15$ Enfield mk III what is this?

Musketfire

Musketfire

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Hello there gentleman, I am generally into arms of the eras from the 19th century and prior, but my friend grabbed me yesterday to show me a incomplete rifle "carbine" he picked up for 15$, I at first thought it was a cutdown infantry Enfield, but then I saw the but plate witht the compartment for cleaning kit, now I know 19th century mil carbines will often have such a butt plate so now I am not so sure its a cut down, after work today I went to his place to take pictures so I could ask you fellows what you think.

Hes without a computer, so I told him I would try to find a source for parts "bolt, magazine and I think it needs a upper forestock and a barrel band of some sort" So if you guys have a company phone number I can give him to get all those bits Id be thankful.

For the record I offered him 20$ for it and he just laughed.











 
No 1 mark 3. Cut fore stock,no front hand guard and missing nose-cap and screws and and a few other parts. Figure $50.00 each for a bolt and a magazine and another$150.00 to replace the wood.Add in another $75.00 for all the little metal bits and you have a restored No 1 for about $350.00.This does not take into effect all the shipping and import fees.There is not a single place that has all the parts so be prepared to buy from numerous sources and E-bay.
 
mr.e moose said:
No 1 mark 3. Cut fore stock,no front hand guard and missing nose-cap and screws and and a few other parts. Figure $50.00 each for a bolt and a magazine and another$150.00 to replace the wood.Add in another $75.00 for all the little metal bits and you have a restored No 1 for about $350.00.This does not take into effect all the shipping and import fees.There is not a single place that has all the parts so be prepared to buy from numerous sources and E-bay.
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was it originally made a carbine? I am completely at a loss with regards to these rifles.....But I wish It was mine shes so handy and the bore is MINT. Anyone have a complete one they can post a picture of?
 
I would laugh too. It's worth at least 25 bucks.

No that's mean. Good bore have to be worth more, but sporters are only worth the barrel, magazine and bolt in my part of the world.
 
Musketfire said:
was it originally made a carbine? I am completely at a loss with regards to these rifles.....But I wish It was mine shes so handy and the bore is MINT. Anyone have a complete one they can post a picture of?
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It is a rifle, not a carbine. Google "SMLE".
 
tiriaq said:
It is a rifle, not a carbine. Google "SMLE".
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I just did, niccce!!! Im so used to sniders, Besses and charlevilles I just presumed it was a carbine as it was so little and light.....Not much bigger then a snider cadet really.

Are SMLE bolts interchangeable?

I might have to get me one of these now.
 
Bolts will fit and function. BUT headspace needs to be correct, and both lugs should be seating on the receiver abutments.

Incidentally, the rifle went through Factory Thorough Repair (FTR) in 1953. The right side of the butt socket, under the bolt handle, should have lots of information.
 
Check the barrel markings, in 1953 fazakerley was building Enfield rifles from left over parts for busy work and these rifles were immediately sold out of service. I had a brand new unissued 1916 Enfield and all parts were brand new other than the reconditioned 1916 reciever. If I remember correctly the new barrel was a BSA, and the rifle looked like it had just left the factory.

If you notice the reciever and barrel are painted with suncorite paint and this paint was not used until the late 1940s and early 1950s on the Enfield rifle. So again the marking FTR on the reciever (factory through repair) means overhauled, so look at the reciever number and see if the serial number stamping on the barrel is the same type stamp and if there is a date on the barrel and 18.5 ton proof mark on the barrel also.

The overhaul it went through in 1953 means the rifle is a "bitzer" (made of of left over parts) and has no historical collectors value. Meaning it will be worth little if returned to its original military configuration and you may be better off as a sporterized hunting rifle. The reason I say this is collectors turned their noses up over these rifles because they were made up from left over parts to clear the inventory before switching over to the L1A1.
 
bigedp51 said:
Check the barrel markings, in 1953 fazakerley was building Enfield rifles from left over parts for busy work and these rifles were immediately sold out of service. I had a brand new unissued 1916 Enfield and all parts were brand new other than the reconditioned 1916 reciever. If I remember correctly the new barrel was a BSA, and the rifle looked like it had just left the factory.

If you notice the reciever and barrel are painted with suncorite paint and this paint was not used until the late 1940s and early 1950s on the Enfield rifle. So again the marking FTR on the reciever (factory through repair) means overhauled, so look at the reciever number and see if the serial number stamping on the barrel is the same type stamp and if there is a date on the barrel and 18.5 ton proof mark on the barrel also.

The overhaul it went through in 1953 means the rifle is a "bitzer" (made of of left over parts) and has no historical collectors value. Meaning it will be worth little if returned to its original military configuration and you may be better off as a sporterized hunting rifle. The reason I say this is collectors turned their noses up over these rifles because they were made up from left over parts to clear the inventory before switching over to the L1A1.
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FTR= Factory through repair!!! I just learned a whole bunch for when I get one of these SMLE rifles, I have written down the info and I will give it to my friend the next time I see him, hey maybe I can get it off of him for a trade for some tools or something.
 
If a picture worth a thousand words... imagine many pictures?! So, here is the one I restored for the Museum I work for. This is exactly what you can do.

You'll see the ''before'' and the ''after''.



























































I flipped the brass disk and found the rifle's serial number under it!





And now, pictures just for the fun...







 
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Musket, what does the wrist of the rifle tell you? Is the Barrel worn (inverted bullet test).
A video... before we start, NO the mad minute was not designed to replicate machine gun fire, and I have no understanding why he's shouldering the Enfield the way he is (brutal on the collar bone!).
He is however manipulating and firing the trigger correctly. This action is the fastest of its sort that I know of...and effective!

BTW, the trapdoor is to stow an "oiler" and "pull through"...
images
...
images
 
Below is what happens when you fire surplus Pakistani click.........................bang ammo during a mad minute.

headspace-1_zps97d95b60.jpg


The only damage done was the magazine being blown out of the rifle as the gas vented downward, and the brown stains in the shooters underwear. (two rear eruptions) :sok2

The really strange part was the front of the case was sucked into a black hole and the bullet limped out of the barrel on impulse power never reaching warp speed.
 
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