My 'New' Long Lee

[Robert303]

Here are some pictures of my new rifle. A bit of a gamble as it was bought at auction 'sight unseen'. I'm rather curious about the M marked on the flat at the rear of the receiver and on the foresight protector as according to Skennerton that indicates Metford rifling. I'm no expert but it does not look like Metford rifling to me. Having said that it's got the filthiest bore I've seen for a long time. Am in the process of cleaning it now. Am I correct in thinking that this was a Lee Enfield Mk I converted into a Charger Loading Lee Enfield Mark I* in 1910?

I do not fully understand the second 'I' under the LE I on the right hand side. Any ideas?

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Is that not a 1?

[Robert303]

You may well be right but in that case what is the 'I' above the 1 ?

[browningautorifle]

Not sure, but there are a few here that will be. It's the original way they marked them with the 1, but the lower 1 is out of place...

[gsimmons]

It's a Victorian era marking denoting first class arm.

[stevesmle]

Mark I. 1st class Arm, its the revision of an earlier marking standard, applied to British rifles, up to and including the Martini Henry. It stopped with the manufacture of magazine arms in 1888, but for some reason was reinstated on Lee Enfields in part of the 1899 manufacturing year, I have seen BSA, Enfield and Sparkbrook made rifles with this marking, but not any LSA examples.