MKIII receiver question

[vykkagur]

The bad news is that the 'Mk.III receiver' has totally bogus markings. All of those markings are faked.
It is a Khyber special sold as a souvenir to some GI Joe. The thing is actually a Mk.IV.

Good news is that it is probably a genuine British made unit that has been remarked for sale in the Casbah. It might even be in working condition.

At least they spelled "Enfield" right....

So, as long as he wasn't looking for an authentic collector's item to build a period-correct rifle, it looks like he's landed on his feet then? Shame he couldn't lose the misleading markings, but that might do too much damage by thinning the receiver sides too much. They already ground it down removing the original stamps. Still. it could make a very nice shooter, if it all checks out safe.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Andy, I don't know the Dari word for "recycling", but I reckon that Ali Bubba and his colleagues in and around Kabul practically invented recycling as applied to guns. Now filing up a complete rifle from solid chunks of scrap is a very tedious job, so many hours can be saved by using any original bits that are kicking around. The chances are that your "bazaar special" incorporates a number of original parts. The trigger, for instance, looks quite plausible. As does the cocking indicator.

However, only a total strip-down and clean - when you can look at the INSIDE surfaces - will reveal whether various components are machined or hand-carved. And look for maker's marks on the bottom of the barrel, for instance.

And do not forget that a real arsenal - the "Machine Khana" was established under British supervision in Kabul in the 1870s. They produced real Enfields marked with the Kabul Arsenal crest. But Ali Bubba and friends know that buyers want to have "genuine" British markings, so they do their best to supply the market accordingly. In other, words, a genuine arsenal-made gun is likely to have had the original Kabul crest ground off and fake British markings applied. I.e. converting an original into a fake for the sake of the market.

You may have one such, so don't fret too much about the fake markings! The clearest* markings I ever saw on a Martini were fake - they had been photo-etched.

*Too clear to be true, in fact

[Patrick Chadwick]

The Anglicized spelling varies.

Try Machine Khana / Machin Khana / Mashin Khana.