SMLE Stock Disc Markings

[browningautorifle]

It's a long way from Montreal QC to Victoria, B.C.

You're right about that...

[mattyboy82]

The chance that a No.1 MkIII* still had its butt disc is slim although there is the slight possibility, albeit slim that when the 58th Westmount Rifles changed to the RMR they might have installed a new butt disc....but then you have to ask who was issuing SMLE's to Canadian Regiments in 1929?

The stock disc is marked the the 2nd Battalion, Royal Montreal Regt - B COY.

The single letter above the issuing date on Canadian marked rifles denotes what city and NOT what base. The 2nd Bn RMR also had a small elements from and also located at.....Edmonton. It was spread far and wide!. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in the 1930s and raised again for WW2.

Even in the mid-1920s, Canadian Militia still had Ross rifles and it was reported in the Militia 1920/1921 yearly report, that there was 90,000 Ross Rifles and 104,000 SMLEs in Canada. The Ross rifles were going to be phased out of Militia service and SMLEs were to be spread around to the other militia units. The SMLEs were in storage having just had the last shipment sent from Britain in 1921. Also on the topic of butt discs, nearly all Mk.III* rifles being produced up to that point still had butt discs. They were just not being unit marked during overseas use. Certainly in Canada, Britain, NZ and Australia in the 1920s and 1930s, marking of butt discs became a fairly common thing to do. Australian rifles can be hit and miss on that as they generally stamped the military district on the receiver but occasionally one can see a butt disc marked. During WW2, there was all removed or new ones placed on etc.

A chap has come up with some wonderful information on Canadian marked rifles and bayonets etc;
https://www.enfield-stuff.com/Pages/...ueue/qCAN.html

[Sapper740]

A chap has come up with some wonderful information on Canadian marked rifles and bayonets etc;
https://www.enfield-stuff.com/Pages/...ueue/qCAN.html

Looking at the page you posted a link to has led me to find an erratum in Mr. Skennerton's book, "The Broad Arrow Mk2". He has the Governor General's Body Guard stamp listed as C.G.B.G. while the brass disc photo on the page you linked clearly has it as G.G.B.G. which makes more sense. In Mr. Skennerton's defense, he has always admitted there are errors and omissions in his books and this is clearly a spelling error.

[CINDERS]

I guess with the amount of research Ian has done and given to the community at large about the Lee Enfields small errors are bound to crop up simple as a typo can you imagine sitting down to proof read his latest expanded edition on the Lee Enfield Rifle.
Think we'll let Ian have that one.

[Thunderstreak]

Thanks everyone for offering up their knowledge, much appreciated. So much history wrapped up in a small brass disc. Very enlightening, thanks all!

[Alan de Enfield]

As Ian readily admits, there are some typo's etc in the books, but the main reaon for incorrect data is that it was "based on information available at the time". The expansion of the internet and the vast number of global collectors have now made much new information, particularly documents, available.

It s easy to criticise any book, the hard part is research & writing the book and getting it 99,99% correct.

As Peter Laidler once commented "once someone has read your book they now know more than you do - they have taken everything you have given them, to which they have added their own little kernel of knowledge"

[Sapper740]

As Ian readily admits, there are some typo's etc in the books, but the main reaon for incorrect data is that it was "based on information available at the time". The expansion of the internet and the vast number of global collectors have now made much new information, particularly documents, available.

It s easy to criticise any book, the hard part is research & writing the book and getting it 99,99% correct.

As Peter Laidler once commented "once someone has read your book they now know more than you do - they have taken everything you have given them, to which they have added their own little kernel of knowledge"

I hope I didn't come across as being critical of Mr. Skennerton, the man is a giant and I have nothing but immense respect for him and his body of work. I am not worthy enough to carry his jock strap after a Rugby match.

[Alan de Enfield]

I hope I didn't come across as being critical of Mr. Skennerton, the man is a giant and I have nothing but immense respect for him and his body of work. I am not worthy enough to carry his jock strap after a Rugby match.

Just the reverse - there are those who take the LE Books written by Ian as the 'holy gospel' and that every word written is correct and should never be questioned.

There are a number of stories and internet myths that have subsequently been proven to be incorrect. One of the biggest "myths to bust" has been the 'FACT' that Ishapore used a superior grade of steel for the 2A / 2A1 rifles compared to that specified for the No1 Mk3

It took the proof master (Rtd) from the Ishapore factory to confirm what was actually used ( spoiler - a grade of steel giving worse performance and twisted actions until they reverted back to the No1 Mk3 steel)

[mattyboy82]

Good point about always adding knowledge. I've had a few chats with Skenny and I'll be catching up with him this week. I told him about a 1914 Lithgow I have with a rarely seen Canadian sold out of service mark and even he had never seen it before. I have studied the early allocation of rifles in Australia and Ian wasn't aware of the details that I have managed to find. One thing that I do find annoying and I see this on Facebook a lot....is when someone asks a question and people with little to no knowledge at all will throw in their 2 cents and now someone is 'armed' with incorrect information about a rifle etc and they will then take that as gospel.....and pass that on themselves.

An example for me is that 'CMF' on the butt of Lithgow stands for 'Citizens Military Force'....it doesn't, it stands for 'Commonwealth Military Forces' and now 99% of people tell others incorrect information about what that means. And they will all say "It was in Ian Skennertons book!".