Dispersal 1940 just arrived!

[ziomanno]

Dear collectors, I just picked up a 1940 BSA n°1 MkIII* (dispersal). She seems all original and unmessed, but I would like to have your opinion on it. I tryed to provide the pics of every marking that (I think) could be useful to evaluate it. The rifling is virtually as new, I don't think she saw much action.
Thanks in advance for any given input.

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Information

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[jmoore]

And walnut stocked to boot! Aside from the wood, it is quite similar to the 1941 that moved in to my house recently.

[bradtx]

ziomanno, To my eyes it looks great, hopefully krinko will pop in, he has a nice collection of Dispersals.

Brad

[krinko]

ziomanno,
I think you have the original nosecap, the original backsight and the original barrel, but I believe the bolt to be renumbered.
Take a look at the photos: 1 & 2--your barrel/receiver and your bolt.





3 & 4--receiver and bolt from a 1941 "M" series rifle.






On the 1941, the style of the numbers and letter match between receiver and bolt----the extreme serif on the "6" repeats on both pieces and it's likely the same stamps were used to number them.
On your 1940, the bolt numbers are noticably not the MoD style and the "M" is sans serif, which is not just a pattern variation, but rather an indication the bolt was replaced outside the MoD system.

As regards the sans serif "M" on the backsight----compare photos 5 & 6--your number and the number from the 1941.




In this case, the plain block "M" is normal.
It would seem that the backsights were numbered in a separate operation from the rest of the rifle, I have this same "M" on three rifles.
Your 1940 is much more pure than the one I have in the back of the rack----my bolt and nosecap are both counterfeited matches, not even third-world repairs---although I thought they were at one time.
Mine was cooked in Keedysville to sell better.
-----krinko

[ziomanno]

First of all, thank you for your replies. Krinko, I agree with you about the fonts (and size) of my bolt, but I would exclude a renumber job: to do that (as for K98's bolt root), it is necessary to ground off a considerable amount of steel from the bolt flat side; if you compare the two bolts, you'll notice in both the presence of the army acceptance stamp (the horizontal <). It would lead to assume that this acceptance stamp was applied after the carving of the s/n. Furthermore, the firing proof stamp (crossed flags) has the left corner slightly over the flat side, so, again, it should be applied after the bolt was serialized or, at least, after the flat side was made.

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The numbers and the block letter "M" are also different on the fore end, and again there's not any sign of grounded wood (compare with the inspector's stamp below).

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By that, just in my opinion, I think the bolt was numbered in a different time and/or place, as was for the stock: the 1940's production was under the Luftwaffe's bombing campaign peak, so I think the "dispersal" program at this time was at its best...
About the story of this rifle, she comes from a bunch (more than10.000 pieces) of SMLE's, N°4's and even Long Lee's supplied by UK to Italian Navy in the 50's, as military aid.
Some were used in military training, while the vast majority was left in wooden boxes, still covered in cosmolene. This is a pic of me, when I was a young Navy officer, during an honour ceremony (1993). My platoon was equipped with N°1 MkIII's and M1907 bayonets.

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Excuse my poor English, I studied French!

[krinko]

I "studied" French, Latin and Spanish---got "F"s in all of them. It's really all I can do to speak English.

I think your forestock number is perfectly normal for the Dispersal series----I have the same style on the two of mine I can get at easily.
You are right about the pennant mark on the bolt meaning that the bolt isn't renumbered----I should have said the rifle was given a new bolt. There is a blank replacement bolt around here somewhere---it's hiding from me---which has the pennants and other marks, just waiting (in vain) for a number.
The "cooked" bolt on my humped 1940, on the other hand, has had all marks buffed off to take the new number---it's quite obvious.

At any rate, that's a nice rifle you have there, the 1940 rifles are very hard to find where I am---so I keep the one I have until a better one appears.
-----krinko

[jmoore]

I'll throw out some photos of the '41- it was obviously renumbered, but the remanents of the old numbers match the sight S/N. Almost didn't buy it, but the condition wasn't bad and it was under US$200...


Sight # (Looking hard at the rifle before purchase, this # is barely detectable under the other new #'s elsewhere.)


Receiver and bbl #


nosecap#


bolt# (no sign of old S/N here!)


bbl date


butt socket


partial "complete view"

Strange, but, like Krinko's, it'll do 'til I find better.

[ziomanno]

Thanks fellows; jmoore, a close up pic of your bolt handle could be interesting. Try to see if the flat side profile (better if seen from above) is uniform or "angled" from the ball to the root.
If you're interested, here is the link of Euroarms, the Italian Company that bought the entire Navy's rifles surplus:

Euroarms - Enfield Rifles FROM ITALIAN NAVY

On the left column you'll find the text in English. I think they sell also abroad, but the prices (at least for your lucky standard) aren't popular.

[jmoore]

Thanks fellows; jmoore, a close up pic of your bolt handle could be interesting. Try to see if the flat side profile (better if seen from above) is uniform or "angled" from the ball to the root.

It has been cut away a bit on the rear face. I'm going to guess that the bolt was not on the rifle as manufactured in 1941, even though the other parts seem to be original to the rifle. As you surmise, it's not quite flat in that area.

I'm really puzzled WHY it was done in such a manner, but it may end up to be a more interesting story than it first appears. Wouldn't be the first time, although I usually have to sell the rifle to get the "rest of the story".