Lee Metford minutia

[englishman_ca]

Stuff like this peaks my curiosity.

I have an 1890 Sparkbrook made Mk.I Lee Metford upgraded to Mk.I*.

The trigger guard, which is also Sparkbrook marked has a small hole in the right hand side adjacent to the magazine release. It looks clean and square and for all the world like it has been there since it left the factory.

[IMG][/IMG]

I have other Mk.I rifles but no hole present.

At first I thought it might have been part of the manufacturing process, in similar fashion to the wee striker snapping hole in the left hand side of a Sht.LE Mk.III charger bridge. (If you haven't noticed this, go look, but don't insert the tip of your striker!). Nothing lies below the hole in the far side of the guard so I doubt it was part of a machining process.
Also doubtful that it is an oiler hole as the mag release and sear pivot are pretty much accessible to oil from the opening in the guard in front of the trigger.

It is a puzzler. It is quite evident even when the wood is on the rifle, so I am asking you if you have a Mk.I to go take a quick look see. It obviously was discontinued with later production, but for what was its purpose?

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[HarryB]

Hey Englishman. Minutia all right, I hadn't even noticed it until I read your post then went to look. I have two L.M. rifles made as MkI's then upgraded to MkI* one with the hole one without. Both with Enfield marked trigger guards. Now I'm curious too.Attachment 88971Attachment 88972

[Bruce_in_Oz]

On page 59 of Ian Skennerton's "The Lee Enfield", there is a photo of one of the 1888 trials rifles with just such a hole.

My "guess" is that there were "experiments" with the design of the magazine latch, one such possibly being one that was pivoted in the trigger-guard and having a different spring arrangement. The "Improved" (Remington) Lee, with it's one-piece stock. has a transverse plunger in pretty much the same place. This seems to have been one variant on the magazine latch idea.

I do not own ANY of this sort of exotica, just books about them and have only been able to drool over the very few I have seen in "the wild".

Anyone have any proper information?

How many "bits and pieces" from these experiments found their way onto "production rifles will never be known, especially given that almost ALL of the first few hundred went to troop trials and then to places unknown.

[ActionYobbo]

if you were to put a pin in there would it stop the mag release from being used?

[HarryB]

if you were to put a pin in there would it stop the mag release from being used?

No it doesn't stop the release from being used.

[browningautorifle]

if you were to put a pin in there

You'd have to drill through the mag catch, wouldn't you? That could have been done at one time though, if required...

[Bruce_in_Oz]

"if you were to put a pin in there would it stop the mag release from being used?"

Interesting point. A bit more robust than a few links of chain at the front to stop the lads losing magazines.

[Bindi2]

1890
1*
serial # 900
has the hole as shown.

[Lance]

I have 4 MLM Mk I* variations (303 & 22), three out of the four have the hole.

[englishman_ca]

Bindi2, Wow!, that serial number suggests very early production.

Could you be persuaded to post some pics of some of its details? The markings on the right side of the butt socket? The modified front sight ramp? The receiver mounted safety catch area? The bolt cocking piece?

For practical reasons, I am attempting to fabricate and retrofit a safety catch to an early Mk.I receiver that was converted into a .22 trainer. I have figured out what needs to be made, confirmed by some pics of parts of an original.
It gets used around the farm and gets shot a lot by my nieces and nephews. They think that it is the coolest. But I do want to fit a safety.