1910 Enfield - My First Resto

hobit

hobit

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Everywhere, there and here.
Picked this up last week and can't wait to get started on the restoration. I've been doing a little research myself but anything you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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Amazed that it still has the original barrel! most have been switched at some time or another.

Nice that you still have the drift-adjustble rear sight, too. One less hard-to-find part needing to be found.

For a full resto you will need woodwork (stock and 2 handguards), volley sights and nosecap, barrelband, rear-sight guard, spring and stud..... and that should be about it.

DEFINITELY a keeper.

Thanks for showing!

Did you have to kill anyone to get it?
 
Indeed, as Smellie says, that's a keeper!

The forend you want will be "inletted for volley sight". Numrich, in the US, should still have them.They are not 100% period-correct, but are 300% cheaper than the exact copies offered by EFD in the UK. Numrich also have a repro front volley sight. That's where I got these two hard-to-find parts... Another Mk3-specific part, as opposed to the Mk3*, is the rear sight guard - yours will need to be "crooked" on the right side, to clear the windage adjustment wheel.

Luckily I had a rear volley sight in my parts bin - I knew that sooner or later I'd need it!

 
A sibling...

Nice score, and well worthy of restoring.

I'm thinking New Zealand bought a block of that 1910 production run as here are some photos of K 4298. This rifle was converted to a .22 No. 2 Mk IV in the '20s, so the barrel was swapped out, and it lost its windage-adjustable rear sight, mag follower and cutoff, but otherwise, this is what yours would have looked like back in the day. Keep us posted on the restoration. Aside from this being an amazingly good shooter, I like the fact that I have an Enfield from King Edward's reign to go with the Victorian and Georgian examples.










 
louthepou said:
Indeed, as Smellie says, that's a keeper!

The forend you want will be "inletted for volley sight". Numrich, in the US, should still have them.They are not 100% period-correct, but are 300% cheaper than the exact copies offered by EFD in the UK. Numrich also have a repro front volley sight. That's where I got these two hard-to-find parts... Another Mk3-specific part, as opposed to the Mk3*, is the rear sight guard - yours will need to be "crooked" on the right side, to clear the windage adjustment wheel.

Luckily I had a rear volley sight in my parts bin - I knew that sooner or later I'd need it!

Click to expand...

I'm curious...what are the forearms Numrich is selling? Indian? They seem awfully cheap for any SMLE stock much less the early ones.

Then, what's the story on the UK reproduction forearms? How many reproductions are out there and of what quality?
 
My forestock from nurich isnt indian ,but seems to be never issued either needed to be fit , very nice walnut. Efd has volley forestocks in stock now as i got an email saying they have made more if interested. Nice rifle!
 
I was at the Calgary show last weekend and was really looking out for Enfields. In the end I balked at buying anything - I just don't know enough to recognize quality and value when I see it - not yet anyway. These are all really nice rifles btw, including the OP's.
 
louthepou said:
Another Mk3-specific part, as opposed to the Mk3*, is the rear sight guard - yours will need to be "crooked" on the right side, to clear the windage adjustment wheel.
Click to expand...

Also, take note of the milled out area in the rear sight protector. This was another step that was done away with for the sake of wartime expediency. You will want to find the crooked one, with the milling.
 
smellie, I was amazed too. There's something special about holding / shooting a gun that old with so much potential history.

No didn't have to kill anyone, I actually bought it for under $200.00; deals can still be had.

louthepou, Can't wait till it looks like your example and you are right EFD is expensive. I'm working on my Numrich list now and will post it for review prior to ordering. In your opinion is the EE a good place to look for parts? I'm off to a local gun show this weekend with high hopes of scoring parts :)

Thanks to all for the thoughts and I'll keep posting updates.
 
Re: A sibling...

Yes it appears that New Zealand bought a few batches in the years prior to WW1; 1910 and 1913 were both large batches. Thinking mine might have been in 1913 as you'll notice the '13 stamped on it. I'd like to see if NZ kept any records as there's likely a good chance these guns saw Gallipoli with the ANZAC force. Very cool to see the SN's so close.
 
I used the ee for all my metel bits , rear handgaurd . Only had to order frt volley and forend, upper hand gaurd , mag cut off. For my 08. Lots of very helpful people on cgn!!! Just keep lookin every morn.
 
Hobit, your rifle's markings do not fit with NZs pre war markings, they are more in line with the late/post war markings (still under debate here whether late or post) RangeRovers rifle is typical of pre war with the rack number over year of acceptance stamped on the butt socket but it also has the later stamping.
While the the serial numbers between your rifles is close, i don't believe they are both from the same NZ batch for 2 reasons, first the markings & secondly the '13 date would indicate the rifle went though an upgrade & was still in England in 1913.
 
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yes man said:
I used the ee for all my metel bits , rear handgaurd . Only had to order frt volley and forend, upper hand gaurd , mag cut off. For my 08. Lots of very helpful people on cgn!!! Just keep lookin every morn.
Click to expand...

Going to a gun show on Saturday so I'm hopeful I can find some stuff there at a good price but ya I've been looking on EE; tough to know what's a fair price being my first go around.
 
5THBATT said:
Hobit, your rifle's markings do not fit with NZs pre war markings, they are more in line with the late/post war markings (still under debate here whether late or post) RangeRovers rifle is typical of pre war with the rack number over year of acceptance stamped on the butt socket but it also has the later stamping.
While the the serial numbers between your rifles is close, i don't believe they are both from the same NZ batch for 2 reasons, first the markings & secondly the '13 date would indicate the rifle went though an upgrade & was still in England in 1913.
Click to expand...

Are there any links or previous threads that cover this? I'm really interested in finding out as much as I can about the guns history.
 
I'm afraid the only history you will find on your rifle is all there, a 1910 Enfield manufactured MkIII that saw service with NZ, the markings on the top of the receiver ring is a rare find, there does not appear to be much info on those markings as most NZ SMLEs had the top ground & the sold out of service mark applied.
Have a look here, not much in the way of info to help you but will give you an idea of how NZ rifles were marked.
http://www.armsregister.com/arms_register/rifles.html
 
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