1896 LMC MK1 Type3

[Lithy]

As promised for Simon, here are some pics of my Metford Carbine.

For the uninitiated and with thanks to the authority on these beasties, Coggansfield, the variations of Lee-Metford carbine are as follows:

Type 1: base model with D-ring (usually now missing) and butt sling bar. A total of 16,661 made, after deducting other subtypes and conversions to other models.

Type 2: made in spring 1896, with no D-ring but with the sling bar. Rare, 735 made in total.

Type 3: made from summer 1896 onward, with neither D-ring nor sling bar. Rare, probably about 800-850 made.





















Please feel free to argue that it may be a type two upgraded to type three in service due to the repair in the butt.

Information

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[boltaction]

Very nice! Good to see it still has the screws to hold on the leather action cover. I've run across and owned several LMC and LEC over the years, and those screws are very often missing.

Ed

[englishman_ca]

Truly a wonderful example. All matching and un-messed with. Thanks for posting it for us to see.

If you ever need a left testicle, I would trade you for it (well, maybe not the left one).

The butt stock is very interesting. The type 2 had the sling bar and associated inletting. Yours appears to be a factory modification to such a type 1 or 2 by patching the inletting.

I pondered for a while as why would the factory just not fit a new pattern butt? Well they certainly did with some if not most of the type 3 production. But what would they do with any inventory of the old pattern butt in stores? Of course, being frugal as ever, they modified the old inventory of sling bar butts to the new pattern, fitted it and out the door it went. So in essence a rare variation of butt stock on a rare variation of a rare carbine. Never seen this before and unlikely to see it again.

My type 2 is only a few hundred away in serial number. I will post some pics in the morning when I have some decent light.

[englishman_ca]

Here she be. My Type 2 for comparison. I was way off with the serial number, not that close.

[IMG][/IMG]

Still in sporter form, she waits her turn on the rack for repairs to the forearm.

Note the 'twin sisters' condemed marking on the nock's form. havn't figured out why just yet. I need a guage to check the throat but it looks good with the neked eye.

[browningautorifle]

Note the 'twin sisters' condemed marking on the nock's form

Condemned? Or sold out of service?

[Lithy]

Note the 'twin sisters' condemed marking on the nock's form. havn't figured out why just yet. I need a guage to check the throat but it looks good with the neked eye.

As with the DP on mine.

I suspect the Metford rifling had a fair bit to do with it.

---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:21 PM ----------

Just thinking out loud here, but your Type 2 has serial number A9609 whilst my Type 3 is A7452 which leads me to consider two options.

Mine is a Type 2 that has had the sling bar removed in service, or yours is a Type 3 that has had the butt replaced with an earlier version.

[HarryB]

As with the DP on mine.

I suspect the Metford rifling had a fair bit to do with it.

---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:21 PM ----------

Just thinking out loud here, but your Type 2 has serial number A9609 whilst my Type 3 is A7452 which leads me to consider two options.

Mine is a Type 2 that has had the sling bar removed in service, or yours is a Type 3 that has had the butt replaced with an earlier version.

Lithy, I saw an 1896 LMC at an AAA auction serial number A8296 and it had the sling bar in the but also, but this may not be conclusive either because I had reservations about the butt and/or the butt disc. The disc was marked with an issue date of 7/1895.
You have a very nice carbine there. Have you owned it long?

[englishman_ca]

One can guess much from serial numbers, but a large sample is needed to see a pattern develop. A8296 could well be a Type 2. But the 1895 marked butt disc is obviously not original to the 1896 dated carbine.


1895 LMC Type 1, D ring removed, sight cover screws added, serial 2854A
1895 LMC Type 1, D ring intact. serial 5214A ex Canadian service
1895 LMC Type 1, D ring intact, serial 5699A likely ex Canadian
1895 LMC Type 1, D ring intact, serial 5817A likely ex Canadian
1896 LMC Type 2, no D ring, serial 9609A (or as suggested, a type 3 with a sling bar butt replacement)

Canada purchased only 500 LMC arms in 1895, but their serial numbers do not appear to have been sequential as their spread is greater than 500.

---------- Post added at 07:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:33 PM ----------

Condemned? Or sold out of service?

The twin sisters, being a double capital R back to back is a condemned marking. I guess that a condemned rifle could be converted to a DP, but this one hasn't.

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------

As with the DP on mine.

I suspect the Metford rifling had a fair bit to do with it.

---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:21 PM ----------

Just thinking out loud here, but your Type 2 has serial number A9609 whilst my Type 3 is A7452 which leads me to consider two options.

Mine is a Type 2 that has had the sling bar removed in service, or yours is a Type 3 that has had the butt replaced with an earlier version.

For sure, my carbine has a later (higher) serial number than yours. So let's just assume that it is later production. I note that yours has had the sight cover screws added, which, if I recall correctly was an 1897 onwards retrofit. Your wrist strap has several factory rework markings, so perhaps the butt was brought into line with pattern arms when the screws were added by patching the sling bar inletting. That would lead me to suggest that they are both type 2 carbines. Only guess work, I can't back it up.

[browningautorifle]

The twin sisters, being a double capital R back to back is a condemned marking.

First time I've heard that. Thanks...

[englishman_ca]

Now thinking on about a butt disc dated 7/1895. I have this 1895 dated LMC with the D ring removed and sight screws added (screws not shown fitted, they were in an ash tray on my work bench, and I have this young kitten....).




The butt disc has a rack number 541.


The same rack number is marked on the butt socket







The disc has been crudely canceled using a '1' character and 11 18 applied. The unit markings are still evident. There is a story that came with this carbine, that it once might have been carried by this young officer of the Queens Own 4th Hussars.