My New Irish No. I, MkI***

[boltaction]

Those are some nice rifles there! I find the variations fascinating. I have a Mk I which is wire wrapped for grenade use, stamped to Australia, and has the proper pattern nosecap, ivory buttoned rearsight, early pattern topwood, charger still on the bolt head, and steel buttplate with no trap. It has an E series serial number, and a second rack number put on it presumably in Australia.
Attachment 29460Attachment 29470Attachment 29469Attachment 29468Attachment 29467Attachment 29466Attachment 29465Attachment 29464Attachment 29463Attachment 29462Attachment 29461Attachment 29471

I also have a Mk I*** which has been renumbered when converted, as it has new serial on the bolt, receiver, and the old pattern nosecap is numbered to match as well. It retaines its charger on the bolthead, but it has the later pattern topwood/rearsight "ears", later pattern rearsight, the cutoff has been removed, and it has the more standard pattern buttplate with trap. The curious thing about it is that it may have started life as a Mk I*, since the first * is much more nicely stamped than the last two. Maybe someone knows if this happened with these rifles?

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I love the pre-WWI and WWI era Lee-Enfields. They're such classy rifles........

Ed

[Son]

boltaction, no books at hand ATM, but yes, the Mk1 was made until mid 1905 (will take corrections here, working from memory) then they made the Mk1*.. so your 1904 will be a Mk1 as marked and the 1907 would have started as a Mk1* and got the other two ** with upgrade in 1914(?)
Has the 1907 got the correct serial number on the foreend? And original barrel too? Serial numbers on barrel? .. may have been a restoration

[rayg]

congratulations with your find RAYG, many happy years of happy enjoyment to you. we irish had only one CW 1922/23 after the treaty with the UK,any other conflicts since were mainly sectarian

I stand corrected, There were no two Civil Wars. The later conflict was in opposition to the tready. Thank you for correcting me. And a very happy New year to you also , Ray

[rayg]

I just reviewed the thread and noticed that the link I provided to the other rifle on auction that went for more then mine didn't work. So here it is again, Ray

Darn it, i didn't link again, will try some more

see if this works

BRITISH #1 SHORT LEE ENFIELD-LONDON SMALLARMS 1906 : Curios & Relics at GunBroker.com

[Peter Laidler]

I would be unwise to tell any soldiers who were in Northern Ireland during 'the troubles' that it wasn't a civil war. There's a saying about ducks that if it looks like a duck, feels like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then you can be pretty well reassured that it IS a duck - unless the politicians tell you that it's not of course..........

[boltaction]

boltaction, no books at hand ATM, but yes, the Mk1 was made until mid 1905 (will take corrections here, working from memory) then they made the Mk1*.. so your 1904 will be a Mk1 as marked and the 1907 would have started as a Mk1* and got the other two ** with upgrade in 1914(?)
Has the 1907 got the correct serial number on the foreend? And original barrel too? Serial numbers on barrel? .. may have been a restoration

The fore-end has no number on it, although the nosecap does have the serial number on it. The barrel is serialed as well.

Attachment 29495

[rayg]

I just reviewed the thread and noticed that the link I provided to the other rifle on auction that went for more then mine didn't work. So here it is again, Ray

Darn it, i didn't link again, will try some more

see if this works

BRITISH #1 SHORT LEE ENFIELD-LONDON SMALLARMS 1906 : Curios & Relics at GunBroker.com

I don't know why the link isn't working. It works when I edit and post it and review but not when I save changes. Well another try
BRITISH #1 SHORT LEE ENFIELD-LONDON SMALLARMS 1906 : Curios & Relics at GunBroker.com

[mdrim13]

I also have a Mk I*** which has been renumbered when converted, as it has new serial on the bolt, receiver, and the old pattern nosecap is numbered to match as well. It retaines its charger on the bolthead, but it has the later pattern topwood/rearsight "ears", later pattern rearsight, the cutoff has been removed, and it has the more standard pattern buttplate with trap. The curious thing about it is that it may have started life as a Mk I*, since the first * is much more nicely stamped than the last two. Maybe someone knows if this happened with these rifles?

That one is VERY similar to mine. The original serial number to yours is even in the same series as mine. Both went into Irish service. Same Manufacturer and year of production even. Kind of odd they both end up on a website 100 years after the fact isn't it?

[RCS]

I have two rifles, an Enfield 1903 Mark 1** IP and a BSA 1904 Mark 1** IP. Photos show the Enfield upraded to Mark 111 in 1914 with a new barrel (India) serial numbered to the Enfield receiver.

[boltaction]

That one is VERY similar to mine. The original serial number to yours is even in the same series as mine. Both went into Irish service. Same Manufacturer and year of production even. Kind of odd they both end up on a website 100 years after the fact isn't it?

I think it's cool, and I love sites like this for this very reason. Just think, even 10 years ago, we wouldn't have been doing something like this. Now we can post pictures of a 105 or 108 year old rifle in British Columbia and find out someone in a different country or part of the world has its cousin! This is such a great place for sharing information and ensuring that interest in these great old items never fades.

Ed