SMLE Barrel inspection stamps

[muffett.2008]

Hey Bindii........what happened to that info I requested?
Now you're trying to pick my brains on all my research Don't tell Demo, but I had to pull a '14 barrel just to verify some of it.

The letter/number code was implemented during 1914 production to identify the steel used, as per the specification to govern Manufacture and Inspection.
It was previously thought that this mark was polished out on final finishing(maybe so on Brit. Rifles) however, due to the problems with the sourced steel from England and the high failure rate on inspection, an in house decision was made to identify the steel used in event of failure.
According to in factory notes between Arthur Wright(factory Manager) and his cousin Herbert Wright(chief Viewer and barrel setter) the identifiers 1 and 2 were used to distinguish between steel from Enfield Lock and other British suppliers and was stamped on the face of the barrel, on the nocks and on the receiver near the Main screw mount.

This location proved contentious, often being obliterated and not remarked on the nocks and not visable on the face of the barrel when assembled. Discussion on changing to letter identifiers was underway when both A.C Wright and Herbert Wright left the factory in mid 1915, leaving the changes to be implemented by the new incoming Inspection Team, who were to be led by F.E Hart(whose heavy handed actions stopped production).
The letter code S was for all foreign steel sourced through the Eagle Globe Steel Co. Sydney, the L was for the steel being sourced from Hoskins Steel, Lithgow, and the K was a later addition for steel sourced from BHP Kembla foundary.
This code seems to have remained in place until about 1935/36, when it faded into obscurity, probably because testing standards and steel quality were markedly improved and no failures had been recorded since 1920.

Although a more recent letter had appeared on later barrels manufactured at Orange..........not sure if this was a check on the standards of manufacture from that plant........started to lose interest about there..........

The barrel was(and still is) the most important component, the information on the original barrel contained all the relavant information, this was lost on barrel replacement, the new barrel only having(if in service change) the date of fitment and S/N, if done outside the system, the only marks would be the first four Inspection and view marks.(sometimes not even that)

Which leads me to the next point. New barrels were not dated on manufacture, the date stamped on them is when they were assembled to an action, either as a new rifle or replacement component...........pity, because now there are fewer and fewer originals left to verify the origins of the firearm.

This information pertains to Lithgow Rifles, no detailed Inspection has been done on other firearms and is only what I have gleaned from the Inspection of firearms(Begged and borrowed) barrels and records available.