Identify SMLE markings

[sledge]

Gents. Some fun here for the marking experts out there. I have an old SMLE here that has more tatoos than my brother in law.
I have figured out what some of the markings mean but if you can help me identify some more, or all, of these markings that would be great.
I am not even 100% sure of the year of the rifle - as the number is so worn it looks like it says 1916 - but if I could see what a 1918 looks like, or even a 1913 i might be confident that is in fact a 6. Though the rifle is pretty beat up it is just dripping history and it is one of my favorite in my collection.
What i always thought was weird is that you can see a serial number of 3209 on the receiver and 5209 on the barrel. Did a tired or half blind armorer mix this up?

 

[Nabs]

First image: British acceptance proofs from Enfield (crown over number over "E") along with British military acceptance "GR for Georgivs Rex over crossed flags over P", the "303 BNP (birmingham nitro proof) and NITRO PROOF" are 1960s commercial proof tests showing that the rifle was tested and passed for commercial sale. "18" is the barrel date of 1918. I do not know what the three crossed lines and one upper and lower cross line mean know.

Second image: Short magazine lee enfield Mk III * model made at RSAF Enfield in 1918, accepted for military service under King George V.

Third image: serial number 3209 C with some more Enfield inspector proof marks.

The "5" on the barrel is a partially mis-struck "3", you sometimes see this on rifles so do not worry.

There looks be a " * " on the top of your barrel. If this is true, it means that an armourer inspected the rifle at one point and found some rust in the barrel.

Hope this helps you .

 

[canuck98k]

The * marks meant that rust was found in the barrel and breach. The fact that they have been struck out would indicate the problem was corrected.

 

[buffdog]

.
The three crossed lines are to show that the rifle was "Sold out of Service." In other words, now Surplus and not Government property.
.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Seems relevant so I'm going to throw it out. I've got a similar rifle, serial number is two digits. What can I read into that,? besides the obvious, which doesn't seem logical.

Grizz

 

[RRCo.]

The two Broad Arrows tip to tip is the sale mark, sometimes seen with "S" as well for "Sale" or "Sold" obviously.

The mark was intended to be used to cancel the Broad Arrow Mark that was found on most government property by just adding a second stamp to the existing one. In many cases it seems to have been struck twice at the same time however.

Since the barrel has been replaced at least once, in 1918, the rifle has probably been refinished as well. IIRC there was no "FTR" mark used in those days.

Notice that there is a Broad Arrow still intact on the barrel just ahead of the receiver near the "18". Strictly speaking this should have been cancelled out by striking another tip to tip with it.

The fact that the sale marks were later struck out themselves suggests to me that this was a rifle that was somehow brought back into service for WWII. It might have been called in from a school, cadet corps, rifle club etc.

It probably saw front line use in WWI to have needed a new barrel in 1918 and then served through WWII as well.

Rifle was made in 1916 I'd say. You can see the stamps were getting pretty rounded over when this one was struck. They got a lot of use that year no doubt.

 

[sledge]

Nice work guys - always amazed at the level of knowledge from the milsurp gang.
I am not convinced it is 1918 instead of 1916. I have looked at in under a magnifying glass and its just too blurred.
Is there any sense behind the serial numbers on Enfield SMLEs? 3209 does not seem even possible in 1916 let alone 1918.

 

[Nabs]

The serial number relates to the suffix letter block that the rifle was made in. Yours is in the "C" block. I believe British rifles were made up to 99 999 in each block with the first block being numbers only and the following blocks for the production year starting at "A" and going up until the end of the production year.

WW1 saw a large number of SMLEs being made (especially in 1916). My 1916 SMLE from RSAF Enfield, for instance, is in the "V" block so it just goes to show you how many were made in that year at Enfield.

 

[RRCo.]

Seems relevant so I'm going to throw it out. I've got a similar rifle, serial number is two digits. What can I read into that,? besides the obvious, which doesn't seem logical.

Grizz

Could mean several different things, depending on the date and mark etc. Photos or more info would help.