New SMLE owner with another question

[jrhead75]

I've run across both versions, both spelled out...'Rawal Pindi' and 'Rawalpindi'; and on disks... 'RP' and 'R.P'

The roundels stamped on the butts of some pre-Lee rifles seem to provide a bit of a clue, as they're most often spelled out. IIRC, I've seen one on a Martini spelled with a distinct gap between Rawal and Pindi, and Brigadier-General H.A. Young, director of ordnance factories in India from 1917 to 1920, uses the spelling Rawal Pindi in his "The East India Company's Arsenals & Manufactories". Also some use the word 'Arsenal', some just the location, which would also seem to coincide with what turns up on some of the disks.

The thing is, that all of the disks formatted in this manner seem to coincide rather neatly with the names of Indian Arsenals...F.W - Fort William, AA or A.A Allahabad or Allahabad Arsenal (had an interesting conversation with Hambone from the K98k boards who holds the opinion that Alexandria might be another possibility there), F.A - Firozpur Arsenal. R.P or RP for the abovementioned Rawalpindi, and K.A, which as I recall, fits two possibilities, Karachi, and one other that escapes me at the moment.

There's certainly no rock solid proof that I'm aware of for this theory, but it certainly seems a possibility, and an interesting avenue for some further study/research.

[labrat1469]

The only marks on the stock is 388 twice, the letter "B" and the I.S.A. with the up arrow emblem. I just noticed that the stock has been fix in two spots and the stocks parts are different from each other. The top parts are shiny while the bottom part is dull and marred with scratches and pits. Looks like I got a hodge-podge rifle. I finally got time to take a pic of the brass disk for better identification

[Peter Laidler]

You're dead right about the Rawlpindi being one or two words JR............, just looked it up! Interesting thread and between us all, we could get to the bottom of and decipher the Indian FTR markings.

Anyone else out there got any on a disc?

What WOULD clear up the querie was to see the arsenal mark stamped into the butt as they did PLUS it being marked on a disc too

[jrhead75]

Just dug one up out of the old archives...purportedly from an Indian issued LEC. This one has a Quetta Roundel and a Q.A stamped disk dated to 1925. Near as I've been able to find, the fort at Quetta was converted to an arsenal around 1900.

Attachment 27229

[labrat1469]

I would like to thank you all in helping me decipher this rifle. When I purchase a C&R I like to trace it back as far as I can. I've been tracing back a what I believe is a 1903 Turkish Mauser. What is so strange about it is that it's carbine lenght with what looks to be a factory cut barrel. But that's another thread. Once again thank you all for the help.

[5thBatt]

Don't know if its any help but heres a pic of my 1927 Ishapore butt with a FA stamp, iirc rifle came with no butt disc.

[labrat1469]

It sounds like Ishapore SMLE's are a complete sub-catagory of the Lee Enfeild. My wife says if there is one rifle in a gun show that has the most interesting past I will usually be immediately drawn to it the minute I step into the building.

I'll have to take some pics of the buttstock and invert them to a negative image to look for unseen markings in the wood.

[Peter Laidler]

I've noticed on the forum map of guests that we have a couple of guest from India who crop-up occasionally. One in the North along the Nepal end of the Country and another in the South East area. Is there any way that we can have a heading across the top of the page welcoming them aboad and being interested in Enfields (that's presumably why they've come onto the forum as a guest in the first place), maybe they can answer some of the Indian Enfield questions.

Just a thought.......... Anyone out there know how to do it? Maybe with a banner..................

[labrat1469]

A resident Ishapore expert would be nice. I just wish I could trace where in the world my SMLE has been. Did it see action in the Pacific or European Theater of WW2? I find tracing a rifle's life as interesting as collecting and shooting them.