Beautiuful No.1 Sporter

[newcastle]

Stumbled across an really nice Enfield Sporter in a Pawnbroker and snapped it up. It's really nicely done and has had alot of effort put into it. I am pretty sure that it must have been actually made in this configuration rather than being converted from a No.1. It has a curved base to the 5 round magazine but it also has a magazine cutoff. I assumed maybe a private sale / hunting rifle or something, and chambered in .303 British (not marked on the rifle - I just assumed and tried 303 snap caps and they fitted nicely).

Has BSA on the Butt Socket and alot of nice engraving has been added around various parts, (magazine, butt socket, butt plate, safety, bolt cover etc etc. it has been fitted with flip up sporting sights (100yd, 200yd 300 yard) and a ladder sight on the barrel. All in all it just feels solid and thought it's hard to explain it just feels RIGHT. It balances beautifully and almost flies up to the shoulder and sights itself. There is also a Tang safety with a BSA patent number and a 4 digit serial number under the bolt handle and on the bolt which match. This is my favorite sporter and I haven't even fired it yet.

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Information

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[NORTHOF60]

Congratulations on your purchase. It looks really nice. I'm surprised there are no calibre markings. Can you provide better pictures of the barrel at the knox form? That is where the calibre and proof marks should be.

[englishman_ca]

Great find! You appear to have a BSA made Lee Speed No.1 Pattern sporting carbine (No.1 pattern is not the same term as that as military No.1 rifle).

[browningautorifle]

Nice rifle, appears to be a "Gentleman's rifle" of one of the types they made. As stated, not a sporterized version and much sought after by those that collect them.

[henry r]

nice, I'm jealous.

englishman, wouldn't it be a no2 lee speed, the no1 having a barrel rib.

[englishman_ca]

I think that you are right, a No.2 without the rib. I'll have to pull that old BSA catalog out and have a look.

[newcastle]

Her are a couple of pictures of the knox barrel area . Nothing on the top at all. Nice broad arrow mark too.
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[S-A-M3]

Englishman_ca , is the person you need to listen to,he really know his sh**. Stuart.

[englishman_ca]

Stuart, I am but a student of the Lee. The commercial rifles both military and sporting are something that is bit of an unknown with scattered information. The commercials came with a bewildering combination of options. It is often like detective work reading markings and looking at features to try and date them. Some were built and finished by independent high end gun makers (Holland & Holland, Greener, Cogswell & Harrison, Purdy) using just the factory actions as the base, they have very little marked on them making it even more of a challenge to figure out a time line. Lee Speed style sporters also have been built continuously over the years by some very skilled artisans.

There are one or two chaps who have been collecting these rifles and gathering information for some time. I learn from them.

I am a sponge for information and am always all over any Lee Speed that comes along. My collecting focus and interest is on the early days of the Lee Metford. The LS have a place in 'the big picture' of the evolution of the rifle.

As I understand, there will be a book that will be out in the new year, we all wait with great anticipation as published reference material is scant.

[newcastle]

Interesting you should mention cogswell and harrison. I got a No.1 sporter some weeks back e time that I was told was a C and H product. it has a ramp added to the normal front sight to create the image of a sporting front sight (bit weird I thought) but it is generally quite nicely done.