SMLE rebuild or fakery?

[Cottage Hill Bill]

This has been languishing in the back of the safe for many, many years. While dirty and dark, I'm optimistic about the condition of the barrel. Hope to get a brush and some patches stuck into it next week and then I'll know.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

If it resists cleaning then bang it and try. Have faith, it'll be ok and then show us targets...

[englishman_ca]

Ya, ten rounds rapid then scrub with a bronze brush wrapped with wire wool and lots of oil. Even some worn and pitted barrels will shoot quite well with the right bullet
. There is only one way to find out.

[browningautorifle]

That's OK, it goes bang and they go downrange...it's fine.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Always remember that these rifles were built around, and regulated to, specific, issued ammo, in this case Mk V11 Ball.

ANYTHING else is a crap-shoot, often literally; they often shoot like crap with "non-standard" ammo..

If it has been "tinkered with" post service, who knows what evil done to the original bedding is lurking under the fore-end and hand-guards.

However, unless it is a real beauty and / or you are considering serious service rifle competitions, it is what it is. Appreciate it for just being a working, representative piece from a bygone age and don't fret. These old girls were mass-produced BATTLE implements. Even the "all-matching, originals", were often originally seen as just fancy extension poles for a bayonet, certainly not as bench-rest rigs.

[Cottage Hill Bill]

Bruce,
This was more a function test for the rifle. Not my only Enfield so I wasn't expecting 1/2MOA at 1000 yards. Actually I was quite pleased with this outing given it was conducted with sub-optimal ammo, my aging and also sub-optimal eyes and poor range conditions. The fact that it shot both boat-tails and flat-based bullets about the same tells me it has potential. Next outing will be with a younger shooter who can actually see and maybe some HXP MkVII. The real question was whether the rework that had obviously been done was a home garage job or something more professional. Based on a closer look at the rifle, the condition of the bolt set up (very good) and the rifle posted in the thread I listed above I'm leaning strongly toward this rifle having been refurbished by a trained organization but non-British. On another forum it was suggested it might be a Greek rework. I don't know enough about the Greek army to comment on that , but I'm pretty sure now it wasn't bubba who did the work.

[browningautorifle]

it wasn't bubba who did the work

Bubba isn't always a clown with no skill. It just usually refers to a damaged by owner piece. This case it means other than military.