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Thread: SMLE rebuild or fakery?

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  1. #1
    Legacy Member Cottage Hill Bill's Avatar
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    SMLE rebuild or fakery?

    I'd like opinions on this SMLE in regards to its history. Here is what I know. It is a Century Arm import, probably from the '80s or '90s. until a few days ago it was still coated in cosmolineicon, or the Britishicon equivalent. The butt socket stamp indicated production at Enfield in 1911. The barrel is dated 1941. The fore end and buttstock appear to be walnut, the upper hand guards beech. The butt was fitted with a zamakicon No.4 butt plate that was crudely filed to fit. The file marks are visible in the photo, there were matching file marks on the buttstock which I have removed. Receiver, barrel, nose cap and magazine bear the same number, the bolt is oddly numbered differently (see photo). All of the pieces show little wear, even the bolt is still fully blued with little evidence of use. Forgot to photo it but rear sight has a struck out number plus 1087.

    Was this a 1911 action that was reworked in 1941 then either never issued or used for garrison duty where it saw little use or is it a total fabrication by someone with a home set of stamps?

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    Last edited by Cottage Hill Bill; 06-05-2019 at 10:08 PM.

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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. #2
    Legacy Member Kiwi's Avatar
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    Re-stamped to match barrel serial number by a non-armourer. If it was a complete rework then I would have at least expected the letter prefix of the serial number to be on the relevant stamped parts but that is missing.

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  6. #3
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Looks like a parts gun to me.
    Regards, Jim

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    Roger Payne's Avatar
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    Agree with Kiwi. The serial on the barrel looks like it is the only nmber that may have been there from the outset. The font of the numbers looks very 'modernish European' to me, as well. The rather tall thin numbers with the serifs on the '7' & so forth smell distinctly Germanic in style......

  8. #5
    Legacy Member Cottage Hill Bill's Avatar
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    Sigh, not the answer I hoped for but the one that I was pretty sure would be given. One the one hand it is nice to have my suspicions confirmed by my betters and realize I have actually learned a little in the many years of mucking about with Enfields and reading these forums, on the other it would have been nice to have an early war rebuild.

    Thank you all for your time and insight.

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  10. #6
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    She may not be a 41 rebuild Bill, but she may still be a decent rifle.

  11. #7
    Legacy Member Daan Kemp's Avatar
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    Report on range performance, that is the deciding factor.

  12. #8
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    As Daan says, shoot it. There are so few left and so many are put together, it's almost what's available now.
    Regards, Jim

  13. #9
    Legacy Member Cottage Hill Bill's Avatar
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    This has been languishing in the back of the safe for many, many years. While dirty and dark, I'm optimistic about the condition of the barrel. Hope to get a brush and some patches stuck into it next week and then I'll know.

  14. #10
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    If it resists cleaning then bang it and try. Have faith, it'll be ok and then show us targets...
    Regards, Jim

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