Siamese Lee Enfield

[BGunther]

This followed me home. I'm located in Alberta. Repro Stock front and back would likely be a 1st investment.
Can't read Siamese, but I'd say it's non matching...the symbols look different, no?
Any tips or advice to start a redo?

[browningautorifle]

Not really much to do, change the wood and go on. It's about as good as it's going to get. Good luck finding the front boss and bayonet marked to a Siamese...

[BGunther]

Not exactly an Atta-boy. Thanks for the encouragement. I somehow thought it would be better received than that....foolish me.

[BVZ24]

Depending on where it was sporter cut you might be able to save some of your forestock. You can replace a band forward cut with a splice under the band. Otherwise, Prestigious in Canada makes a very nice stock set using several different species of wood. It's worth noting that their butt stock is the "long" size. You will have a hard time finding correctly marked parts, but most serviceable British or Indian parts will make it look complete while you hunt for originals.

[Bindi2]

why invest more $ into this rifle it is what it is. Finding the parts needed for a rebuild is like looking for the fairy dust on the top shelf along side the chooks teeth. Having a Siam marked action is better than no Siam.
Yes i do have a Siam rifle and bayonet.

[Mk VII]

When these show up, they are usually ridden hard and put away wet.

[smle addict]

Very nice score! The Siamese contract rifles are a unique find, when you CAN find them.

I have only seen three in my lifetime. The first one I had ever seen was at a gunshow in 1994, and I quickly bought it with no haggling. It is a 1990's import, and like yours, has a mis-matched but correct bolt. Having only seen three, I'm not terribly versed on these rifles, but I believe the only Siamese-number marked parts are the bolt, the receiver, and the barrel. My rifle has no serial under the rear sight bar, and the nosecap is un-numbered as well. The other two I have seen were exactly the same (with very dark, oil soaked, timber). A quick glance at Skennertons LE book (page 192) states the nosecap boss' were numbered in siamese. No mention was made of the rear sight. As I said, my rifle and the other two did not have numbered nose-caps. But three rifles is a very small statistical pool, so this is by no means definitive.

Dont know if you noticed, but your rear sight bed is still calibrated for Mk 6 ammunition. I have attached a few pics of my enfield, and for comparisons. An SMLE Mk III calibrated for Mk 7 is pictured above my siamese SMLE. Note the difference in sight-bed profiles.

Good luck with your rifle, and great find!

[BGunther]

Very nice score! The Siamese contract rifles are a unique find, when you CAN find them.

I have only seen three in my lifetime. The first one I had ever seen was at a gunshow in 1994, and I quickly bought it with no haggling. It is a 1990's import, and like yours, has a mis-matched but correct bolt. Having only seen three, I'm not terribly versed on these rifles, but I believe the only Siamese-number marked parts are the bolt, the receiver, and the barrel. My rifle has no serial under the rear sight bar, and the nosecap is un-numbered as well. The other two I have seen were exactly the same (with very dark, oil soaked, timber). A quick glance at Skennertons LE book (page 192) states the nosecap boss' were numbered in siamese. No mention was made of the rear sight. As I said, my rifle and the other two did not have numbered nose-caps. But three rifles is a very small statistical pool, so this is by no means definitive.

Dont know if you noticed, but your rear sight bed is still calibrated for Mk 6 ammunition. I have attached a few pics of my enfield, and for comparisons. An SMLE Mk III calibrated for Mk 7 is pictured above my siamese SMLE. Note the difference in sight-bed profiles.

Good luck with your rifle, and great find!

Thanks for the help. LE and Mausers have such a variety...often times one gets bad advice because it is out of a members niche. Some good points you have forwarded...this gives me something to work on.
Thank you very much
Regards
BG

[Bindi2]

The serials dont match.
Knocks/Knoxs 1678
Barrel 1738
The best i can do from The Broad Arrow by Skennerton.
As i said before putting money into this action will not increase its value as a collector piece. If usable shoot it. The rifle completed will always be a Bitzer.

[smle addict]

Hey Bindi, I'm seeing 1627 on both barrel/receiver, although the numbers on the receiver look to have more surface wear and may have partially obliterated from years of hard use. At least to me, they appear to match...