SMLE Stock Disc Markings

[Thunderstreak]

I’m looking for help in deciphering the stock disc on my EFD built No1 Mk3*.
One suggestion was the Royal Montreal Regiment, but that doesn’t account for the “B.”
I assume the 10 29 is the date of issue.
What is the significance of the “E” at the top and the “2” at the bottom.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

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[Strangely Brown]

Attachment 131306

One suggestion was the Royal Montreal Regiment, but that doesn’t account for the “B.”

My take on this is, Royal Montreal Regiment, B Company.

[Surpmil]

Rocky Mountain Rangers would be another guess.

[browningautorifle]

172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers), CEF... Not RMR.

[Surpmil]

172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers), CEF... Not RMR.

SMLE's were not on issue in Canada before WWI.

That level of detail, whatever it may refer to, is never seen on WWI CEF marking discs IME.

Therefore it is almost certainly a post-WWI militia battalion issue.

It may well be Royal Montreal Regiment, but I see no proof.

[browningautorifle]

SMLE's were not on issue in Canada before WWI

True.

[Sapper740]

The Abbreviation for Rocky Mountain Rangers is R.M.R.S. I just scoured "The Broad Arrow" and R.M.R. according to the book is the Royal Montreal Regiment but, and this is a big BUT the Royal Montreal Regiment did not come into being until April 1, 1920. Prior to that it was named the 58th Westmount Rifles and was raised on Nov. 2nd, 1914. The chance that a No.1 MkIII* still had its butt disc is slim although there is the slight possibility, albeit slim that when the 58th Westmount Rifles changed to the RMR they might have installed a new butt disc....but then you have to ask who was issuing SMLE's to Canadian Regiments in 1929?

[browningautorifle]

Royal Montreal Regiment did not come into being until April 1, 1920.

Fact is most didn't have a name until then or even later (1922) when the directive came out to drop the number system of the CEF and adopt a name. Even then it was a dragged out process.

[mattyboy82]

The chance that a No.1 MkIII* still had its butt disc is slim although there is the slight possibility, albeit slim that when the 58th Westmount Rifles changed to the RMR they might have installed a new butt disc....but then you have to ask who was issuing SMLE's to Canadian Regiments in 1929?

The stock disc is marked the the 2nd Battalion, Royal Montreal Regt - B COY.

The single letter above the issuing date on Canadian marked rifles denotes what city and NOT what base. The 2nd Bn RMR also had a small elements from and also located at.....Edmonton. It was spread far and wide!. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in the 1930s and raised again for WW2.

Even in the mid-1920s, Canadian Militia still had Ross rifles and it was reported in the Militia 1920/1921 yearly report, that there was 90,000 Ross Rifles and 104,000 SMLEs in Canada. The Ross rifles were going to be phased out of Militia service and SMLEs were to be spread around to the other militia units. The SMLEs were in storage having just had the last shipment sent from Britain in 1921. Also on the topic of butt discs, nearly all Mk.III* rifles being produced up to that point still had butt discs. They were just not being unit marked during overseas use. Certainly in Canada, Britain, NZ and Australia in the 1920s and 1930s, marking of butt discs became a fairly common thing to do. Australian rifles can be hit and miss on that as they generally stamped the military district on the receiver but occasionally one can see a butt disc marked. During WW2, there was all removed or new ones placed on etc.

A chap has come up with some wonderful information on Canadian marked rifles and bayonets etc;
https://www.enfield-stuff.com/Pages/...ueue/qCAN.html

[Sapper740]

A chap has come up with some wonderful information on Canadian marked rifles and bayonets etc;
https://www.enfield-stuff.com/Pages/...ueue/qCAN.html

Looking at the page you posted a link to has led me to find an erratum in Mr. Skennerton's book, "The Broad Arrow Mk2". He has the Governor General's Body Guard stamp listed as C.G.B.G. while the brass disc photo on the page you linked clearly has it as G.G.B.G. which makes more sense. In Mr. Skennerton's defense, he has always admitted there are errors and omissions in his books and this is clearly a spelling error.