Bought a No.1 MkVI - Fill me with knowledge!

[bigduke6]

It's not a problem strictly with the RCA museum either.

Museums around the world I think are very similar Brian, Museums don't always recruit from knowledge, they prefer a degree, about 9 years ago I seen a job advertised for the Liverpool museum, it was looking after their Maritime section and also in charge of Maintenance etc, I thought nothing to loose here and downloaded the application form, first question was what Degree I had and where from..... all in all I managed to fill a few box's in, name and address etc, the last one one was regarding the position, what or why would you be suitable for the position.......... I went to town on that one, strange I never heard anything back.

[stencollector]

Milsurps member Stencollector lives very close to this museum and

I hate to be critical but I'd never display a weapon like that if I were a museum curator. If my underlings did it, they'd be looking for another job. The varnish isn't original, multiple parts are missing, the bands are on backwards and the sling attached to the wrong band. It's not a problem strictly with the RCA museum either. I was similarly disappointed visiting the museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds many years ago with the same lack of attention to details in their small glass case full of Lee Enfield Rifles. Disgraceful.

Just to be clear, I am but the lowly mechanic at subject museum, working on the many vehicles within the museum's collection. The weapons display is outside of my scope of responsibilities.

I did get involved with a M1919A6 that was on display in the same room at the no1mkVI. For some reason it had a block of wood instead of the barrel bearing, and the buttstock was missing it's clamp. There was something else amiss which I corrected, but I can't remember now what it was. Anyway, some quick ebay purchases and things were made right. But I have several lifetimes worth of work in the vehicle shop, and if a mechanic is not in his bay with his toolbox open, then he is not earning his keep.

[enfield303t]

If you are going to remove the wood to clean off the lacquer or what ever it is be sure to follow the correct procedure. NEVER take the butt stock off first...or maybe you already knew that?

[DiegoMenendez]

If you are going to remove the wood to clean off the lacquer or what ever it is be sure to follow the correct procedure. NEVER take the butt stock off first...or maybe you already knew that?

I have a few Enfields https://m.imgur.com/a/25FuZ

I will admit I've never removed a buttstock before though, so I'll need to buy a proper screw driver and do some research beforehand. Thanks for the tip.

---------- Post added at 12:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 AM ----------

I have a few Enfields https://m.imgur.com/a/25FuZ

I will admit I've never removed a buttstock before though, so I'll need to buy a proper screw driver and do some research beforehand. Thanks for the tip.

I give up on posting image links from my phone...

[stencollector]

I will admit I've never removed a buttstock before though, so I'll need to buy a proper screw driver and do some research beforehand. .

If you are going to own Enfields, then why not spring for the original brace and blade. BRP in the US used to have both, but now only have the braces left. The brace and bit are available from Marstar in Canada. Marstar Canada - Tools

[henry r]

is this the right one?

[Surpmil]

If you are going to own Enfields, then why not spring for the original brace and blade. BRP in the US used to have both, but now only have the braces left. The brace and bit are available from Marstar in Canada. Marstar Canada - Tools

Now you've reminded me of the half dozen NOS blades I missed at the flea market last summer.

[stencollector]

Here is the No. 1 MK. VI at the RCA Museum, CFB Shilo, Manitoba, Canada. It appears to be one of the early production No. 1 MK. VI made circa 1930. The bolt is not present and the first pattern front sight guard (later called the Mark I and known to collectors as the "wasp waist" is missing. The sling is attached to the stacking swivel on the upper band instead of the sling swivel on the lower band. Note the cross-hatching and the unusual sling.

So I actually was asked to come down to the weapons vault this afternoon to make any observations wrt mis-identified rifles on display. I moved the sling swivel on the mkV from the upper to the middle position, but forgot to check and see if it is a stacking swivel or not. Both swivels well may be as the loops on the sling are sewn shut, so unless the sling was sewn onto the swivels, they must have the gap. I also turned the bands around so the screws went from left to right.

The serial number on both the wrist and on the wood were barred out and replaced with a different number. The info on the wrist are as follows: Barred out was A0553 and replaced with 26A. Year was 1930.

I mentioned to the artifacts manager that the front sight was the wrong one, and that I thought it should be a one piece waisted type. He pointed out the guards on some no4s, which I told him were wrong. I then spotted a waisted front sight guard on a rifle, and when I pulled it from the rack, it was another no1mkVI. On this one, someone replaced the rear sight with a L type battle aperture from a no4. Serial number on both the wrist and the wood were again barred out. Original number appears to be A0292 replaced by 272A. Rifle is also a 1930.

I'll look over both rifles and figure out which will be the donor and which will be the recipient and put on display. I'll either be moving over the rear sight or moving the front sight to whichever rifle is the best.

I identified about 15 or so errors in the WW2 to present weapons. I also caught that there are some issues between two rifles, one of which is a Martini re barrelled to .303. I don't have a lot of time to spend at the weapons vault though, as summer is when I get painting and sandblasting done. As I mentioned earlier, I am the mechanic.

[Seaforth72]

Good for you stencollector! We trust you to eventually get the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum's firearms collection sorted out eventually.

Military museums, and indeed most museums, generally have poor records and have many "buried treasures" and misidentified items. I worked for 40-years in museums, mostly as a Curator, and this was one of my main campaigns ... to get the records sorted out, accurate and linked to locations of the items! I am presently volunteering at a military museum in Richmond, B.C., Canada and have offered to sort out their weapons collection. I have already spotted many mistakes. Some Curators think that" close is good enough" or that "the public will never know" but we do the public a great disservice when museums put out the wrong information. Such actions make museums no better than the internet! ;-) It drives collectors crazy to know that museums are sitting on very rare items and either don't know what they are and/or don't care. Furthermore, since museums are like icebergs, usually no more than, and frequently less than, 10% of the collection is on display and thus is not accessible to the public.

[stencollector]

Good for you stencollector! We trust you to eventually get the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum's firearms collection sorted out eventually.

Not my area. I'm always happy to help when asked, but to be forcing my way in would be stepping into another's arc of responsibility. In all honesty, my interests lie in the commonwealth stuff used from 1940ish onwards, so when it comes to the pre-WW1 stuff I am definitley having to use my tattered old copy of "the Enfield Story".

I did determine for once and for all that the Ross in the display is a .303 vice the .280 it was listed as. The chamber had been welded shut (should never happen in a museum) so I had to measure at the muzzle. Should have done that sooner, but again, not my territory.

Should you spot any vehicles incorrectly identified, now that is within my arcs.