Well, obviously, the Mk111* was "sans cutoff" as part of its specification. Given the existence of Mk 111 rifles that have been "updated" and consequently "overstruck" with a "star", and the distinct scarcity of "intact" Mk 111s, there appears to have been some sort of concerted effort to "update" things over time.
Yes, I know that the " * " variant was supposed to be a temporary" relaxation / "economy measure" for the duration of WW1 and that, as soon as was possible after that time, "normal" production resumed. There are also surviving examples of Mk111* rifles that were "reverted" post WW1 by fitting all the "fruit" and striking-out the "star".
Lots of (Lithgow) bodies, marked from scratch as "111*" have the slot for the cutoff, whether they were assembled in the 1920s or the 1940s.
To further play around with the numbers, the prodigious wastage of rifles in BOTH World Wars seriously culled the herd of "representative pieces".
The
British
1931 "Instruction For Armourers" refers to both Mk 111 AND Mk 111* rifles and contains instructions pertinent to both variants.
The
1945! edition of the
Australian "Identification List" covers both the Mk 111 and Mk 111*.
The 1929 "Handbook of Small Arms seems to refer only to the Mk 111.
According to
Skennerton, "The Lee Enfield", pp. 160-161:
"The Mark 111* Short Magazine Lee Enfield was officially approved on 2nd January 1916, but while the Mark 111* usually had no provision for the magazine cut-off, the omission of the cut-off was not necessarily intended to be a feature of the Mk 111*. "
There is also an extract from the British List of Changes; para 17622, which specifies what was allowable / required in the change to the Mk 111* variant.
"British List of Changes, Para 17622.
Rifle-short, M.L.E., Mark III.
1. Modifications.
Rifle, Short M.L.E., Mark III*, without cut-off.
2. Introduction.
1. In future manufacture, rifles of the above mentioned pattern may embody any of the following modifications:
(a) The omission of long range sights (dial and aperture) from stock, fore-end and body. blah, blah.
(b) etc, etc
2. The pattern of this rifle has been approved to govern manufacture of rifles required without cut-offs.
It differs from the Mk 111 rifle in that the body is not slotted and drilled to receive the cut-off and screw, but, like the Mark 111, may embody the modifications mentioned at 1 above. "
The timing of all this overlaps the changeover from Mk 6 to Mk 7 ammo, and thus includes sighting and magazine changes. the Mk 111 was introduced in 1907 and thus, was set up for Mk 6 ball, the Mk 7 not seeing service until 1910. The Mk111* was introduced as a "wartime expediency" in January 1916, some time after Mk7 ball had been officially adopted.
Photos from the Gallipoli/ Dardanelles campaign show the widespread use of Mk111 rifles, (and a LOT of older "long" variants), as well as prodigious quantities of Mk6 ammo.
PM
Originally Posted by Bruce_in_Oz
