SMLE .410 sporter conversion

[swotty]

Hi Everyone!
First post here and couldn't see an introductions section (although not very forum savvy!)
I'm Andy from Somerset UK and owner of a No4 mk1* Long Branch and a SMLE .410 conversion that I wondered if anyone has any info on. It's got a bolt which appears to have a safety on(?) and is marked VR (crown) so I'm assuming it's quite an early rifle??
Any info or help would be appreciated....
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.

[Beerhunter]

It has lot of civilian Proof marks that can barely be seen and so more pictures are needed of those areas. (Rather than one trying to cover them all.) e.g between the wars Bimingham Miltary. The markings forward of the knox form are the one applied when it was converted to a shotgun.

Pictures need of the whole gun and a picture each of the left an right but sockets.

[breakeyp]

BSA made .410 garden guns using obsolete Long Lee parts after 1900. Socket will be marked with B.S.A. and no military markings.

[swotty]

BSA made .410 garden guns using obsolete Long Lee parts after 1900. Socket will be marked with B.S.A. and no military markings.

Sadly any marks on the socket have been removed, it does look like a professional job as the chequering looks to be done quite nicely on the wood work.
Has anyone any thoughts regarding the bolt?

[breakeyp]

To clarify and expand my comments, BSA made a new model .410 garden gun based on the then obsolete Long Lee Enfield Rifle. I was looking at a period BSA sponsored 3x6 bound notebook, titled, "The Rifleman's Dictionary and Pocket Book." It was written by Ernest H. Robinson and has no publication date. The front is a dictionary of rifle terms and notebook blank pages fill the back of the book. Interspaced in the book are BSA advertisements. One ad is for the BSA .410 shotgun. It fires the "new" 2 1/2 inch .410 shell and will pattern, 88% of the shot in a 15 inch circle at 20 yards. Price was 42/6. Interestingly there is another ad for the same gun in .32-40 Winchester (I have never seen an example).

[swotty]

To clarify and expand my comments, BSA made a new model .410 garden gun based on the then obsolete Long Lee Enfield Rifle. I was looking at a period BSA sponsored 3x6 bound notebook, titled, "The Rifleman's Dictionary and Pocket Book." It was written by Ernest H. Robinson and has no publication date. The front is a dictionary of rifle terms and notebook blank pages fill the back of the book. Interspaced in the book are BSA advertisements. One ad is for the BSA .410 shotgun. It fires the "new" 2 1/2 inch .410 shell and will pattern, 88% of the shot in a 15 inch circle at 20 yards. Price was 42/6. Interestingly there is another ad for the same gun in .32-40 Winchester (I have never seen an example).

Wow...i've never heard of the 32-40 Win version, my barrel length 640mm so this would lead me to believe it's an SMLE(of course it could be a Long Lee Enfield that has been shortened) but this would make it too late to have the VR stamp? Can anyone clarify what the small lever on the right of the bolt is? I'm assuming a safety, if so does anyone know when this changed to the safety to the left of the action?
Thank you for your help chaps....

[breakeyp]

THe lever is a safety that was present on late long lee enfields. The gun was purpose made and not a conversion. Without digging mine out, I remember that the barrel and receiver were one piece.

[swotty]

THe lever is a safety that was present on late long lee enfields. The gun was purpose made and not a conversion. Without digging mine out, I remember that the barrel and receiver were one piece.

Interesting, purpose made as a .410? Would this be around 1900?

---------- Post added at 03:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

Well this is somethign I've never heard of. Something else to look out for at gunshows I guess. Any chance of pictures of the whole item please?

It's in bits at the moment but hopefully I'll have it back together on the weekend, I'll take some pictures then and post them.

[Colonel Enfield]

To clarify and expand my comments, BSA made a new model .410 garden gun based on the then obsolete Long Lee Enfield Rifle. I was looking at a period BSA sponsored 3x6 bound notebook, titled, "The Rifleman's Dictionary and Pocket Book." It was written by Ernest H. Robinson and has no publication date. The front is a dictionary of rifle terms and notebook blank pages fill the back of the book. Interspaced in the book are BSA advertisements. One ad is for the BSA .410 shotgun. It fires the "new" 2 1/2 inch .410 shell and will pattern, 88% of the shot in a 15 inch circle at 20 yards. Price was 42/6. Interestingly there is another ad for the same gun in .32-40 Winchester (I have never seen an example).

From a bit of research, my educated guess is the book was written about 1912 - the author is also credited with a book entitled Rifle Training For War, which was published in 1914 and credits him as being the author of The Rifleman's Dictionary - meaning the book you have had to have been written earlier. As I mentioned in your pic thread, 42/6 in 1912 is worth about £187.90 today; I believe that's about USD$290. Seems like a fair price for such a gun, and I imagine there'd be extras available such as chequering, express sights, better grade stock wood etc for which the well-heeled sportsman could pay extra to enhance their purchase.

[newcastle]

Well this is somethign I've never heard of. Something else to look out for at gunshows I guess. Any chance of pictures of the whole item please?