1946 Advertisement Sporterize your Enfield

[Jc5]

Were any Lee Enfields imported to the USA before 1945? I can hardly imagine that the British Government would sell off any surplus before that time?

Anyone know for sure when surplus Lee Enfield Rifles became available in Britain? I know that Parker Hale offered surplus sporter conversions of Long Lees in their catalogues from the 1930s.

I suppose there might be some documentation somewhere that shows when the "Sold Out of Service" stamp was introduced.

Of course, BSA and LSA sold commercial versions to the public, but these were not surplus.

[Hank Stone]

Many where taken back to the USA by GIs as War souvoners,along with a multitude of other firearms,popular at the time but since stopped.

[bradtx]

jc5, For the most part I don't think that L-Es, or any other mil-surp rifle would become available in quantity untill they were declared obsolete. Post WWII became the age of the self loading rifle, bolt action rifles were kept for a main battle rifle for a few years (mainly Korea) and then for second line usage for awhile, but eventually weren't needed at all.

Brad

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

War Souveniers? You got to be kidding! you don't make a souvenier of your allies stuff, Only the losers goodies got taken home by GI's.

[Jc5]

Also, the Brits did not adopt the FN-FAL until the late 1950s, I believe, and it was probably a few more years before the new rifle was completely distributed to all soldiers.

So if we suppose that surplus is not made available until after a rifle is obsolete, this would put us in the early 60s, right? Do we have evidence of Lee Enfields arriving in the USA before that?

The surplus story is a valid part of the Lee Enfield Story. Consider two things:
1) The Lee Enfield has had a surplus life (c1960-2009) that is almost as long as its official service life (1888-c1957).

2) The Lee Enfield has probably seen as many (or more?) rounds fired by civilian as by soldiers, especially if you consider civilian target competition and worldwide hunting use.

[Hank Stone]

War Souveniers? You got to be kidding! you don't make a souvenier of your allies stuff, Only the losers goodies got taken home by GI's.

Your right John,Even I would never take an Allies weapon home after WW2,discrasful!

But one thing stymies me,how bid so many Enfields arrive here,and a sporterizing business start in 1946,just one year after WW2 ended?

I think I know?The Brits gave them to the USA as partial payment for financing the War in Europe.That's it!!

[Dimitri]

So if we suppose that surplus is not made available until after a rifle is obsolete

Yes and no, No.1's may have been surplussed before the war, then after the war Britian may have had more Enfields then it knew what to do with, and may have surplussed rifles to the civilian market to get rid of them. So they may have not been obsolete and already have been selling the war issued rifles and the rifles in production contracts they couldn't cancel before they went down to peace time amounts of rifles and other misc equipment.

2) The Lee Enfield has probably seen as many (or more?) rounds fired by civilian as by soldiers, especially if you consider civilian target competition and worldwide hunting use.

Eh, on a case by case basis you may find that to be true, I've met too many hunters that have the same old box of hunting ammunition for the last half dozen years or more because they have not shot it more then at the one deer they had a tag for.

Dimitri

[Dimitri]

But one thing stymies me,how bid so many Enfields arrive here,and a sporterizing business start in 1946,just one year after WW2 ended?

If you look closely at the ad, you'll notice they are talking about M1917 "Enfields" Not No.4 Enfields. Which were considered by the US unwanted due to the stocks of M1903's and the production of the M1 Rifles.

Dimitri

[Mk VII]

H P Martin's article in the American Rifleman of 1940 noted that "the Lee Enfield is a rifle not often seen on this side of the Canadian border" while implying that P-14s were more common, and notes that he had to send to London to obtain any chargers after Bannerman's failed to find any.