Battle Queen SMLE

[LesPaui+sg=win]

This used to belong to my Grandpa. He bought it in the 50's and used it for hunting here and there and for killing pigs for butcher. He passed away before I was born, and this rifle sat in my Grandmas closet for over a decade. She found out that I was very into these old military rifles and remembered where it resided, so she gave it to me. It was missing a magazine, so I ordered one online for it and went to town. I gave it a good cleaning and got the cobwebs out of the barrel and used steel wool to get off most of the surface rust. You can tell that this thing has saw action somewhere besides in the hills of Kentucky hunting deer. If only it could talk! It still groups amazingly and fires like new.

Information

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[A square 10]

nice looking rifle , and its intact , dated right at the point of transistion from mkIII to III* ,

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

A fitting link to the grandfather you never knew. Beautiful old girl.

[Paul S.]

Nice rifle and a nice connection to your grand-dad. Thank heaven he wasn't named Bubba.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Nice rifle and a nice connection to your grand-dad. Thank heaven he wasn't named Bubba.

Classic.

[jjjxlr8]

Great looking rifle! I love that wood. It's hard to beat 'character' like that. I hope you don't ever think of 'restoring' it.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Attachment 34477 They seem to look "right" in that condition. My unmolested No 1 Mk III* is the foundation of my collection. I only wish it had belonged to my Grandfather,

[LesPaui+sg=win]

Restore? This is the condition that it's meant to be in. I would never think of that! So no worries.

[paulseamus]

Les Paui

Very nice rifle. Glad to hear that you are going to keep it as is.

Interesting that the first and last digits of the serial number on the receiver appear to have been overstamped with an "S"

It appears that the serial number may have originaly been F 3594. (The last digit is cleary an overstamped 4. The first appears to have originally been a 3.)

What serial numbers appear on the other usual locations: bolt handle; nose cap; wrist/butt socket; under the leaf of the rear sight; on the forend?

Enjoy the rifle and the link to your grandfather.

Cheers

Paul

[LesPaui+sg=win]

All serials except for the magazine say 8598.