Mystery SMLE (to me) Help ?

[smlemon]

Hello all, I have been a 1903 Springfield collector for 50+ years but recently received my first SMLE (with disassembly inspection privileges.)

Dragged out my current edition of Skennerton (lotsa info but terrible organization) and tried to puzzle out this rifle.

It was rebuilt in 1954.

The serial # on the bbl and receiver ring is 11.

The bolt and magazine are serialized but don't match 11 or each other.

The buttstock is 2X walnut, has no disc, has 3 broad arrows along the bottom one has a letter on each side. All I can be sure of is the one to the biggest arrow's left is an "L". The wood is almost undinged at all.
The buttplate is darkened brass and appears like NOS.

The lower stock and two piece upper handguards are beech and pretty crude.

All I can make out on the action rear ring around the stock is a GR crown, III (no star) and 1917. It is set up for the magazine cutoff (slot and screw hole) but no cutoff.
The receiver's left rail is electro penciled that is was rebuilt in 1954.

The front receiver ring has ENGLAND stamped into it

The barrel is covered with proofs @ the breech. I can make out BSA, a GR mark, several broad arrows and "54". (there are a lot more)

Rear sight is no windage WW I style. Nose cap is also numbered 11 but has no hole for a swivel or cutouts to adjust sight windage.

The bore is 8 on a scale of 10

With it came a Lithgow 1918 bayonet & scabbard with almond shaped frog. It is blackened and the handle appear new marked LAZ 56.

The asking price for all is $550. Do I have a correct rearsenaled rifle or just a pile of parts that is not worth messing with. ?

I see walnut upper and lower front ends can be had. That and getting the 10 layers of black paint on the metal down to one would make a nice looking rifle but ….. as with 03s tossing money into a mess is just not worth it.

Thanks in advance.

Information

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[Homer]

Photos would be helpful.

Ive never thought skennertons books were poorly organised.

[Maxwell Smart]

For my mind, if the serial on the receiver and the bolt don't match, then it is a NON-matching rifle, full stop, no matter what other numbers line up.

[Gil Boyd]

Ian's books are only confusing to those who don't know where to look first. They are concise, but sometimes not all armourers marks appear in them
As been said, if advice is sought a few photos would be helpful, especially as you seem to be quoting a mass of numbers, most that do make sense.

[Beerhunter]

For my mind, if the serial on the receiver and the bolt don't match, then it is a NON-matching rifle, full stop, no matter what other numbers line up.

Unlike the Germans, the British (mostly) only numbered the receiver and the bolt (sometimes the magazine and odd bits of woodwork as well) and as you say the receiver an bolt are the ONLY numbers that count. All the rest will be inspection marks, dates, etc.

A has been said the OP needs to post pictures.

[Patrick Chadwick]

When I got my "Fianna Fail" rifle it also looked like a "bitsa" and was in dire external condition. But internally A1.

Posting photos on this forum soon produced the encouraging evaluation that it was a genuine arsenal rebuild for Ireland, hence the FF on the knoxform.

Which all goes to show: you MUST post GOOD photos showing ALL marks. Your photos will then be evaluated by a large number of the best Enfield-tuned eyeballs in the world.

[smlemon]

Thanks folks.

I have created a public Photobucker album that you can call up by pasting into your browser or clicking on it.

Smle Photos by rocketcity1 | Photobucket

If you double click on any thumbnail, it will enlarge enough that I hope you can make out the markings.

Looking forward to finding out what it is.

[Homer]

Unlike the Germans, the British (mostly) only numbered the receiver and the bolt (sometimes the magazine and odd bits of woodwork as well) and as you say the receiver an bolt are the ONLY numbers that count. All the rest will be inspection marks, dates, etc.

A has been said the OP needs to post pictures.

Are you referring to all SMLE production?

[smlemon]

As I said there is a serial # (11) on the front receiver ring, the barrel and the nose cap.
The bolt and the magazine are also numbered with different numbers..

May I request you folks with knowledge, take a look at the photo bucket album I made ?

I attempted to photograph every marking on the entire rifle.

Thanks !

[smlemon]

Okay, you have the "good photos". What else is needed ?