Afghan Pickup Enfield ID Help

[drh2687]

Hi all. I am in Afghanistan with the US Army and have come into possession of one of the many Lee-Enfields floating around this country from God knows where or when. I know almost nothing about Enfields (my historic weapons knowledge is mostly limited to US arms) and need a little help.

In the little bit of reading I've done, I've learned a little and developed the questions below:

-The rifle appears to be in the No. 4 Mk 2 configuration. The side of the receiver is stamped Mk 1 (you can just barely make it out) so maybe it's one that was updated/converted. The stamp is very, very light and you can just barely make out the "1". Would it be marked as a "Mk 1/2" that maybe I can't quite make out, or did they not re-stamp the converted rifles?

-There is another stamp in front (towards the barrel) of where the "No 4 Mk 1" mentioned above is on the left side of the reciever. It is completely unreadable as the stamp is too light. What should be here?]
Attachment 46360
^Left Side Reciever Markings

-I understand that Enfield serial numbers generally fit the format of one letter and five numbers (A12345). Mine shows a serial number of three letters and four numbers (FDM2022). This number is shown and matches on the receiver band (if that is the right term), the bolt knob, the magazine floorplate, and the barrel. I have not yet been able to find either that alpha-numeric format nor that specific prefix (FDM) on any of the SN lists I've seen. Can anyone shed some light?
Attachment 46358
^Bolt Knob SN
Attachment 46357
^Barrel SN

-There is another number stamped below the serial number that is completely unreadable. They are really just shapes. Is it likely they are some sort of arabic characters that were added after it made it's way to this part of the world?. There is also a backwards "K" with a little squiggle next to it and a number "5" below it. I don't even know where to begin with these.
Attachment 46359
^Reciever Band Left Side

-The barrel is marked with "BE29" or "BB29" (can't tell) and the crown stamp. There is also what looks like might be an inspector mark with "B27" in a circle. There are a few other stamps that you can see in the photo (when I get it up), including what might be another smaller crown with some letters/numbers and two arrow looking things "^^".
Attachment 46356
^Barrel Markings

-The rifle is stamped "DP" for Drill Purpose all over, but appears to be functional.

-The forearm does not have an Ishapor screw. Does this mean it was not produced in India and found it's way to Afghanistan via some other means?

I will try to get some photos up shortly to help show all this. Given this info, what conclusions can be drawn about where the rifle was produced, what year it was produced, and how a "drill purpose" rifle might have wound up in use on the current Afghan battlefield? (Granted, I know that last part will be 98% speculation, as these things were sent all over the globe.)

Thanks!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Badger]

Here's a few links to other threads where Peter and others have discussed the pitfalls of DP and ZF marked rifles ...

ZF marking on Enfields?

DP Stock Marks Query

DP Rifles

Please read them all thoroughly before you go and shoot it ...

Pics of your rifle would be helpful ...

If you can't post them, then email them to me at badger@milsurps.com and I'll re-size them and put them in this thread for you.

Regards,
Doug

[Badger]

Although this article may not apply directly to this thread, I thought this article might be interesting tangential reading ...

With thanks to member Steve H. in N.Y., we've added a new entry to the United Kingdom - Milsurp Knowledge Library (click here)

“Khyber Pass” Lee-Enfield No.I Mk.III* Rifle (click here)

Article extract …..

The Khyber Pass is a border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan known for it’s local weapons industry, notably the often crude manufacture of copies of well known firearms including Lee-Enfield rifles. These “KP Special” Enfields were fairly rare here in the USA until 2007 when a quantity were imported, then they turned up in dealers’ racks and on several web sites. Unfortunately, the rifles were not always advertised as what they really were with their false markings, dubious quality and general unsuitability for firing live ammunition.

Samples from 30 picture photo montage …

(Click PIC to Enlarge)(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug

[drh2687]

Pics of your rifle would be helpful ...

Got 'em up. Had to switch over to the laptop I had the pics on.

[Peter Laidler]

Made at Maltby in Yorkshire and looks like it's been linished and re-numbered - badly. And it's a bog standard Mk1 rifle. Like you say, we saw zillions of them

[drh2687]

That's excellent info gentlemen - thank you very much!

I certainly was not expecting anything special about it; I understand that it's plain-jane. I was mostly curious and quite frankly just don't know what I don't know about these rifles.

Any notion on the year of manufacture?

Mr. Laidler - you mentioned renumbering. Would that account for the"FD" serial prefix that I can't seem to find on any lists? (Making the original SN M2022?)

Thanks again!

[Peter Laidler]

Year of manufacture looks like an obliterated 1942 to me. Any others comment on Maltby or the serial number range?

[ssj]

Is it a real enfield or a Kyber pass copy?

It just looks so hand made....

[Peter Laidler]

I think that the fitters at ROF 6/Fazakerley learned their trade from the Khyber Pass tribesmen. Ho, ho, ho. The old jokes are always the best!

[drh2687]

Is it a real enfield or a Kyber pass copy?

It just looks so hand made....

The stamping shown the the photos is pretty poor, but the actual assembly and mechanics of the rifle are of good quality. Granted, it is beat up and neglected as are most items in the country. It does not appear to my untrained eye (in terms of Enfields) to be a Khyber copy. That was one of my initial suspicions, as it came into my possession from about 30km away from the actual Khyber Pass (not sure where the factory is/was in relation to that). The strange markings below the serial number further fueled this idea for me, but it sounds from Mr. Laidler like that's what he's saying might be the date.