Turkish liberated SMLE # 3, 8X57 convertions

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snowhunter

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After the Turkish victory at Gallipoli in WW1, the turks ended up with a large number of liberated SMLE # 3, and I have seen pictures of some of these SMLE # 3, that have , by the turks been converted to fire the 8X57 Mauser cartridge as wel as having a floorplate indstallet, indstead of the magazine.

I was wondering howe the turks managed succesfully to convert the SMLE # 3 to function with the 8X57 Mauser cartridge ?

Also, Laurence of Arabia ended up with a "re-liberated" SMLE # 3 in 303 british, with some golden inscription proclaiming the turkish victory over the allied in Gallipoli. Laurence of Arabia is known to have killed 3 turks with this gun.
 
There were pics of such a conversion on CGN sometime in the last year. The rifle was just as you described and just as ugly as everyone thinks it is.

As for L of A shooting turks with a gold-inscribed liberated SMLE? Sounds like a myth that is usually attached to a legendary figure

And the safety issue? Couldn't pay me to shoot it
 
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- Two types on the market, the real Turkish conversion are rare, about 13 complete rifles and about 8 incomplete ones (missing bolts) turned up in a shipment of Mausers 93/03 at the Century Warehouse in Vermont about 5 years ago. I personnally handled one of these conversions, when they came on the market.

- Another group came in from India/Pakistan about two years ago, those were made up for the American market along with a bunch of cobbled together Enfield and Martinis. Those copies were imported by Tennesse Guns in the USA and sold mostly by SOG in Ohio. These pieces have nothing to do with the real Turkish conversions found at Century.
 
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Laurence of Arabia's "re-liberated" SMLE # 3 does exist in some British museum, I have seen pictures of it, and so far I remember, Laurence of Arabia cut 3 notches on the gun stock for his 3 kill with it.
 
Nothing to do with Gallipoli which WAS NOT a turkish victory.
Rather these were from KUT where an entire British force was surrounded and surrendered by a worthless British general who was stupid enough to get them in that position.
The bastard was treated quite well by his Turkish captors while his men were starved and beaten. They didn't courtmartial the scumbag but he NEVER commanded troops after that.
 
refresh my memory KUT thats in Iran now, thats where the general just kept marching well past the ability of his supply lines, no lines of communication, no chance of reinforcements.

Sort of like "lost but making good time"

Mesopotamia campaign ?
 
Sorry, I don't remember the details, but the WORTHLESS PILE of ####E made NO EFFORT to enquire about how his men were being treated. He was only concerned with his own comfort. If I had the choice, I would have assembled the troops, marched him into the center of the formation, and RIPPED OFF all his rank and badges, and BROKEN his sword.
 
Claven2 said:
The golden inscribed SMLE story is true. The original rifle is on display in the Tower of London.
Click to expand...

Here's a link that will show you the rifle if you click on the SMLE picture.

ht tp://www.pbs.org/lawrenceofarabia/features/index.html

Pete
 
Just a somewhat disturbing thought. Last year T.E. Lawrances rifle was removed from display for "work" Could that have been having it de-acted? I wouldn't put it past the British "gubmint"
They also removed a WW1 officer's single shot sniper rifle from the Guards museum to de-act it.
 
I saw Lawrence's rifle im the Imperial War Museum in 1976. At that time, it could have done with a cleaning. Don't think the IWM would let anyone start welding up something like that. Oh, Dear God, I HOPE not......

The rifle was an SMLE Mark III which had been captured at Kut-el-Amara when Townsend's force surrendered. It was marked as an official Turkish war souvenir, then given a bunch of engraving and goldsmith work and presented to the Sherif of Mecca, who gave it to Lawrence when the Sherif decided that the British at least gave some hope for the future. After the War, Lawrence gave the rifle to his friend, King george V, who kept the rifle on his personal rack. Servants were not allowed to clean Colonel Lawrence's rifle: only the King could do that..

When Lawrence was killed, protocol barred the King, himself a sick man, from attending the funeral (the Monarch does NOT mourn a commoner), although most of the rest of the Royal Family attended. During the funeral, the King cleaned Lawrence's rifle for the last time and called an equerry and had the rifle delivered to the then-new Imperial War Museum, saying that no one man, not even the Monarch, had the right to keep Lawrence's rifle; it belonged to everyone.

Nice rifle. I really would have liked to take it out and see how it shot.
 
it's off topic, but i thought that ruling monarchs don't attend funerals at all.

to the topic at hand, i have wondered why the turks would put the effort in to convert these rifles. why the treatment of these enfields? i have never heard anything about the turks converting mosin-nagants, of which they had quite a few, or any other rifles that they would have had in inventory from their conflicts with the balkan league and the greeks post WWI. they did refurb the berthier into the forestry carbine post WWII, but left them in their original chambering.
 
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