Vintage Item found in my No.4 Mk1

[spacemonkey333]

So I am very new to the Lee Enfield owner's community. I don't know how often this happens to people so please don't flame me for starting this thread.

I was examining my newly acquired Enfield for markings when I came across something odd. I noticed some type of paper with writing on it through the split between the top pieces and bottom pieces of my forearm stock. I removed the top part of the stock to find something really cool and interesting, at least it is in my opinion. There are pieces of cut-up vintage cereal boxes under the stock and around the barrel. So far, I have found pieces from Post Toasties, Raisin Bran and an old Diamond matches box maybe? There are more under the barrel,but I havent gotten to them yet. Anyways, after some digging online, I dated the Post Toasties box pieces to 1958. I am just assuming that the rest are from that time as well. My questions about this are:

1) How many of you enfield owners have ran into something like this?
2) I am assuming these were used as shims to make the stock fit more tightly?
3) Should I leave them there and do you think something like this increases the value of the gun at all?
4) I know these are silly questions to some of you, but I think that it is pretty amazing that this rifle may not have had the stock removed since 1958!?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[spinecracker]

Here are my answers:

1) Not yet, but never say never with Lee-Enfields
2) Yep, most likely shims
3) If the rifles shoots well, them leave them alone. They do not add any value to the rifle.
4) I think there may be one or two people who frequent this forum who have Lee-Enfields that have not had the forends off in a century...

Do you have photos of the said beastie?

[spacemonkey333]

Here are my answers:

1) Not yet, but never say never with Lee-Enfields
2) Yep, most likely shims
3) If the rifles shoots well, them leave them alone. They do not add any value to the rifle.
4) I think there may be one or two people who frequent this forum who have Lee-Enfields that have not had the forends off in a century...

Do you have photos of the said beastie?

I only have photos of some of the markings. I found more stamps when i took off the stock too. I will take some photos and post later. Nothing fancy by any means.

[tbonesmith]

This type of shimming is very common. Lots of rifles turn up with cardboard and folded cigarette box packaging in the barrel channel.

[Promo]

Only such thing I'm familiar with is that with behind the buttplates of K31's you might find the name and address of the original owner (at least that happened with all of my 4 K31's to me).

[spacemonkey333]

Attachment 26028Attachment 26027Attachment 26009Attachment 26010Attachment 26015Attachment 26014Attachment 26013Attachment 26012Attachment 26011Attachment 26019Attachment 26020Attachment 26021Attachment 26022Attachment 26023Attachment 26024Attachment 26025Attachment 26026Attachment 26018Attachment 26016Attachment 26017

[spinecracker]

There is plenty of information on this forum regarding the bedding of Lee-Enfield forends, including giving the wood on your new rifle a good drink of raw linseed oil (I use a 1:1 mix of raw linseed oil and turpentine). Do you have photos of the left side of the receiver and the left side of the buttsocket? That should help identify the factory and year of manufacture.

[spacemonkey333]

There is plenty of information on this forum regarding the bedding of Lee-Enfield forends, including giving the wood on your new rifle a good drink of raw linseed oil (I use a 1:1 mix of raw linseed oil and turpentine). Do you have photos of the left side of the receiver and the left side of the buttsocket? That should help identify the factory and year of manufacture.

Oh, those are only pictures of the most recent markings that I have found. In my previous post (post #6), the fourth picture from the left on the third row down is the stamping on the left side of the receiver. I haven't tried to look it up yet. I have quite a few more pics with markings below. I think this is a 1943.

[RJW NZ]

I see an M 47 on the wrist, thats the wartime code to stop the nazis figuring out that BSA made your rifle.
Can you tell us the other numbers and letters on the wrist? they don't show very well in the pictures, and it looks like you have a very very low serial number, thats quite interesting.
the L on top of the butt is Long for long arms/tall people, who need a longer butt length to shoot better. They also come in a short and medium length.

[spacemonkey333]

I see an M 47 on the wrist, thats the wartime code to stop the nazis figuring out that BSA made your rifle.
Can you tell us the other numbers and letters on the wrist? they don't show very well in the pictures, and it looks like you have a very very low serial number, thats quite interesting.
the L on top of the butt is Long for long arms/tall people, who need a longer butt length to shoot better. They also come in a short and medium length.

That number below m 47 is 1943 which is the date of manufacture i believe? It appears to have been douple stamped. The number below that is barely legible. It is the serial number which happens to match the bolt. It is APxxxx. Unless i am wrong, that is a Maltby serial?