another early LE carbine

[smle addict]

Hello All,

I have been chasing after this carbine for about five years. It belonged to a dealer I know who likes to collect, but rarely part with items in his personal collection. After some long negotiating (5 years!!!), it came home with me last night. It is what I believe to be a No. 3 trade pattern Lee Speed Commercial Carbine.
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It does not have the flattened and forward swept bolt as in the advert. I initially thought it had a swapped in bolt from a long lee. When I pulled it apart this morning, I was surprised and happy to see it is an all matching carbine, serial #193.
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Barrel, receiver, bolt, cocking piece, and rear sight all match. Odd that is has a long lee type bolt where as the catalog advert shows it with a swept bolt. Any theories from the forum?
Now the bad: it has a horribly mangled front sight. It might win first prize for worlds worst sight modification. The barrel has also been bobbed 2 inches. It has a "modified" cocking piece, where the sear engagement takes place. Does Bubba have no boundaries? It still holds, and the safety does engage. Not sure what the purpose of this mod was, other than to stiffen the trigger pull! And there is some wood damage.
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The rifling is worn, but strong. Also included in the deal was a martini-metford barrel in 303. The barrel is completely shot out, but it does have an intact front sight. I am going to have my local gunsmith correct the crown on the chop job, and install the front donor sight.

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