Restoration project of a lifetime (so far)......

[Roger Payne]

I'm currently slowly rebuilding a SMLE sniper of 1916 vintage that was originally fitted out with an Aldis scope with Holland & Holland mounts. As collectors will know pretty well all WW1 SMLE snipers were ordered to be returned to Weedon by the SAC in the early 1920's, where they were stripped & serviceable parts retained against subsequent need. The only genuine snipers that have survived are the odd few that for some reason escaped this order by being sent to museums or which got overlooked & slipped though the net.

Over 20 years ago shortly after I started getting the No32 brackets made I had a period of good trade with that certain firm of gunsmiths located on Bisley ranges in Surrey here in the UK. They wanted as many brackets as I could spare & were happy to trade items from their 'tat' box. That is where the original body (receiver) came from. It took about another 14 - 15 years to turn up the scope complete with its original rings, & then only a matter of weeks ago did the original mount bases show up. The number of these rifles that have survived can almost certainly be counted on fingers so I am more than happy to have one that is a 'bitzer' as it is at least rebuilt from original bits.....

I considered long & hard whether to make efforts to collimate it as I rebuilt it, but on balance decided to assemble it all as carefully as I can & perhaps then see how things are. It would be great if it shoots accurately, but with a piece of this rarity how often would I shoot it anyway? (I'm a firm believer if you want to have a rifle you can just grab along with a box of ammo & get a great performance 'out of the box' then you need a L42!).

It will probably take me some time to complete, but the rear base is now on & the fit of the front ring into the transverse peg in the front base is snug. The rear is pretty well there also, but is just a little too tight, requiring just a kiss to ease it a little. I shall have to take this slowly as it's a lot easier to take a little more meat off than the reverse. Once that is 'right' I can hopefully get the front base soldered on.

I hope the photo's are of interest, & if so I'll add some more as things progress.

ATB

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Badger]

Hi Roger...

Great project and I'm looking forward to following its progress ...

I've also "moved" and duplicated your thread into "The Restorer's Corner" forum, which leaves a permanent trailing link in the originating forum here, where it came from. So, it's effectively the same as making a duplicate copy of the same post in another forum, which actually gives more members the opportunity to view and interact with it. It's like leaving a bookmark in the current forum for reference, which everyone will see and then when clicked on, it takes them to the full thread view.

Regards,
Doug

[Roger Payne]

Forgot to mention, but the scope came in its original case with the/a previous owner's name & unit written in the lid: 21117 Blythe 8 KOYLI. I haven't had the opportunity yet to do any detailed research on this chap, but he's not mentioned on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site so presumably he did survive the war.

.....a really nice bonus!

P.S. Cheers Doug.

[Amatikulu]

A little bit on the 8th Battalion KOYLI

8th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in The Great War1914-1918 - The Wartime Memories Project

[smle addict]

Mr Payne,

Is this the same stripped action as featured in an article on great war sniper rifles that appeared in "Collector" magazine sometime in the early 1990's?

If so, you are indeed a patient man! The project looks great so far.

[muffett.2008]

Good one Rog, It deserved to stay in the Enfield forum, there is nothing more Enfield than this.

I'm well aware of how quickly things fade from sight if not left with the group they were originally targeted at.

[Roger Payne]

Cheers all. As I get to do a little more on it I'll post some more pix. I'm taking my time because it's so rare I just can't afford to make a bXXls up of it.

And yes, it IS that same receiver. My inventory tag indicates I acquired it in 1992 so you're just about spot on!

Thanks for the interest.

ATB

[PrinzEugen]

Enjoyed seeing the pics so thanks for posting. I'll be interested to see the updates roger. Be a shame not to shoot it after all that effort in some ways. And I suppose by the time you finish Kingsbury might even be open again! Hopefully it'll turn out better than the Fultons Ajack one...
I suppose there must be a number of genuine SMLE snipers around the country, probably sitting in someone's gun cabinet, where they've not been moved from for the last 40 years. I'd love to know how many are still around.

[Roger Payne]

Hi Prinz,
I really don't think there are many at all, at least, not compared to No4 T's or even L42's. You do hear of them occasionally, though it's more often scopes that turn up. A friend of mine had an aldis H&H sniper come in about 20 years ago, & it had had the woodwork sporterised, but was otherwise intact & complete with its scope. However, he did not appreciate the significance of what he had & sold it for a very modest price to an old fellow who was an occasional Bisley shooter. What has happened to him/it I have no idea.

I have an original PPCo rifle that was one of two in amongst 1200 SMLE's that were imported into the UK (I think from Egypt) 20 years ago by one of the bigger arms companies that specialise in deactivation work. Mercifully the then manager recognised the two rifles for what they were & kept the nicer of the two for himself, letting the other go to the Charnwood collection. He is a nice chap but I knew he would get bored with the SMLE eventually, so when he needed a couple of No32 scopes a year or two later I jumped in & suggested a swap! That's how mine came. So I guess they are about but very thinly spread! You will see SMLE snipers offered for sale periodically, but most that I have seen have been made up relatively recently with reproduction parts or alternatively are complete & utter monstrosities like the rifle featured in another current thread.

ATB