B.S.A.CO. 1918 Sht L.E III---questions.

D

drm3m

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I was given this rifle years ago.
I would not purchase a sporterized rifle for my collection.

I don’t know anything about these rifles.

Do people try to resurrect these rifles----or do they remain forever sporterized victims of the past?

Are these rifles considered WWI or post WWI vintage.

Sorry for all the photos.

David


























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I only own two other Enfield rifles in my collection.

A BSA manufactured No.5 --1945 dated--Sn/ BB9724.



Serial # BB9724 on the bolt handle.



A U.S Civil War Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket dated 1861.
There is a much larger story with regards to this piece.
This is a Confederate marked P-53.

 
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Restore it..

What a lot of Enfield collectors love are all the stampings- and yours shows some pretty cool ones. The C with arrow inside - is a Canadian Broad arrow showing military acceptance , the pointed up arrow is a British acceptance mark. 10-38 on the barrel knox could indicate it was issued to Canada but probably when it was arsenal refurbished ? As the barrel, receiver and bolt are all matching serial numbers,(Looks like the barrel was replaced, as it has been re-numbered, probably at 10-38) it would definitely be worth restoring, but usually takes about $400 in parts and some time to find all you need. Forend has been cut down but barrel looks original length. Magazine is missing and these go for about $50 now. If the bore is good, you have a good base to restore. Or sell to me. :) Here's the last 1918 BSA That I rebuilt: Before:
DSC05936_zpsfcfed1ff.jpg



And after:
DSC06007_zps4a57997d.jpg
 
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Here's mine, 5k earlier but at the rate they were building them could be the same week.
Looks like yours has the 7 in 1917 over-stamped with a 8 for 1918 just like mine.
This example i would call my most original MkIII* in my collection & the nicest.








 
Very nice restoration Vinver.

I will not be trying that with this rifle.
Sent me a PM with your e-mail address.

The rifle came with a magazine.
This is the earliest photo that I have of this rifle.



One of these two magazines.



I guess that Jack owned this rifle at one point in the past.



RM may also have been a previous owner.



This rifle was found on the roof of a strip mall back in the early 1970s.
Go figure?
 
I've been trying to find a decent CDN marked #1 for restor for a while now. All I come up with is Brit marked rifles. A keeper that one and looks good for restor. I will be getting reproduction furniture from a fellow in Alberta. It's less expencive than some of the old crap kicking around out there.
 
As 5thBATT said;

“Looks like yours has the 7 in 1917 over-stamped with a 8 for 1918 just like mine.”

Does that make it a 1917 or 1918 rifle?

As I don’t know much about Lee Enfields I started checking into magazines for these guns.

From what I understand No.4 and No.5 magazines do not fit (or work well) in No.1 Mk III* rifles.

As I understand these magazines were only removed from these rifles for cleaning and cartridges were loaded to the magazine by way of a charger.

No carrying multiple loaded spare magazines.

Generally----one rifle---one magazine---except perhaps in the earlier days.

I assume the magazine on the left is a 5 round magazine for a No.5 and the magazine on the right is for a No.1 Mk III* which I believe came with this rifle.



I have the one magazine what came with the No.5 that I own.
I wanted to know that the magazine shown above for the No. 1 Mk III* would probably not function properly in the No.5. without modifications which I do not want to undertake.



David
 
drm3m said:
As 5thBATT said;

“Looks like yours has the 7 in 1917 over-stamped with a 8 for 1918 just like mine.”

Does that make it a 1917 or 1918 rifle?

As I don’t know much about Lee Enfields I started checking into magazines for these guns.

From what I understand No.4 and No.5 magazines do not fit (or work well) in No.1 Mk III* rifles.

As I understand these magazines were only removed from these rifles for cleaning and cartridges were loaded to the magazine by way of a charger.

No carrying multiple loaded spare magazines.

Generally----one rifle---one magazine---except perhaps in the earlier days.

I assume the magazine on the left is a 5 round magazine for a No.5 and the magazine on the right is for a No.1 Mk III* which I believe came with this rifle.



I have the one magazine what came with the No.5 that I own.
I wanted to know that the magazine shown above for the No. 1 Mk III* would probably not function properly in the No.5. without modifications which I do not want to undertake.



David
Click to expand...

The magazine on the left is a post-war commercial (aftermarket) 5-round , looks like a modified original, with a brazed on bottom. It might fit a No 1 or No 4 rifle. The No 5 Mk 1 used the same magazine as the No 4 Mk 1 magazine. if you look real close you may find a maker name (Churchill, Parker Hale? Sometimes in tiny stamped print)on that one. The one on the right is the original No 1 type magazine.
 
With the 8 overstamp does this mean it is a 1918 or 1917 manufactured rifle?



What do these butt plate tang markings mean?





Magazine markings.








.303 cartridges July 1967 vintage.





David
 
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The receiver might have been made in 1917 & the rifle assembled i n 1918 & then the 7 was over struck with a 8 but this not the norm, there are plenty of Enfields out there where the receiver pre-dates the barrel by a year (some by a few years but mainly Lithgow) my MkV is a good example being 1923 on the receiver but a 1924 barrel so was assembled in 1924 but still refered to as a 1923, however there are plenty of rifles that have been re-dated but this tends to be during a rebuild such as my 1916 EFD MkIII which has been built using a Mk1 SMLE body that has a ER proof stamp which pre-dates 1916 by at least 6 years.
I would pick the re-stamp as being a fix of a mistake but who knows!?? but i refer to mine as a 1918, up to you what year you call yours but i think 1918 is the correct one.
 
5thBATT---thanks for your comments.-----1918 it is--- as you suggested.

As I don't know much about these Enfields----are these magazine markings commonly found?



Looks like a number 4.



This magazine fits this rifle perfectly.




What is the significance of these butt plate markings?



David
 
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The SMLE magazines went though a few changes over the years, your is case type 4, the follower (platform the rounds sit on) & the auxiliary spring at the front of the case went though 1 less change than the case, both should have a 3 stamped on them.
The marking on the top of the butt plate is a BSA inspection stamp, you should find them all over the rifle, the numbers below the crown is the inspectors own individual number.
 
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5THBATT,

Thanks for the explanation.



The marking on the top of the butt plate is a BSA inspection stamp, you should find them all over the rifle, the numbers below the crown is the inspectors own individual number.

David
 
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