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Hi folks, I have a few marks Im not sure what they are as for the rest I do. I put arrows pointing to the ones I do not know. Its a 1917 No1 Mk3 but its reissue number is also 1917. Was it damaged and put back into service same year Im thinking? Any help would be great. I believe its an F stamped on barrel and reciever.
Attachment 111713
The '17 is the year the barrel was made I believe, the "C" is Canadian ownership. The others are hard for me to see.
Hi thx for reply . Interesting I thought that was the area where the reissue stamp went. Yes I did know this was Canadian and its all matching too BUT was sporterized years ago and was found in an attic in wall covered in a canvas tarp. I'm wondering if it was used by a soldier and never returned back during or after war. Just a guess I could be way off.
They look like inspectors stamps.
Yes, there's a mix of inspector's stamps & military proof stamps. It looks to me like the barrel is quite probably the original, & appears to be of BSA manufacture. The 'F' is just the serial letter prefix; it's an 'F' block rifle. The 'HV' indicates that it is sighted for the new (as it was then) high velocity MkVII ammunition. It could be quite costly to 'remilitarize' it, largely because of the price of the woodwork required, but I'd probably do it if it were mine, just for the fun of it.......
Is the rifle body a BSA?
Anything marked on the butt disc? (If any)
Anything in the butt trap?
There's a broad arrow (British) and a C broad arrow (Canadian) service mark, meaning it was issued by both countries. There's no sold out of service mark -I wish it could talk.
The real question is WWI issue or WWII? I suspect the details of the C Broad Arrow stamp will be the best indication.
The small EFD stamp on the reinforce that you pointed an arrow at would be the other clue, if tied to either war or era?
Hi thx for reply and knowledge of markings. It is full wood and it is a 1917 BSA SHTLE
---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------
I have an oiler in the butt stock ( bought on ebay not originally found in gun same year ) the disc is blank on both sides but was original to the gun. Why are some marked and some blank?
---------- Post added at 07:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------
Yes I wish it could talk too!!! My mind goes a bit in dreamland hoping it saw service as barrel has had quite a few rounds put thru it. Being 1917 would love to know if it was in Passchendaele, Hill 70, and of course Vimy. I find it odd that disc was blank and it was in a canvas tarp in the wall space. The wall space was NOT closed over or hidden in any way just that the gun was laying in between beams.
---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------
All stamping I can see on barrel and under wood indicate it is a purely WW1 rifle and has NOT been used in WW2 as there are no reissue stamps of any kind. Unless they didn't mark all reissued rifles Im not sure.
Yes she is full wood I ordered parts from all over lol. Except the butt is original.[COLOR="black"]
Most were just surplus and if you can imagine how many that was, someone hid it there because mother didn't like guns... The story isn't as romantic as we'd like.Quote:
Originally Posted by mac2017
So you put the wood back to full?Quote:
Originally Posted by mac2017
A find in a (English) Church tower :Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
WWI rifle found during work at St James Church belltower in Bushey | Watford Observer
It look like one of those 'specials' modified for the WW1 tunnelers, rather than a Lookout's rifle.
More likely to be a rifle illegally held (no licence) and was hidden there - It'd be interesting to see the headstamps / dates on the ammunition.
Didn't we have a thread about that one here some time back? Or it came to light during a discussion about tunneling rifles...
Yes I agree. I doubt it was hidden, I'd say it was just covered to keep dirt and dust off them as there were 3 guns covered under same tarp.
From old photos here in Canada it seems to have been mostly Winchesters and Savage 99s which were the preferred hunting rifles before WWI, with a sprinkling of other US makes and some Rosses. After the war the surplus Lee Enfields poured in. Were they popular because of price or because hundreds of thousands of men had become familiar with them during the war? Good question. Hard to say which group would be larger: those who who had learned to know and trust the rifle, if not "love" it and those who didn't care to be reminded of all that it represented. The Lee was seen somewhat as "yesterday's rifle" before the war restored its reputation, and not just in Canada either.
Tangential ramblings! ;)