FNG needs help

[Christofficer]

Hi senior members and all others,

Chris Hart from lil ol bottom of the world New Zealand. I am in the military (New Zealand Air Force - yeah we still have one) and have been for the last 10 years and have a lot of my families combined militaria from the last four generations.

In line with that I am the proud owner of two Lee Enfields and am after some info on them if you can help.
The first is a 1943 No. 4 Mk 1 converted to Mk1/2 (F) FTR50 S/N AW11460 can anyone please tell me where it comes from? Attachment 13331 It also has a star shaped mark on the top of the breech with a W in it does this mean anything? Attachment 13330 Lastly it has CAI ST A VT on the right hand side of the end of the barrel with two lugs either side which i suppose is for a bayonet attachment though it does not have a bayonet boss in the normal position. Do those letters mean anything?

Second rifle is a S.M.L.E. No 1 Mk III with a heap of stuff on it.
It has BSA&Co on the wrist, and markings as follows in the photos...
Attachment 13328 This is the Top of the butt plate on the SMLE

Attachment 13329 This is the SMLE complete

Attachment 13332 These are some marks I need help decoding. Does this mean issued to home guard?

Attachment 13333 Is this savage and stevens?

Thanks for your time, any and all help is appreciated.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Amatikulu]

The first picture:

AW11460 is the serial number and corresponds with a rifle made at the Royal Ordnance Factory - Maltby (England) originally as a No.4 Mark 1

It was converted to a No.4 mark 1/2 at the Royal Ordnance Factory - Fazakerley - (England), in 1950

There is much debate about the star with the "W" in it and it has been sugested that this was a British mark for the supply depot at Weedon but this is not verified.

CAI St A VT is the import stamp required in the USA for an importer - in this case its Century International Arms, St Albans, Vermont

And those are bayonet lugs to attach the "spike" bayonet or the No. 7 or No.9 bayonet

[Amatikulu]

The picture of the butt plate indicates NZ - New Zealand, 1967 = rack number and 1901 is the New Zealand contract date for the rifles ordered from BSA

[Amatikulu]

The S>

[Amatikulu]

"HG" indicates isue to the Home Guard in New Zealand

[Rowdy]

The SMLE has a MLE butt on it and has been used as a range rifle as it has a Central sight base on it for a target sight.

[Simon P]

The SMLE has no charger bridge, I have seen several like this that have recently come out of South Africa

[Christofficer]

Thanks for all of the info guys!
Sorry please excuse my ignorance, what is a charger bridge?
So it definately has the wrong stock on the SMLE? I had thought that was the case, notwithstanding the relative wood colours of course. Apparently the butt plate is a giveaway too, what should it look like?
That star with the W in it, we have a place called Weedons here in New Zealand near to Burnham Military camp which has active grenade and 1000m ranges, could that be of relevance?
It also appears that the No. 4 has travelled a bit then? Does the importers stamp get put on as a matter of course or is it only done on entry to the country of import?

[Amatikulu]

The receiver does not show the thumb cut out on theleft wall so never had a charger bridge fitted.

I'm guessing the receiver is either a MLE receiver fitted with an SMLE barrel or its a SMLE Mk 1 receiver.

If the but stock is original to the receiver, it's an MLE.........


What is stamped on the right butt socket below the bolt handle......just BSA & Co? (commercial BSA)

[Christofficer]

There isn't anything stamped on the wrist other than B.S.A&Co; given that the stock is obviously not the same as the rest of the furniture does this necessarily infer that it is commercial manufacture?
Attachment 13345 This shows the left side of the SMLE(?) without the central plate attached. What do these look like if not a range rifle?

Attachment 13346 This is the wrist (sorry about the photo I have the coffee shakes) but i am pretty sure oyu can see that its pretty bare.