Canadian Naval SMLE opinions?

[Lance]

Greetings All

I am just going through the girls before they are put away and this rifle has always been a question.

A 1917 SSA body paired at Enfield with a 1917 barrel which eventually ended in Canadian Naval Service which is marked on the body and butt stock. The rear sight has been changed and not remarked but what gets me is the engraved magazine with the serial number and the non-standard serial number on the nose-cap and fore-end. The fore-end and butt have been lightly sanded (more on the butt) but the fore-end serial number is still proud where the C/|\N butt stamp is faint.

So do you think it is a bubba restoration, a Naval rework, or a bit of both? I cannot find any similar pictures of a Canadian Naval SMLE for comparison and if bubba restamped the fore-end I would think he would of centered it better and put in closer to the nose-cap? Of additional interest is that the front hand guard has a rack number of "P23" and the butt appears to have "P5" leaning towards a service exchange.

Canadian Naval rifles are unusual, being an SSA makes it more interesting. For the sharp eye it appears that a BSA inspector was at Enfield during this rifles assembly.

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[Surpmil]

Certainly unusual. What strikes me is that they followed the RN protocol of marking rifles "N" not "RN" as one would expect, for in those days it was of course the RCN, not the CN it later became under Turdeau's little unification adventure fortunately later reversed in name at least under a Conservative government.

The other little oddity is that having stamped the serial number horizontally on the magazine, as I believe the RN did on the rifle body to allow easier reading in the vertical racks of a ship's armoury, they put the SN on the forend vertically suggesting along with the standard marking of the rifle bodies that these came from Army rather than RN stocks; perhaps even from stocks in Canada? We did have a very large navy at that time.

[harlton]

I have one of these too, but I've never seen another until now, Mine is a matching BSA-made rifle, not sure if it's a WW1 issue or WW2, it's seen use, The salt spray has left its mark. I was given it after the elderly occupants of a house died and a Guy I know found This one and another, in the attic. I have the original stock too but it's been cut at the first band, but is restorable, but it's wearing an old Indian army one at present. Neat rifles, I'll try and post some pictures of mine, they have been posted before, But ? Regards Ian.