Need advice on buying no. 1 Mk III, by tomorrow if possible

[dieppe42]

She looks like a "take me home, I want to be yours" No.1 ! Does the same serial number appear on the underside of the rear sight as well ?

[Mohawk]

BUY IT!!!!! They are getting harder to find in any shape, and that one for $250 is a good price...JMHO

[clarkmilitaria]

I didn't check there; I know I should have though. I'm going to get it today and take some better photos of it. Does anyone know what the 125 on the stock disc refers to?

[Roger Payne]

If the '125' was applied by a more recent military owner then it would probably be a rack number. However, the disc looks very 'new' to me & the style of the numbers looks to be relatively modern. If truly original to the rifle they'd be smaller & squatter & have serifs. There would also be an abbreviated form of the unit that the weapon was issued to. After mid WW1 the practice of fitting the discs was supposedly abandoned though many seem to have soldiered on......often just plain with no markings. Original discs, even if unmarked with unit details, usually have a broad arrow acceptance stamp on the underside, so once you've bought the rifle you might want to get a screwdriver out & gently remove it....!

ATB

[clarkmilitaria]

Ok, I bought it and removed the bolt by rotating the head counterclockwise. To put it back in, do I just have to push the head clockwise so it snaps back into place? I am having a little trouble with that, although the bore is great! The rifling is strong and looking down the barrel into a light, the bore is also very bright.

Edit: I figured out the bolt replacement. Thanks for all the responses, I am very happy with this rifle. Also, the rear sight has a serial number scratched out and the one matching the rest of the gun below that, so probably an arsenal rework? Thanks again everyone.

[dieppe42]

Let us know how she shoots, eh ?

[clarkmilitaria]

I looked on the other side of the stock disc and there is a broad arrow, but no unit markings. Are unit markings usually in a certain place, or in random places, and can they basically look like anything?

[Roger Payne]

The practice of applying unit markings to the discs was stopped in WW1 (IIRC), but many rifles were left in service with the butt disc hole in them; some were filled with a wooden plug, but many seem to have had a blank disc fitted. I think a lot of these blank discs have been stamped up by non-commonwealth governments in the post-WW2 era, but no doubt there's a butt disc expert out there who will give us all the info.............?

ATB

[clarkmilitaria]

So unit marks are only found on the discs and nowhere else on the gun?

[RobD]

As far as I know, SMLEs, Martini Enfields and Ross rifles may have unit markings on the stock disc - but usually have no unit marking all.
No 4s tend to have no unit, and of course no stock disc.
Long Lees, Sniders, P53 Enfields, Brown Bess etc may have unit markings on the butt tang.
Martini Henrys may have unit markings stamped into the buttstock.

For all rifles, national markings may be on the steel. (or wood).