Enfield Date question....

[thepalmsUK]

Hi all,

Some advice needed please...

I have a chance to purchase a BSA made SMLE. The item has a magazine cut off, but no date stamped on it.

Can anyone think of a reason for this? The seller seems loathed to go into details.

Good? Bad? Ugly....please help.

Thanks in advance

Information

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[Brit plumber]

It sounds like a 1920/30s Commercialy made SMLE. BSA made SMLEs for foreign governments and Individuals that were marked with the BSA piled arms logo instead of the crown and date.

[smellie]

Definitely a Commercial rifle.

There were only two military contracts in the inter-War period: Siam and Iraq. The Siamese were dated in Siamese on the right side of the butt socket, using the Buddhist calendar. The Iraqi ones were dated 1936 and 1938 and had the BSA commercial logo AND the unique Iraqi "reversed S" stamp up on the top of the rifle, the butt socket giving only the manufacturer, model and date.

Commercial rifles were available right from the beginning of SMLE production, through to WW2. BSA mde them for sale under their own name and also on contract for many dealers and shops. The W.W.Greener SMLEs were actually built by BSA, marked to and sold by Greener.

Territorial regiments and various Volunteer groups had to supply their own rifles, and many of these came from BSA. Also, they were popular with target shooters and with people who just wanted the toughest rifle that could be built.

Hope this helps.

[thepalmsUK]

Gentlemen,

Thanks a lot.

I also have an opportunity to purchase a 1916 dated LSA - a more interesting item!

Thanks again.

[Brit plumber]

Definitely a Commercial rifle.

There were only two military contracts in the inter-War period: Siam and Iraq. The Siamese were dated in Siamese on the right side of the butt socket, using the Buddhist calendar. The Iraqi ones were dated 1936 and 1938 and had the BSA commercial logo AND the unique Iraqi "reversed S" stamp up on the top of the rifle, the butt socket giving only the manufacturer, model and date.

Commercial rifles were available right from the beginning of SMLE production, through to WW2. BSA mde them for sale under their own name and also on contract for many dealers and shops. The W.W.Greener SMLEs were actually built by BSA, marked to and sold by Greener.

Territorial regiments and various Volunteer groups had to supply their own rifles, and many of these came from BSA. Also, they were popular with target shooters and with people who just wanted the toughest rifle that could be built.

Hope this helps.

I found a 1936 BSA in Iraq in 2005. A local had converted it to a punt gun, It must have been from that contract, sadly it was destroyed.

[Brian Dick]

BSA built commercial SMLE rifles for the Kingdom of Bahrain in the 1930's. I have a few left in stock. They have no specific ownership markings other than rack numbers on the brass marking discs.