Posted on Canadiangunnutz:

Thinking you must have just about the only "nice condition" Indonesian SMLE out there; any I have seen were beat half to death.

What we call Indonesia today was the Dutch East Indies. It was occupied by the Japaneseicon during WW-2 and the occupation was HARD. Japan needed the oil, which mostly was in Java, in order to continue their war in Burma and on to India. I remember sitting with my Dad about 40 years ago and listening to Oil-patch Old Fart Charlie Hawke as he described his flight from the onrushing Japs after he abandoned his drilling rig in Java. He had heard enough about the Japanese that he did NOT want to spend the coming years in an internment camp..... or simply stood up by a palm tree and shot or used for bayonet instruction. He got out.

At the end of War 2, Holland was armed mainly with Britishicon and American equipment; most of the Dutch rifles had been removed by the Germans. British-made and Australianicon-made SMLEs were provided for the Dutch colonial government in the East Indies. A problem arose in that the locals, with considerable inspiration from the Communists, did not really want a return to colonial status, so they begged, borrowed, stole and purchased large quantities of surplus equipment (including artillery as well as small arms) and staged a not-too-friendly civil war which went on for several years. At the conclusion of these hostilities, modern Indonesia took shape, most of the Dutch went home...... and Indonesia was left with a huge pile of worn-out and jungle-eaten equipment.

Indonesia then set up a repair system and, in the absence of many spare parts, refurbed as many rifles as they could, often with cannibalised parts. The products of this program were marked with the Indonesian 5-point star on the Butt Socket, all earlier markings were scrubbed and then the rifles were issued to the new Indonesian forces for use until something more modern could be obtained.

I have seen half a dozen Indonesian SMLEs, ranging in condition from a Body with a thoroughly-toasted barrel, to one in what I would term "reasonably ratty" condition; that one I own. I have never seen one in anything approaching the condition of this rifle. You have a real "keeper" there!

---------- Post added at 02:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 PM ----------
Quote Originally Posted by Paul S. View Post
I would be looking for various markings on the barrel under the furniture, and on the various bits and pieces.
I haven't had the courage to take the rifle apart. There is a flat spot on the barrel, at the receiver, with "1959" and the matching serial number stamped very neatly. Whether it is for real or not will eventually be found out.