An odd marking on a LMC

[RobD]

I saw this post asking for help with a marking
Victorian Wars Forum View topic - Rifle stamp ID
and I was baffled.
I suggested the OP should post on this forum, but he/she hasn't - anyone got the answer?
Rob

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[smle addict]

It's a cancellation or "sold out of service" stamp. I have an LMC that has a similar stamp, only it is one of those lines, end to end. That one looks as if it was stamped 3 times.

[5thBatt]

It's a cancellation or "sold out of service" stamp. I have an LMC that has a similar stamp, only it is one of those lines, end to end. That one looks as if it was stamped 3 times.

That's what it looks to me, here's the Cancellation mark on some Long Lee bolts to cancel out the serial numbers

[browningautorifle]

the Cancellation mark on some Long Lee bolts

That's what it looks like to me too...more picturesque than the normal arrows point to point.

[henry r]

I wish we could get the OP here. I'd love to see some more pics of the rifle. A commercial marked metford carbine with a sold out of service marking... he's got my attention.
It is a long shot but i wonder if it could be one of the 970 admiralty contract commercial sporters that were bought to arm trawlers etc in ww1???

edit: just noticed it has a cut out in the stock for a handguard clip so prob not an admiralty contract rifle.

RobD could you suggest he gets in contact with "jc5" who is working on a book on commercial lee metford/endfields. Given the condition it looks like it has just resurfaced and its details wouldn't be recorded yet. I'll pm you his email if you could please pass it on.

[englishman_ca]

First thing that I read is the BSA logo and Birmingham commercial proof marks. So yes, not a martial arm. Proof style is post 1910?

The pretty rosette is indeed somebody being artistic with the 'propeller' cancellation mark x 3. Not a standard marking, but somebody being creative with what they had on hand. It aint a British Ordnance mark for sure.
It might indeed be an attempt at creating a double broad arrow, but maybe not. It would be way, way easier to make a double broad arrow using a straight cold chisel tip. So I wonder what they were trying to do. What would be on the receiver flat to cancel?

What I do see is something on the right barrel reinforce. Maybe just my imagination, but could that marking be a broad arrow inside a U ? That would signify South African ownership.

Need to see more pics.