Help identify the manufacturer of this lower

[bentwrench]

I have a 1943 Enfield MK 1* parts kit. Receiver and internals are Enfield manufacture. I cannot determine the manufacture of this lower section. Looks like a MK 1 style with later wood. Have a look, let me know if there are any other area I need to get a picture of to identify it.

Attachment 47595Attachment 47596Attachment 47597Attachment 47598Attachment 47599

Information

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[bentwrench]

Also forgot to add another bit of info, the receiver serial number is W2218 the lower has been scrubbed and re-stamped x3296. Cant make out the pervious numbers and markings. The paint is actually green if that makes a difference.

[Peter Laidler]

The butt was made by Tibbenhams at Ipswich. Butt slide just looks like a simplified Mk1 butt slide, made at Enfield. Mk2 butt and rubbish Mk2 butt plate that caused no end of trouble. Renumbering was quite common out in the real world of over worked Armourers shops. Later we stopped numbering the rear and numbered the rear left hand side, above and to the rear of the pistol grip

[Gil Boyd]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh good old Tibbenhams, fine cabinet makers who also made loads of cases for precision equipment during the war too. Useless piece of info but as my wife came from around there RFC Tibbenham was one of the first Royal Flying Corps runways in WW1, grass of course but I digress

[bentwrench]

Thank you.


The bent style butt plate was no so popular then, do tell?

[Peter Laidler]

Put the gun down butt first, in the manner most squaddies were want to do and the overhand would hit the floor causing the top strap that's screwed in from the top to move forwards a tad and crack the butt and elongate/strip the screw hole. Fix it by patching and it'd happen again!. So you modified the butt plate to Mk3 spec and that was the end of the problem. A Mk3 butt plate was simply a modified Mk2 butt plate. Looked and fixed onto the butt the same but didn't have the useless overhang that really solved no useful purpose - except to create work......

Has anyone got one handy to show us? KG...., BP.....

Next question?

Incidentally, Tibbies made the Mk2 butts from American black walnut imported in long planks, cut to width and thickness. They also made Sten Mk5 butts and pistol grips from maple imported from Canada (?). Maple..... an absolute pig to wood patch

[Brit plumber]

As Peter has said, your lower is a Enfield made simplified Mk1, if there had been a set of letters and numbers on the end in the last photo this would have indicated an Inglis Mk1m lower.

This is the only half decent photo of a Mk3 butt plate I could find.

Attachment 47609

[Peter Laidler]

That's a great photo BP. Reminded me that instead of recessing that little top strap part - as it was on the original Mk2 butt and butt plate, we were instructed to remove the recessed part of the butt and just sit the top strap on top. Just as you've shown it.

Modifying the butt plates from overhung Mk2 to straight fold-over Mk3 spec was simple enough but you had to heat to very-hot red heat to straighten out the overhang and then re-fold over. Then cut to shape with a hacksaw. A job best left to the welders!