Enigmatic markings on a Metford Mk1* Volunteer/Lee Speed

[Madzi]

Hi All,

Hope this is the right forum for this post.

My parents got hold of a Metford Mk1*/Volunteer pattern for my 14th birthday in what was then Rhodesia in 1978 (for the princely sum of Rhd$12 at a deceased estate auction). It had been nominally deactivated with a plug of lead hammered into the chamber (an old .450 or similar). Health and safety being what it was in those days, this was soon rectified and the rifle tested with some MkVII ammunition from our convoy escort browning. (We were north east Rhodesia and the Bush War was in full swing). Apart from significant expansion to the base of the case, and the round tumbling as it exited the muzzle, all was well! (So could have legit claim to have been the oldest rifle used actively on convoy escorts etc in the Bush War! ;-)

What is of interest, though, are the markings, and potential origins of this rifle. Bolt and rifle number do not match, and the bolt (or certainly the cocking piece - is for a Mk1). The brass disk is marked 3/1893 and was in the racks of the South Staffordshire regiment (crossed out so removed from service) - however the receiver body marking does not have the crown cypher etc - it just has Lee Speed Patents - and no manufacturer stamp. (There were, however, BSA stacked rifles on the barrel nocks on the original barrel). The only other two Metford Volunteers that I've seen without the manufactures mark there were both Jameson Raid captures in the possession of the Boers - one is detailed in one of Ian McCullum's excellent series on forgotten weapons , and the other was still in the possession of the original Boer family in the Limpopo Valley (came across that while in the SADF circa 1988). The Grandfather (who had been a "bittereinder" had hidden his personal "roer" on final surrender, like many Boers and instead had handed in a recently-captured Long Lee or similar.) Coincidently, that was in the same area that Ian McCullum's rifle originated (Messina/Muscina - spelt Mucscina on Ian's rifle), so could have been a batch of Jameson Raid captures sent to the local commando.

The British South Africa Company (behind the Jameson Raid) BSA Lee-Speeds are described in Skennertons' Lee Enfield Story (pg 67), although likelihood from the above 2 confirmed rifles are that the BSA&M manufacturer markings were on the Nocks, rather than the receiver as per the photo he supplies. While 600 or so rifles were captured by the Boers, the remaining "few thousand" remained in Rhodesia and were certainly used during the '96 Matabele and Mashona rebellions. Would have been a no-brainer, given location of the rifle, that mine was one of them, if it wasn't for the South Staffs butt marker. The marker has moulded into the wood, so has been there forever. Potential theories are that many Boer rifles were smashed against rocks etc at surrender (either by the Boers or by the British) to render them crudely "unserviceable" so could be a replacement butt. Or someone objected to Boer carvings. However, the "out-of-service" markings on the South Staffs disc beg the question as to how that butt ended up in Southern Africa. Other theory is that BSA was under extremely tight deadlines to get the BSA order out, so may have scavenged any available woodwork they had knocking around, and overlooked replacing the disk.

Any thoughts that could shoot down or corroborate the above theories - or has anyone else come across volunteer patter Metfords/Lee Speeds with unit markings on the butt disc?

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