When I first looked at this rifle, the thought was "another Bubba SMLE sporter." But then I noticed a windage adjustable rear sight.
Opened and removed the bolt....barrel shiny. In fact, compared to the receiver, the barrel had a great blue outside. Typical British commercial proof marks and a 1941 barrel replacement done in 1942. So then I looked at the right side of the butt socket for the maker and date. 1894 date on a No.1 Mark III?
And, on the left side, all was revealed:
A SMLE No.1 Mark IV Converted rifle. Not only that, but the "N" showed it to be a Navy rifle. An 1894 BSA Mark II converted and updated in 1908 by Enfield to No.1 Mark III specifications. About 1 out of 630 SMLE British made rifles was a Mark IV Converted, a bit of a scarce rifle.
But what a history if the old girl could only talk. Possibly the South-African Boer War, prettied up a bit to see the Kaiser for WWI, a facelift for Hitler for WWII, and a stint in the Navy somewhere in between.
Learn the lesson....ALWAYS LOOK. And I almost passed it up because I had become to accustomed to seeing Bubba's handiwork and expected another one.
.
This rifle had been factory sporterized, with the typical cut down wood and sanded butt stock when I got it. My No.1 wood was getting low, but it just HAD to be put back into more or less original condition. Have to do a bit more staining on the butt stock, but in time it will be close.
.
Opened and removed the bolt....barrel shiny. In fact, compared to the receiver, the barrel had a great blue outside. Typical British commercial proof marks and a 1941 barrel replacement done in 1942. So then I looked at the right side of the butt socket for the maker and date. 1894 date on a No.1 Mark III?
And, on the left side, all was revealed:
A SMLE No.1 Mark IV Converted rifle. Not only that, but the "N" showed it to be a Navy rifle. An 1894 BSA Mark II converted and updated in 1908 by Enfield to No.1 Mark III specifications. About 1 out of 630 SMLE British made rifles was a Mark IV Converted, a bit of a scarce rifle.
But what a history if the old girl could only talk. Possibly the South-African Boer War, prettied up a bit to see the Kaiser for WWI, a facelift for Hitler for WWII, and a stint in the Navy somewhere in between.
Learn the lesson....ALWAYS LOOK. And I almost passed it up because I had become to accustomed to seeing Bubba's handiwork and expected another one.
.
This rifle had been factory sporterized, with the typical cut down wood and sanded butt stock when I got it. My No.1 wood was getting low, but it just HAD to be put back into more or less original condition. Have to do a bit more staining on the butt stock, but in time it will be close.
.
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