1890 Magazine Rifle Converted Mk1*

[RobD]

I hope my suggestions aren't too "bleeding obvious", and I may be quite mistaken - but here goes:
- Your MLM 1* was upgraded from the MLM 1 some time after Jan 1892 by changing the sights, but it should still have the 8 round single column magazine, a characteristic bolt, fore-end, brass butt stock disc, swivel arrangement etc. - I imagine your rifle has all these features.
- Your rifle was made by BSA in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and the London Enfield inspection marks indicate it was checked at Enfield, but I don't know why. You don't indicate whether your rifle is broad-arrow marked, or is unmarked = private purchase - I understand BSA manufactured both military and private purchase MLMs.
- The upgrade from MLE 1 to MLE 1* [which brought with it the loss of the clearing rod on the MLE] dates from Aug 1899. But as far as I am aware, there was no similar military upgrade of the MLM 1* or MLM 11 to remove the clearing rod or change the fore-end.
- Thus I suppose the Sparkbrook-marked fore-end on your MLM would have been fitted in civilian life. Either the rifle was sold out of service [if previously broad arrow marked] or it was a private purchase rifle given a new fore-end, some time after 1899 when clearing rods were out of fashion.

Does that make sense?

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[waco16]

I hope my suggestions aren't too "bleeding obvious", and I may be quite mistaken - but here goes:
- Your MLM 1* was upgraded from the MLM 1 some time after Jan 1892 by changing the sights, but it should still have the 8 round single column magazine, a characteristic bolt, fore-end, brass butt stock disc, swivel arrangement etc. - I imagine your rifle has all these features.
- Your rifle was made by BSA in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and the London Enfield inspection marks indicate it was checked at Enfield, but I don't know why. You don't indicate whether your rifle is broad-arrow marked, or is unmarked = private purchase - I understand BSA manufactured both military and private purchase MLMs.
- The upgrade from MLE 1 to MLE 1* [which brought with it the loss of the clearing rod on the MLE] dates from Aug 1899. But as far as I am aware, there was no similar military upgrade of the MLM 1* or MLM 11 to remove the clearing rod or change the fore-end.
- Thus I suppose the Sparkbrook-marked fore-end on your MLM would have been fitted in civilian life. Either the rifle was sold out of service [if previously broad arrow marked] or it was a private purchase rifle given a new fore-end, some time after 1899 when clearing rods were out of fashion.

Does that make sense?

Sorry if I didn't make it clear enough in my original post, but.....
The Upgrade to Mk1* was done at Enfield in 1896 - the inspectors mark and stamp indicate this
Yes - the rifle has all of the Mk1/Mk1* features you mention
Re: the Enfield inspection mark - see above
Sparkbrook was a government factory and didn't make commercial weapons - so yes its military
BSA was a commercial supplier to the WD and is quite different to Sparkbrook and Enfield (indeed LSA is like BSA in this respect)
To that end Sparkbrook wouldn't have produced a forend with a military inspectors mark and supplied it outside the 'military'

I have attached a picture of the rifle and the forend inspection mark

BSA didn't actually take over the Sparkbrook Factory from the Government until 1906
And stopped producing rifles shortly afterwards