This one just kinda called to me..

[Anzac15]

So while at the local fun show this weekend, I see this SMLE sitting all by its lonesome on a rack. Being one who cannot resist the pull of an old blunt nose, I picked it up to examine it. Its an Ishapore with a scrubbed buttsocket, although on the left side of it is 'No I MkIII* FR (field repair) '48. Bolt is mismatched, but everything else is matching, nose cap, rear sight, forestock, receiver and barrel. No crossed out serial numbers, appears to be the original ones. 'X' is BELOW all numbers, so I'm guessing its a suffix. Got it home, (it was dirt cheap, cheapest LE I've seen in a while) and took it down to clean it. Barrel appears to have a date of 1910, with a combo of Enfield (EFD) and Ishapore marks (SA). Bore is pristine. A few markings I've never seen before..has the slot for the mag cut off. EFD marked rear sight. Anyway, a rifle with character. Enjoy the pics!

---------- Post added 10-15-2012 at 12:02 AM ---------- Previous post was 10-14-2012 at 11:56 PM ----------



---------- Post added at 12:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 AM ----------

Actually, barrel date seems to be '16, not '10..

Information

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[Son]

Hmmm, bit of a toss up between 10 and 16 for barrel date. 1916 was my first thought.

Having a Factory Repair date of '48 means it could probably be correct with any combination of parts. Great old rifle, congrats.

[jrhead75]

'16 is what I see too. Also...'FR' in the Indian context (on the buttsocket w/date) is the equivalent of the British and Commonwealth 'FTR'.

It's when it's stamped on the right side of the butt that the biting and hair pulling breaks out.

[Anzac15]

Ha ha! Yep..it sure does!

[Rumpelhardt]

Very nice rifle. Firearms speak a universal language don't they.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Well done!

[Anzac15]

Yeah, I like her. Anyone have an idea what the marking on the trigger guard is? The small G in the D? Never saw that one before. When did Ishapore stop MkIII production and begin building rifles to MkIII* specs?

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Very nice rifle. Firearms speak a universal language don't they.

Enfields certainly do.

[Anzac15]

As the right side of this rifle's buttsocket has been scrubbed, what are the chances that this may actually be a British or even Australian manufactured rifle? I know the Indians loved to scrub markings from other govt's to make the weapons 'their own'...would they not have left an Ishapore stamp on the buttsocket.
This just kind of hit me today!

[jrhead75]

The barrel appears to have been produced at Enfield. It seems a pretty good bet the rest of it was too.