Long Branch SMLE Replacement Barrels

[Yeandle31]

Hey all,

I am seeking some information on Long Branch (Small Arms Limited) produced No1 MkIII (SMLE) barrels. With the Canadian Army not officially adopting the No4 until 1943, SAL would've overhauled some SMLEs to keep operations going. With that said, overhaul would've included replacing shot out barrels.

I currently have three SAL produced SMLE barrels (1 - 1942, 2 - 1943).

Does anyone have any info/official documentation about them? I am very interested to know more about them, including how many were produced.

Many thanks,
Kevin

Information

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[Brian Dick]

Hi Kevin,

I don't have any documentation, but I do have one here that was part of the deal I did purchasing all of Can Am Enterprise's remaining parts and accessories in the 1990s in Port Dover. It was rusty so I Parkerized it. It's never had a rear or front sight base fitted. I haven't seen one since and have never examined one on a complete rifle, (I've had a few hundred), so like all things CF, there may not be a large quantity of them.

Brian

[Warren]

I have the number of barrels for the No.1 Mk.3 produced in Canada for the rebuild process
I will dig it out and post it sometime this weekend.

[Surpmil]

I've had a couple and there's not much to tell. They were made as late as 1943 and show a typical two digit date stamp, LB stamp, proof stamp and C Broad Arrow stamp. Rifling is typical SMLE and appears somewhat shallow compared to a No.4. Finish and machining is up to the usual standard for LB.

SMLE's were in use for training in Canada, and in the UK no doubt. Remember that the federal government had foolishly agreed to sublimate the Canadian supply system into the British War Office, so they divvied out whatever they wanted to the Canadian Army in Britain, when they wanted, and it wasn't necessarily Canadian built equipment.

[Yeandle31]

I've had a couple and there's not much to tell. They were made as late as 1943 and show a typical two digit date stamp, LB stamp, proof stamp and C Broad Arrow stamp. Rifling is typical SMLE and appears somewhat shallow compared to a No.4. Finish and machining is up to the usual standard for LB.

SMLE's were in use for training in Canada, and in the UK no doubt. Remember that the federal government had foolishly agreed to sublimate the Canadian supply system into the British War Office, so they divvied out whatever they wanted to the Canadian Army in Britain, when they wanted, and it wasn't necessarily Canadian built equipment.

That's an interesting point.

It makes sense that SAL would have had to produce new SMLE barrels given that the Canadian Army didn't adopt the No4 until 1943 in preparation for the 1st Division landing at Sicily. So up until that point, they would've had to maintain all the aging SMLEs in service.

One thing I have not been able to confirm yet is when the last SMLEs were pulled from service. I did see a video of Canadian troops moving in-land from the Juno beachhead. So that would leave me to believe that the SMLEs were still in service as of June 1944. Although, who knows if the video as staged and the SMLE had been relegated to rear echelon (ie. a film crew) troops.

I hope to post some photos in the near future of my LB SMLE barrels.

Thanks for the info all!

[browningautorifle]

that would leave me to believe that the SMLEs were still in service as of June 1944.

My dad went into Italy with a No1Mk3 rifle. He told me about an issue when the bayonet was used. Therefore the rifles did much more than just training in Canada and needed refurb before wartime use. He never spoke of a No4 rifle, either didn't occur to him or didn't matter. He also landed at Normandy.