Khyber Pass Enfields (Lots of Pictures)

[Alan de Enfield]

There has been a multitude of suspicious Enfields on GunBroker recently, as we hear / see / read about the unwary being caught out here is a montage of pictures showing examples :

If I'm mistaken and anyone believes them to be originals I'll delete the relevant picture.

There are No1s, No4s and No5s - all very poor copies.

Information

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[Brit plumber]

I see what appears to be some original minor parts, but look well worn. I actually wouldn't mind one of these as a curio, some look quite reasonable for hand made, others are an absoloute abortion. Do you think some one has imported these as originals, only to realise they are bad copies, and then tried to flog them on to avoid making a loss?

[Brit plumber]

What does the TEO number stand for?

[Alan de Enfield]

What does the TEO number stand for?

Since 1968 US regulations say that every imported firearm must be marked by the importer with a name and a serial number.

The seller is TG International & I'm guessing that he has marked up each of them with his own unique serial number for traceability.

[jmoore]

Still, they're kind of interesting. I reckon there's "tourist" grades and "the owner will come back and knife you if it doesn't work" grades made over there. Or are they just all kind of scary? Hard to imagine giving the Russians a hard time w/ those- before the outside aide started flowing in, that is.

[spinecracker]

I have noticed that some sellers on GB will state that the item is a "Khyber Pass" copy, but others will not mention the fact, and appear to be selling the item as a functional firearm. I wonder if they know that, even if you got the thing to fire, it would be more dangerous to the person holding it than to the person in front of it...

What does amaze me is the amount of money people want for these things. Heck, if I'd known there was a market in these items, I'd have got into the "slap a bit of pipe on a piece of wood and hope for the best" business - I'm not far from my local home improvement store (only joking). Who knows, these copies one day may become collector's items, and will cost more than the originals - that thought makes me shudder, but weirder things have happened.

[Peter Laidler]

It seems to me as though they're a bit like the non firing L59 DP rifles in that they're not real shootable rifles but every true collection ought to have one in it as an example. Just so long as the cheap (?) price justifies adding it to your collection

We have a Khyber Pass AK-SU at Warminster that is truly dire but it's good to pass around and fits into the AK story. As I mentioned above, ours was pretty cheap - we just took it!

[RobSmith]

They could make nice wallhangers, but would probably end up being prohibited here in Canada as "replicas".

[Brit plumber]

It seems to me as though they're a bit like the non firing L59 DP rifles in that they're not real shootable rifles but every true collection ought to have one in it as an example. Just so long as the cheap (?) price justifies adding it to your collection

We have a Khyber Pass AK-SU at Warminster that is truly dire but it's good to pass around and fits into the AK story. As I mentioned above, ours was pretty cheap - we just took it!

I remember you showing me that one Peter, it looked pretty convincing, especially from the pointy end!

[Sht_LE]

I have a Khyber pass SMLE MK.III* that I added to my collection around 6 years ago for US$50. From a few feet away it is convincing, markings on the butt socket are:
crown
GR
Enfield
1916
LE
III

It also has a crown and an upside down LE stamped on the Knox Form. I completely disassembled it and it has no inner band and the rear sight protector is held on with a wood screw. It is kind of interesting. After looking it over, the only factory made part I could find was the magazine spring and the follower (they are RFI), and both had been modified to fit into the handmade magazine case, and would no longer work in a British case. Not a single part on it would interchange with a British made SMLE I was using as a comparison piece. However, just about everyone of my P.07 bayonets would fit it, including a Khyber Pass copy.

Out of blatant curiosity I did fire it (remotely from a homemade fixture, my mama didn't raise no fool!) with some reduced loads with 170gr cast bullets (muzzle velocity chronographed at 850fps). It did not blow up, headspace did not change and it shot a five shot 6" group at 25 yards. All in all fairly interesting. Would I fire it with full house loads from the shoulder? There is not enough alcohol in the world to get me drunk enough to want to try that!!!