Please help ID this old 303/30-30
- Thread starter Dax420
- Start date
Short Magazine Lee Enfield 303 British
Sir, you are both a gentleman and a scholar. Thanks!
"...Short Magazine Lee Enfield 303 British..." AKA. A 'sporterized' (bubba'd) No. 1 Mk III made in 1916 by Enfield(one of several factories). Have the headspace checked before you shoot it. Thousands of 'em were assembled out of parts bins with zero QC.
The 'NP' in the 4th picture(nicely done those pictures. Just the right size) should have had been 'BNP'. Meaning Birmingham Nitro Proof. That with the 2.222 and 18.5 TONS is a proofing stamp required by the Brits for any surplus Lee-Enfield that was sold through England. Not a military thing at all.
The other assorted stampings are inspection, ownership(the country, not the user or unit) and manufacturer's marks.
Good info, mostly about No. 4's, can be had here. http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/main.htm
The 'NP' in the 4th picture(nicely done those pictures. Just the right size) should have had been 'BNP'. Meaning Birmingham Nitro Proof. That with the 2.222 and 18.5 TONS is a proofing stamp required by the Brits for any surplus Lee-Enfield that was sold through England. Not a military thing at all.
The other assorted stampings are inspection, ownership(the country, not the user or unit) and manufacturer's marks.
Good info, mostly about No. 4's, can be had here. http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/main.htm
- Location
- West coast of Vancouver Island
Looks to be restorable.
WinchesterStevens
Member
- Location
- Vernon, BC
I have one myself, was in pretty rough shape when I first got it, but it's coming along nicely now, you can take a look here.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=495567
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=495567
A rifle proofed at London would not have a BNP (Birmingham) stamp, but rather a conjoined GP (Gunmakers' Proof) with the scimitar and NP for Nitro Proved.
Enfield Lock is only 14 miles from the middle of London.
Looks to be enough of this old girl left to allow for a restoration. These old rifles are very nearly the perfection of the bolt-action rifle. They may not be quite as accurate as some of the modern stuff but they are as reliable as a rock, only very rarely need parts and the barrels generally will outlast the new ones about 3 to 1.
If I owned one like this and was a collector and also liked to hunt, I would fit her out with new wood, very collector-like and all-original.... and hang onto that Bubba'd forestock and butt. Glass-bed that fore-end to the action and barrel you have and you have one FINE rifle for Moose.... which can be put back together as a historical military rifle in about half an hour!
Definitely cheaper than a new Remchester.
Enfield Lock is only 14 miles from the middle of London.
Looks to be enough of this old girl left to allow for a restoration. These old rifles are very nearly the perfection of the bolt-action rifle. They may not be quite as accurate as some of the modern stuff but they are as reliable as a rock, only very rarely need parts and the barrels generally will outlast the new ones about 3 to 1.
If I owned one like this and was a collector and also liked to hunt, I would fit her out with new wood, very collector-like and all-original.... and hang onto that Bubba'd forestock and butt. Glass-bed that fore-end to the action and barrel you have and you have one FINE rifle for Moose.... which can be put back together as a historical military rifle in about half an hour!
Definitely cheaper than a new Remchester.
