Finally! An SMLE (Ishapore)

[cipherk98]

I may be able to get up close pictures of the wrapping in a bit... it looks to me it is retained mostly by the tension of the wrapping and some solder. For instance you can slide around the wrap on the forend of mine a little bit.

By pure chance an online distributor of surplus stuff just got in a bunch of surplus No1 Mk3 mags for $30 which I think is very reasonable if you buy some other items to off set shipping. Ordered one, probably should have ordered 2 or 3. Hope to have it by the end of next week.

[Peter Laidler]

If you can hang on for a bit Doco I will expl;ain how we did it in the UK according to our instructions. In the early 70's we stripped the wiring, inspected the rifles, refurbished them, greased them and re-wrapped them to go back into war reserve stocks. I mention the way in several threads including the method used to keep the wire binding tight and soft soldering the last 4x wraps properly

[browningautorifle]

There was a fixture for the big lathe...

[cipherk98]

Ran about 30 rounds through it today with the new mag. Flawless function with normal Mk7 ball, some feeding issues with the Herters SP semi-round nose ammo I had, no doubt why Cabela's had that ammo on clearance and I bought it to make brass with anyway. Accuracy is solidly 3-3.5MOA, with heat having little impact given a reasonable rate of fire. Bolt is a joy to work even if ejection is a bit weak, trigger is serviceable. The old mag works if you flex it out and put it in, but once it is pulled back out again all is lost. I'll just set it aside and run the gun with the "new" mag.

That particular case of ammo though is almost certainly a bust. Randomly pulled clips all hang fired. Nothing dangerous or overly severe, but I can hear the striker drop when firing. Probably will just use it for plinking, since there is no easy way to reuse the cordite charge, leaving the bullet the only viable part. Disappointing for sure but I really don't think it hurts the deal even with having to buy a new mag. Just wish I hadn't opened it now, it was worth more sealed and packed away...

At any rate I am really happy with this purchase. The gun shoots, it has a good bore, and certainly can "stand in" spec wise for a WWI era gun. Most dangerous thing to come of this is that I am now weighing giving a No4 that has been sitting unloved in a local shop at the the reasonable price of $400 a home next to this No1 MkIII*...

[browningautorifle]

I am now weighing giving a No4 that has been sitting unloved in a local shop at the the reasonable price of $400 a home next to this No1 MkIII*...

It can't hurt now can it? Too bad about the ammo. I'd be pulling it down though...for components.

[englishman_ca]

Absolutely, you need a No.4 AND a No.5 to go with your No.1 rifle so that you can make informed comparisons and appreciated the technical marvel of what is the Lee Enfield.

With these three as the backbone of your collection, you will no doubt be looking at the Sniper versions, which are quite nice. And the early vintage versions of the Sht.LE and perhaps the Long Lee rifles and their carbines...

No need to go crazy, just one representative example of each to start. And their accessories and accoutrements.......

[browningautorifle]

And their accessories and accoutrements

Yes, that won't be too much will it? I had all the bayonets for each rifle and slings...action covers...