Interesting LEC

[Lance]

Picked up an interesting 1900 LEC Mk I* recently and finally got around to taking a few pic's of her.

The interesting part is the Karachi Arsenal rebuild, I was unaware that LEC were issued to India, maybe a left over from an English unit?? Surprisingly it was not modified to a SMLE Mk I** IP.

The original Enfield cartouche is visible underneath the Indian Government roundel. The forend and nose cap are both s/n'd to the rifle as per the 9/11/08 War Office instructions. There are no Indian ownership marks or inspectors marks at all on the metal.

Anyone have any data on LEC use in India??

Information

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[Brit plumber]

Very Very nice!

[stevesmle]

13,500 LEC carbines were shipped to India in 1901, and the Indian Government hoped to complete the issue of magazine carbines to appropriate units by 1910 (strangely this included Artillery units). It is also possible that any carbines remaining in the UK, after the majority of the R.I.C. conversions were completed, were also shipped to India, along with all the spare components.

[Surpmil]

Seems a bit odd that the butt marking disc would be stamped to indicate a refurbishment when the stamp in the wood adjacent to it indicates that. I always understood the disc was for indicating the formation to which a rifle was issued.

This was an obsolete pattern by 1922. Could that disc marking indicate it was part of the Karachi Arsenal collection or that it was on issue there for defence of the Arsenal - and an arsenal in India was a place that needed protection!

[browningautorifle]

I agree though about it being a very neat little carbine. Very nice. Why don't I get those once in a while...?

[stevesmle]

Lee Enfield cavalry Carbines were not an obsolete pattern in India in 1922, as alterations to the Carbine were approved in April 1924, to enable Mk VII ammunition to be used with them.

[jrhead75]

Seems a bit odd that the butt marking disc would be stamped to indicate a refurbishment when the stamp in the wood adjacent to it indicates that. I always understood the disc was for indicating the formation to which a rifle was issued.

Correct...Indian regs instructed that the issuing arsenal be stamped on the disk along with all of the normal info (Ref. Instructions For Armourers, Gov't of India Army Department, 1911). They show up from time to time with just the arsenal and date for reasons as yet unknown.