1917 BSA MkIII* SMLE

fernleaf

fernleaf

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At the risk of playing second fiddle to this thread - http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?933181-1918-BSA-MkIII*-SMLE , I thought I might share a recent addition to my collection. I got out of collecting Lee Enfields in 2005, but this rifle spoke to me at an auction a few months ago...















Apart from the rear handguard being WW2 Beech (no doubt added out side of service), the rifle is all original, and all matching. The bore is excellent, and it shoots very well. 1917 and 1918 SMLE rifles are somewhat over represented here in NZ, as when the NZEF returned home from Europe after WW1 all the troops handed in their war used rifles (which all came from British stores), and were given brand new rifles to bring back home.

The 1917 dated sling was found at a local gunshop.
 
fernleaf said:
At the risk of playing second fiddle to this thread - http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?933181-1918-BSA-MkIII*-SMLE , I thought I might share a recent addition to my collection. I got out of collecting Lee Enfields in 2005, but this rifle spoke to me at an auction a few months ago...















Apart from the rear handguard being WW2 Beech (no doubt added out side of service), the rifle is all original, and all matching. The bore is excellent, and it shoots very well. 1917 and 1918 SMLE rifles are somewhat over represented here in NZ, as when the NZEF returned home from Europe after WW1 all the troops handed in their war used rifles (which all came from British stores), and were given brand new rifles to bring back home.

The 1917 dated sling was found at a local gunshop.
Click to expand...


Hi Fernleaf, nice rifle, saw you post that on the new 'I'm a ass' (IMAS) forum, yep we do seem to have many good examples dated 1917/18 & i've also heard that story about the returning troops being given new rifles.
Been looking for a good NZ MkIII that pre-dates 1918 but they are certainly far & few between, maybe this year eh, you going to Wellington in July?
 
5THBATT said:
.... you going to Wellington in July?
Click to expand...

No, there's nothing in it to make me want to go up. I'll put in a couple of Postals on some bayonets but that's about it for me this time around. I'm heading up to Christchurch for the Mainland Arms Gunshow in July so I'm saving my money for that.

Did you get the CLLE that was in Teds auction a few months ago?
 
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