question regarding bsa siamese marked smle.

[garyohartnett]

gday gents

I have a bsa smle made for the Siamese.

I was imported into Australia in the 80`s .

bolt is mismatched rifling is very good.

bayonet is mismatched to rifle but siam marked, scabbard is steel.

everything I have read states that bsa did not place british government mark on the parts used , other literature states that some parts were ex stock and may have had markings .

basically most of the parts have brit markings on them some are barred out .
all are british manufacture.

I appreciate that this rifle was made in 1920 sent to siam ,went through the Japanese occupation etc etc . so to me it would seem perfectly feasible that this is "original" in so much as parts worn or damaged may have been replaced with whatever was on hand.

I was told by the bloke who gave me the rifle that he bought from a queensland gun shop for $60 in 1985 .the shop owner had some on display another 100 or so outback and he just grabbed a bolt from a drum and fitted it .headspace ??wont close all the way on.074 but bolt is about 3/8"off touching butt socket .

also has bsa oil bottle and pull through in butt near gagged when I stupidly smelt the oil.
rotten fish??????

I would very much welcome any or all thoughts on this .
I can post pics if required.

Information

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[bigduke6]

AFAIK the bayonets were not made but reconditioned with original makers name etc linished and the Siam tiger mark and number applied, and the whole blade blued, the scabbard you speak of was a Siam addition at the time, from the original leather scabbard the chape and locket was used and the leather replaced for sheet metal, due to the leather was not up to the climate, personally I would think it was a preferance or the leather was not treated in the correct way etc, or they didnt have Kiwi boot polish, at the end of the day they never walked round in sheet metal boots.

[Badger]

There's a 109 pic photo montage of an "all matching" piece in the MKL ...

1920 ShtLE (Short Lee-Enfield) "Wild Tiger Corps" No.1 MkIII* Rifle (click here)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug

[muffett.2008]

Attachment 43601Original scabbards were leather.

[Ridolpho]

garyohartnett: Not shown in the reference article, the barrel originally had a matching Siamese (is it called Nagari or something similar?) number under the handguard. Looking on mine, under the barrel, I see lots of typical bsa commercial markings only. If you're seeing something else it may have been re-barreled. Try to show us some photos.

Ridolpho

[garyohartnett]

thanks fellas ,
over the week end I will get the camera out .