Found a Good Ishapore 2A1

[Bob Womack]

Recently I found a rifle at my local gun store tagged as a "1960s Ishapore SMLE, chambered in .308”. The staff considered it a conversion, though they didn't know much about it. I was intrigued, so I started doing some research and found the whole Ishapore 2A and 2A1 story. I dropped by the store again for a closer look. The rifle was a 1967 2A1. Though though it had a gorgeous stock, the paint was really worn. There were a several goobered-up screw heads including the rear handguard screw. Being a lefty, I’d have to place my hand across that screw while firing and would probably get bit. It was a mix-master with at least three different serial numbers visible on the parts. The front hand guard was missing its wooden “fingers.” The front sight ears were bent as were the sling swivels, and the front sight was way over to the right side. If it needed that to zero up it would make lining up the sights hard for a lefty. The price was right, but it did have many demerits.

Then I remembered a local dealer that specializes in historic military arms. On a lark I called and found that he also had an Ishapore 2A1 at a price that was a bit higher than that of the ‘67. So, on a rainy Saturday morning, my wife and I drove to the far side of town to that dealer. To give you context, this is a place that keeps eight to ten Garand rifles in stock . Their Ishapore was hanging at the bottom of a wall of Lee-Enfield variants. It was a 1965 “B” serial number rifle with all visible serial numbers matching. The metal was original Park, not paint, and in far better condition than the ‘67. Of course, the rear hand guard screw had to be goobered up, didn’t it? The safety was super stiff and oddly its screw was a metric hex key head with knurled edges rather than the standard slotted screw. The stock was complete including the fingers, and its color uniform. There were arsenal repairs at the top and bottom of the buttstock by the butt cap, possibly where the stock had been repurposed from a Mk.III* rifle. The magazine catch worked well and the magazine fit nice and tight. I had them cycle a round to make sure it fed properly. My wife was tremendously impressed with the condition of this one and by the fact that it appeared all-original.


We took the forty minute drive in the rain to look at the ’67 example again. Frankly, it paled by comparison, having lots of bangs and bruises and work needed. We grabbed a couple of cups of coffee and went out to think, sitting in my wife's car with the rain drumming down on the roof. It is good to have a wife that wants the best for you. Mine really urged me to go for the more expensive ’65 example. So, we made the forty-minute drive back out to the military surplus dealer again to buy the 1965 example. Their gunsmith took the rifle to his shop and peened the rear trigger guard screw, smoothed it with a jeweler's file, and touched it up with Cool Blue. He also used some light penetrating gun oil on the safety to lighten it up. I threw down my money on the rifle and a period sling and took them home. When I pulled the wood, I found that all of the serial numbers matched, the magazine's, and there was no import mark. I eased the safety screw a hair and it worked smoothly and I found and ordered an original replacement screw. So, we have what appears to be a completely original, first year 2A1 rifle.

And here is a fun “closing of a circle:” back when I was a kid, the family was shopping for antiques and I came across a bayonet in extremely good condition marked “Australia”. Over time it went into storage but during my research, I pulled it out and used a loupe to read the markings and, sure enough, it is an M1907, made in April of 1944 at the Orange Arsenal in Australia, as was the scabbard, though the leather is stamped “Mangrovite” for the Mangrovite Arsenal. So, not only do I have an M1907, now I have a correct rifle to accessorize it!

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Now to get it out to the range.

Bob

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