a star opening from the screw hole, and a little 'F1-91', and one other little mark that I can't make out yet. The butt also has a little gouge on the LHS which I recognise as from the screw on a set of aperture sights protruding through the wrist, and also it seems that the Butt-bolt has been cut flat, which would make sense except that the fore-end still has the steel insert to stop the screw bolt rotating. Now I remember seeing that the No5's had a cut down bolt here if I am not mistaken, couple that with the cutting out the back and I was really leaning towards the No5 theory. UNTIL, I decided to measure the butt, at which point I realised it was longer than my other butts: One of the elusive Long butt-stocks for someone of a similar build to myself. So I was confused: Why would a No5 be a available with an 'L' butt-stock if they were made in such low numbers and for the only purpose of being light, which a long stock would somewhat defeat.
Attachment 90119Attachment 90120Attachment 90121Attachment 90122Attachment 90123Attachment 90124
The conclusion I arrived at is that someone looked around and found this butt-stock, then coupled it with their brand new 'H' barrel, got started on some accurising techniques, then either gave up or ran into trouble and let it all go. Like I said it may be my age showing that this has me so excited but I am truly shaken by recieving these things, and I apologise for the long post but I figured some of you may feel some excitement about all of this too.
