Australian issued 1916 Enfield SMLE III* receiver with battle damage

[LNM]

Australian issued 1916 Enfield SMLE III* that has some major damage in the area of the safety catch.

It looks to me to be shrapnel. However, it may also have been a bullet.

The butt socket has been bent to the left, as has the stock bolt. The charger bridge has been sheared off and the receiver wall is way out of spec on the right hand side.

The receiver has early and later govt ownership markings (Arrow inside D) and (D Arrow D). It was re-serialed in service and was at one stage in the 1st M.D. It has a Lithgow 7 '45 barrel. There are no FTR markings.

The sear and stock bolt are Lithgow made.

The barrel has been hacksaw cut an inch forward of the chamber and it has been blued over the cut.

Interestingly it has sold out of service markings on both the receiver and the barrel.

My hypothesis is the the rifle was carried by a soldier in Korea where the rifle sustained the damage. The unserviceable weapon was sent to the battalion armourer and converted to useable components. The wrecked receiver and cut barrel were then stamped as sold out of service and presented to the soldier who carried the rifle as a memento of a close call.

But, of course that is just a guess. If it could talk, I wonder what it would say...

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