Another Old Newb With Questions

[ZGrand]

Hi, all. I've owned a few guns over the past 50 years or so, but never really been what I would consider a "gun person". And I certainly have not been into vintage firearms (until now).

Back in the '60's sometime, my father, who was in the Army Air Corps in WWII, bought a surplus Enfield from an Army surplus store. I'm not sure how many times he fired it, but I do recall he took me with him to the range one time when I was 12 years old. He even let me fire it a couple of times. We shot up all the ammo he had, and as far as I know, this was the last time the rifle was fired. After cleaning, it went in his closet in 1965 and stayed there until I pulled it out in 2012. It has resided in my closet ever since.

I decided to pull it out recently and put it back into service. I cleaned the bore (quite a few times as it had some surface rust), all the hardware, and cleaned the furniture with Murphy's Oil Soap followed by a rub-down with linseed oil, and ordered some ammunition online. Although I have not fired it yet, I have checked the headspace (seems OK), and the end of the barrel with a live round (still have a little over 1/4" of the projectile showing) so I think it should be safe to fire.

As you can tell from the pictures, I believe it to be a 1942 No. 1 MKIII*. You can also tell it was well used before my father acquired it. (It even has a few "notches" on the top of the rear stock. Yikes!) The serial numbers on the barrel, forestock, endcap, and bolt all match. All the wood (birch?) appears to match except the rear handguard, which is darker. I assume it would have been common for this piece to have been replaced at some point in the past.

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me if any of the markings indicate where the firearm was manufactured, and the significance of any of the other markings on the barrel or other hardware, and the meaning of the "331" stamped into the rear stock.

Thanks in advance.

Information

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[ZGrand]

Also in the closet I found an old Winchester .303 box containing 19 used brasses. They are marked "1943" - I cleaned the end of one of the cases with a brass wheel. Would these be of any use to someone who does .303 reloading - specifically who wanted some period-correct rounds?

[smle addict]

That appears to be one of the last of the BSA produced SMLE Mk III*s, shortly before the MK III*'s were produced by dispersal factories (SSA & NRF). Odd that it has a 1940 dated barrel. That wood appears to be beech.

The arm holding the sword is one of the British proof house marks, prior to it being sold as surplus through the trade. The "2.22/18.5" is also part of the proofing done, post-service. Probably made it over here in the 1950's with the rest of the war surplus. The 331 is probably no more than an armory inventory number (rack number).

I don't have my reference books with me at the moment (I'm going by memory), but I'm sure another member will be along to add much more and correct detail regarding the "B" stamp and transition to dispersal production.

As far as the brass goes, a cartridge collector may want it, but to me, brass is brass.

And welcome to the forum. Very nice rifle, by the way!

[Roger Payne]

I think it is a dispersal factory rifle. At the outset of WW2 BSA was making the SMLE at its original site in Small Heath in Birmingham. The factory was badly bombed in the blitz of 1940/41 & barrel making in particular was hard hit. With that, & the fact that BSA was being called upon to make many other weapons (& other equipment) for the war effort, the production of SMLE's was out-sourced (sub contracted) to local industry. I am also speaking from memory now, & cannot be certain what degree of supervision BSA had over the local companies involved, (I think BSA supplied some of the major parts like bodies), but they still had some involvement. I have seen dispersal SMLE's dated as late as 1944. I don't know if 45's exist.....

[smle addict]

See! Someone with more knowledge did come along!

Thanks Roger. I always confuse the dispersal rifles with the peddled scheme rifles.

[Roger Payne]

I've done it before now - similar system, just a different world war!

[Alan de Enfield]

I think it is a dispersal factory rifle. At the outset of WW2 BSA was making the SMLE at its original site in Small Heath in Birmingham. The factory was badly bombed in the blitz of 1940/41 & barrel making in particular was hard hit. With that, & the fact that BSA was being called upon to make many other weapons (& other equipment) for the war effort, the production of SMLE's was out-sourced (sub contracted) to local industry. I am also speaking from memory now, & cannot be certain what degree of supervision BSA had over the local companies involved, (I think BSA supplied some of the major parts like bodies), but they still had some involvement. I have seen dispersal SMLE's dated as late as 1944. I don't know if 45's exist.....

I think that the "dispersal" to other local companies would come under the 'peddled scheme', the BSA scheme was the dispersal where all of the parts were manufactured by BSA at their various factories dispersed around the Midlands.


Up until 1940, BSA made normal high-quality No1 MkIII* on limited military contracts, marked with the usual Crown and BSA&Co, as well as identical rifles just marked "BSA&Co" for commercial sale and export.
With the invasion scare, the Ministry of Supply ordered BSA to make rifles out of whatever parts it could get together. Hence the rifles were made of mixtures of commercial and military parts, mixed walnut and beech wood (or all-beech), later on No4 butts and firing pin/cocking pieces. A second wave of production in 1945 even used recycled and re-dated receivers.
About the same time the emergency rifle production was started, BSA was ordered to disperse its many Birmingham factories away from the bomb-target central area, and also to increase war production by diluting experienced staff with war staff. BSA was a huge engineering group, and this "Dispersal" programme led to 70 seperate factories being set up, moved and/or expanded. Rifle production involved several of these factories (both No1s and No4s), and this type of "all available parts" No1 has become known as a "Dispersal rifle". Technically, even the No4s were Dispersals, as well as motorbikes, bicycles, aircraft parts, machine guns and heavy weaponry...
BSA marked these rifles with just the first "B" of BSA&Co. Presumably this was to dissociate the company from these slightly less-than top quality peacetime rifles!

[Roger Payne]

Thank you for your research Alan & for jogging my memory! My impression was the words 'peddled scheme' apply specifically to WW1 arrangements with SSA/NRF, & the 'dispersal' system (in some ways) bore some similarities in WW2.

Many of the little companies that were involved in making smaller components such as barrel bands & similar bits & pieces were independent sub contractors, I seem to recall. BSA was a large concern but had four primary manufacturing facilities, none of them being too far from where I now live, & three of the four being only a matter of a few miles. This is why BSA Shirley made No4's bear M47/C as the Shirley plant was regarded as the third of the four sites. The original plant in Small Heath was allocated M47/A, & this marking can be seen on component parts made during & for some time after WW2. There were another two plants; one in Redditch & one in or near Nottingham (can't remember the precise location off the top of my head), which were M47/B & M47/D.

I think it's all in The LES for those that have a copy..........

This has reminded me that I have some BSA inter-war & early WW2 SMLE barrelled actions to rebuild (& a couple of dispersal rifles)........& what better time to do it than the present? (Or at least, make a start).

[ZGrand]

Thanks all for the information. I'm sorry to be such a newb, but I would like at some point in the future add an appropriate bayonet. What style should I look for? Also, what type of sling would be the most accurate?
Thanks again.

[smle addict]

Pattern 1907 sword bayonet and a Mills web sling. You can find the slings (and their reproductions) on most of the auction sites as well as many surplus arms dealers.

The bayonet is available on the auction sites as well, but you may be better off at one of your local gun-shows. Seems like a lot of the on-line sellers are proud of their bayonets, and price them as such. I've seen the '07 bayos from as low as $55 up to $250 at gun shows.

Have fun shooting it, and searching out the accessories. You now have the enfield virus.