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Thread: Molly the MLE Restoration

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  1. #11
    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Looking at the butt-plate on this old girl I see a 'TAS' marking on the butt-plate tang near the serial. I can't remember in Ian Skennertonicon's book if he had any numbers on MLE's sent to TAS, but I imagine it can't be many. Would there be any markings on the action anywhere to correspond with this?

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

  3. #12
    Legacy Member Roy's Avatar
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    On SMLE's you find MD 'Military District' marks but possibly MLE's predate those. As for numbers, government or military archives are your best bet. In those early days NZicon had Northern, Central and Southern districts and the numbers of rifles for each district are know to an extent but the rifles them selves were not marked, save for some regimental ID disks. Very few of which have survived from pre-ww1.
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  5. #13
    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Yeah I have SMLE's with the 1, 2, 3, etc MD markings, and even an old 1908 SHtLE with 'VIC' marked on the reciever, so I am assuming that is how they were marked before. I never thought that the gov and/or military would have any leftover info on anything that goes back this far, but I have always been curious. Would you have any suggestions on who to specifically contact, or maybe should I just start looking and see where it leads? Thanks just the same.

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    Legacy Member Roy's Avatar
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    Here in NZicon there are audits of arms detailing how many arms of each type and the amount of ammunition available in the NZ archives.
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    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Was that only for firearms owned or leased by the government, or for all firearms that were registered and owned by the public if you don't mind me asking.

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    Legacy Member Roy's Avatar
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    I believe it was for government arms only. The NZicon police has records of civilian arms ownership since the compulsory registration of MSSA, Pistols and Collector arms in the 90's
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  10. #17
    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Very cool. I wonder if my govt would release any kinds of info on this kind of thing for me to track this rifle back to Tas, or even just to find when it was imported. Thanks Roy.

  11. #18
    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Got the top butt-plate screw out of the butt finally today with a punch. It was in there good. In the meantime I also found a few interesting things I figured I would share.

    On the tang of the butt-plate it has the last 3 numbers of the serial, which is matched on the butt itself and reciever, and even the bolt if my memory is not wrong, as well as the 'TAS' marking I have mentioned before, but now I see something else there too: Very faintly just below the 'TAS' and '642' markings are a matching set of diminished 'TAS' and '642' markings that have been stamped over by the new markings. I missed this so many times looking at this area, and even now it is not obvious. In the 'TAS' you can make out a the 'A' below and the hook of the 'T', and in the serial you can see the circle and hook of the '6' and a bit of the '2'. AND even more interesting: On the newer mark, the top one, the '2' looks very much like an upside-down '3'. After looking at it from the muzzle back this character looks identical to a '3', which makes me wonder if they did this to save having to make the extra stamp and simplify the marking kit.

    I also re-checked Skennertonicon's The Lee Enfield and found that 2296 MLE's were issued to Tasmania as of the very end of 1904 (?). I wonder if there is anything else but markings on the tang that indicate being issued there. I have seen another Tasmanian MLE but it had a big roundel and lots of markings on the butt-stock to indicate this, where mine only retains the '642' a broad arrow, and some other indistinguishable marks. Perhaps a Tasmanian requested DP rifle rather than a Tasmanian issued service rifle that was downgraded?

    Its also got the remnants of some ugly shiny finish on it which I am not sure on how to get off without sanding. Alchol, acetone, and turps seemed to make no difference.

    Attachment 95757Attachment 95758Attachment 95759Attachment 95760

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    Contributing Member CINDERS's Avatar
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    Try a Citrus based stripper they are not to fierce in their action and bio-degradeable with water.

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  14. #20
    Legacy Member nijalninja's Avatar
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    Is that a paint stripper? Any brands you suggest?

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