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SMLE rebuild or fakery?
I'd like opinions on this SMLE in regards to its history. Here is what I know. It is a Century Arm import, probably from the '80s or '90s. until a few days ago it was still coated in cosmoline, or the British equivalent. The butt socket stamp indicated production at Enfield in 1911. The barrel is dated 1941. The fore end and buttstock appear to be walnut, the upper hand guards beech. The butt was fitted with a zamak No.4 butt plate that was crudely filed to fit. The file marks are visible in the photo, there were matching file marks on the buttstock which I have removed. Receiver, barrel, nose cap and magazine bear the same number, the bolt is oddly numbered differently (see photo). All of the pieces show little wear, even the bolt is still fully blued with little evidence of use. Forgot to photo it but rear sight has a struck out number plus 1087.
Was this a 1911 action that was reworked in 1941 then either never issued or used for garrison duty where it saw little use or is it a total fabrication by someone with a home set of stamps?
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Re-stamped to match barrel serial number by a non-armourer. If it was a complete rework then I would have at least expected the letter prefix of the serial number to be on the relevant stamped parts but that is missing.
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Looks like a parts gun to me.
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Agree with Kiwi. The serial on the barrel looks like it is the only nmber that may have been there from the outset. The font of the numbers looks very 'modernish European' to me, as well. The rather tall thin numbers with the serifs on the '7' & so forth smell distinctly Germanic in style......
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Sigh, not the answer I hoped for but the one that I was pretty sure would be given. One the one hand it is nice to have my suspicions confirmed by my betters and realize I have actually learned a little in the many years of mucking about with Enfields and reading these forums, on the other it would have been nice to have an early war rebuild.
Thank you all for your time and insight.
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She may not be a 41 rebuild Bill, but she may still be a decent rifle:thup:.
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Report on range performance, that is the deciding factor.
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As Daan says, shoot it. There are so few left and so many are put together, it's almost what's available now.
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This has been languishing in the back of the safe for many, many years. While dirty and dark, I'm optimistic about the condition of the barrel. Hope to get a brush and some patches stuck into it next week and then I'll know.
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If it resists cleaning then bang it and try. Have faith, it'll be ok and then show us targets...