SMLE mounted troop rifle

[villiers]

A right hand sling attachment can only have been designed by a staff officer. `Tis bad enough having a No. 5 bolt handle poking into the small of your back. But the force of a cav.- carbine bolt slapping at the gallop would probably maim a complete division.

[Surpmil]

The inletting for the sling bar looks both very rough and much too deep. It is indeed a happy coincidence that what appears to be an examiner's(?) mark has been added exactly where the bayonet boss was.

The half cylinder cutout for the sling looks like it was whittled: the sides are not parallel and the edges are oddly beveled in a 'hand made' sort of way.

The sling inlet is too close to the buttplate compared to the Lee Metford Carbine; such a location would probably not be acceptable as the wood is too thin and therefore prone to cracking, chipping etc. from impacts on the butt plate. But of course that would require a different location for the marking disc such as the LMC had; not an option for someone making something up 100 years later!

Nor would there be any reason for the authorities to change the locations used on the LMC if they had wished to revisit that sling arrangement; despite having already dropped it from the LEC.

The bolt does not appear to match either, though that does not necessarily invalidate the rest of the rifle.

Overall, one has to wonder WHY? Given that the SMLE was supposed to be the answer to problem already.

[Warren]

If I remember correctly, this is the second or third time that this rifle has surfaced...........
It was on Culver SP years ago and a similar story,

[Beerhunter]

I agree with Son here and, BTW: "heavily officially modified for mounted troops. Sling attachments changed to cavalry specification". The latter means that the Upper Sling Swivel has been moved to in front of the magazine, which involved one screw. EXACTLY as designed!

[Peter Laidler]

Surpmill raises a good point about these variations that seem to be required by different parts of the Army. Like the need for a shortie SA80 carbine for heavens sake! As if the SA80, by definition, wasn't short enough. I remember some of the intermittent trials taking place. Shorter barrels meant greater flash and therefore greater need for longer(?) flash eliminators or certainly FE's that had greater powers of dispersion. It was mind boggling.......... One even had an L1A1 flash eliminator fitted that returned it ti the original length!

[Badger]

Final assessment ....

This item has been judged by members of the Milsurps Advisory Panel as NOT completely authentic, possibly has been rebuilt, or put together with correct/incorrect parts substituted.

What is the Advisory Panel Review Validation Service?

[flying pig]

Badger you have way too much time on your hands, I like it!

[RobD]

If I recal correctly, this rifle's front sling swivel comes off a Thompson sub machine gun...

[browningautorifle]

I think that was mentioned here at one point but apparently no in this particular thread. It does look like it.

[bigduke6]

Rob, Jim,

It was mentioned when I first did a thread on it, I have plenty of pics I took when it was in my possession (for a very short period), I was going to put them up but don't think its fair, with all due respect to EFD I would of thought that they would of give it a wide berth.....

The problem is not the rifle its who made/ built it up ??

We all know it come from Chris barbers collection and when I started to investigate it, I was turning up a lot of stones and the investigation did go off in all tangents, very interesting and spoke to many, but could never get any hard evidence, I,ve still got all the notes, so may put them to paper one day when I write my memoir's.

Although when I purchased it, it come with a lot of providence, but when checked out it was all fantasy, It was supposed to be one of three or so that was confirmed to Chris Barber by the late Peter Fox ( NZ) the problem here was Peter was below room temp before Chris had even started collecting.

When I looked at all the facts and figures I,m led to believe that Chris Barber was not fully responsible or didn't make ALL the "not quite correct" rifles he had, I'm quite sure he probably got stitched up in his early collecting days, one thing I do know he never made the rifle in question, as I know of the guy he was with when he picked it up.

One things for sure its one of the first lemons I had and it certainly won't be the last...... its also gained another 0 on the price in the last few years.