Markings on Dispersal rifle

[Garandrew]

Anyone know what "ALPHA" means? I havent dismounted the rifle yet..also butt marking disc removed, plugged? Not importer?

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[dthiede]

My 1917 No1 MKIII has a plug identical to yours. I always wondered if it was done during refurb or if a previous owner did it.

[jmoore]

I would guess importer, but I've never seen similar. Just pull off the rear handguard (carefully) and see what's hiding underneath.

[Thunderbox]

If its Dispersal, then the wood plug has probably been there since it was made. "M" series Dispersals seem to have plugged or plain walnut butts, then with beech No4 butts starting to appear towards the subsequent "N" numbers.

[Garandrew]

It is M series..but if ALPHA is an importers mark, does it ruin value?

[Thunderbox]

Dispersals are common, generally cheap rifles. An importers' mark will be very common in the US, so I guess it makes no real difference to the value. If the rifle is still around a hundred tears from now (and I guess there will STILL be Lee Enfields in service, somewhere...), then I'm sure the importer mark will simply be part of the rifle's interest to collectors, alongside all its other marks. Who knows, by then, maybe someone will be collecting on the basis of "20th Century import marks" and writing to forums like this....