Enfield Rifle scope with attachments ....

[shilly]

Hi chaps,i have been using the site for some time,but until now never had the courage to leave a message.
I live in North wales ,u.k and am a keen collector of certain ww1 items,such as trench art and related ww1 literature.
I do however have some items left by my family that i havnt a clue about,such as a Lee Enfield Rifle scope with attachments,i could really do with your help in identifying the model and the extras...can u help ?

Information

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[PrinzEugen]

Sure - ideally post pictures, what are the markings on it?

[shilly]

Hi there ,many thanks for your reply ,i will post some pictures later this evening ..however the markings on the scope are ..TEL STIG NO 32 ,MK..? OS 2039A ..NO 26337....I cant tell what mk.no. is as it is covered by the mounts..its been in a loft for nearly 40 years and i a bit reluctant to try and remove it ...hope this helps ...best regards shilly

[PrinzEugen]

Sure - well it's a no32 mk3 scope which would have sat atop a Lee Enfield No4 mk1 (T) sniper rifle. Depending on condition it's worth a fair few quid and if it comes with an original bracket (which yours does) it'll be worth even more. There'll be a lot of collectors who'll want it to make up a full sniper rifle. Does it come in a metal case?

[shilly]

Thanks for your quick reply..i really need to post some pics later, what date would you put on it ..im trying to ascertain whether it was actually used by a family member ..best regards..shilly

[Thunderbox]

Shilly, these telescopic sights were manufactured 1941-46. The 4(T) sniper rifles were used from 1941 through to the 1970s. The number indicates that its a Mk3. The metal bracket will probably have a rifle number on it, which will be one letter followed by a 5-digit number starting with a 3, e.g. "V37345" or similar.

By the way, there is a large arms fair taking place at Bisley in Surrey during weekend after next 22-23 October. There will be several Lee Enfield specialists on the trade stands there, including myself. If you happen to be around, bring the scope along and we can tell you exactly what you've got and how much its worth.

[shilly]

Many thanks for that...the dates correspond to my grandfathers army service..i need to do some more digging..and now try to work out how to apply photos to this thread...best regards shilly !!

[Roger Payne]

Shilly,
Yes, it is definitely a No32 Mk3 off a 1944/45 era No4 (T) WW2 Lee Enfield sniper's rifle. However, the mounts are something that has been put together post-War to enable it to be used on a self-loading rifle, & are not original to the scope. The scope looks 'well loved' but is still quite a valuable piece. Shame it doesn't have the original No4 bracket with it. You mentioned that it has been in the loft for 40 years....well of course 40 years ago our government here in the UK trusted us to possess sef-loading weapons. Was anyone a shooter in your family?

I am in the process of restoring several original No4 (T), so if you weaken on selling it.......please would you consider pm'ing me as I'd be interested in it (if I'm not knocked over in the rush!)?

ATB

[shilly]

Hi roger..thank you for the detail,this scope is part of a large collection passed on to me by my father, i believe he had a passion for shooting some time ago,he collected allsorts of militaria from trench art to lugers,ive even got some original civil war stuff...i am considering selling the scope as my interests lie with ww1 ephemera..george bairnsfather etc. however i will obviously inform you of the situation should i decide to sell..best regards ..shilly

[Roger Payne]

Many thanks shilly. In fact I have a passion for The Great War myself, & spend a lot of time over on The Somme (but not enough!) specifically, & The Western Front generally. The picture of me on the roof of a bunker in my profile was actually taken in Bourlon Wood on The Hindenburg Line defences last year. Your scope looks to me as though perhaps your father or whoever he got it from may have made (or had made) the mounts so that it could be used on a self-loader, back in the days when the average Joe could still legally own one in functional condition. Sadly, since Hungerford, long gone...

Thanks for bearing me in mind.

ATB