Bought a No.1 MkVI - Fill me with knowledge!

[limpetmine]

I would move slowly on doing anything to the wood. Sometimes the best course of action is to wait until tomorrow to do the irreversible.
Great price for a rare rifle. 1,025 made.

[DiegoMenendez]

I would move slowly on doing anything to the wood. Sometimes the best course of action is to wait until tomorrow to do the irreversible.
Great price for a rare rifle. 1,025 made.

lol don't worry. It's not going in the dishwasher and not one square inch of sandpaper is going to touch the stock. I had good results on an M1 Carbine with denatured alcohol and finishing off with linseed oil.

[Seaforth72]

Here is the No. 1 MK. VI at the RCA Museum, CFB Shilo, Manitoba, Canada. It appears to be one of the early production No. 1 MK. VI made circa 1930. The bolt is not present and the first pattern front sight guard (later called the Mark I and known to collectors as the "wasp waist" is missing. The sling is attached to the stacking swivel on the upper band instead of the sling swivel on the lower band. Note the cross-hatching and the unusual sling.

My apologies for the poor quality of the images as the rifle was behind glass when I visited the museum in 2014.

[IMG][/IMG]



[IMG]
[/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Frederick303]

Well that 1930 version seems to have a shellac finish. Hmmm.....

as for quantity, I think the 1025 refers to the 1930 production (page 194 in Skennertons latest book).

The 1941 builds do not have the marking on the side of the action body, and are in the 27,000~ 28,000A range so I very much suspect the 1941 ones were built up with actions left over from Enfield Locke. If they were rebuilds they would have had the original markings on the left had side of the action body. I think the 1941 builds were in addition to the initial 1025.

[DiegoMenendez]

Well that 1930 version seems to have a shellac finish. Hmmm.....

as for quantity, I think the 1025 refers to the 1930 production (page 194 in Skennertons latest book).

The 1941 builds do not have the marking on the side of the action body, and are in the 27,000~ 28,000A range so I very much suspect the 1941 ones were built up with actions left over from Enfield Locke. If they were rebuilds they would have had the original markings on the left had side of the action body. I think the 1941 builds were in addition to the initial 1025.

it sure does...lol. I've been reading that in the 50's they actively sought out and destroyed these No.1 MkVI actioned No.4's, meaning any still left survived destruction. Any idea how many made it?

[Surpmil]

This is a great freeware photo editor.

[Peter Laidler]

Diego, thread 15. All rifles with an A suffix were deemed obsolescent during the 50's and withdrawn as and when standard parts could not be fitted. Generally speaking rifles (and Brens) with an A suffix were selectively fitted. A lot has been written about these as well as quotes from the official texts

[Seaforth72]

Re: RCA Museum's No.1 MK. VI: In order to reduce the glare and bring out details, I used some Photoshop tools. Thus the finish as shown in the close-up views of sections of the rifle looks different as a result, so I would not make any judgements about the finish based upon these photos.

Milsurps member Stencollector lives very close to this museum and I have asked him if he can find out the serial number of the rifle that is on display. Perhaps he could also look at the rifle to form an opinion as to the finish.

By the way, this museum also had an REL C No. 32 rifle scope on display, just to the right of this rifle.

Well that 1930 version seems to have a shellac finish. Hmmm.....

[Brian Dick]

I hate to be critical but I'd never display a weapon like that if I were a museum curator. If my underlings did it, they'd be looking for another job. The varnish isn't original, multiple parts are missing, the bands are on backwards and the sling attached to the wrong band. It's not a problem strictly with the RCA museum either. I was similarly disappointed visiting the museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds many years ago with the same lack of attention to details in their small glass case full of Lee Enfield Rifles. Disgraceful.

[browningautorifle]

It's not a problem strictly with the RCA museum either.

And when you tell them they just look at you like you're a kid. They're expert curators and you aren't...been through it too.