1918 Enfield SMLE MK.III (no star) with a slot for a magazine cutoff?

Mr. Buttons

Mr. Buttons

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Just going through some old stuff tonight and I noticed this oddity. 1918 Enfield SMLE MK.III (apparently no star - which is an oddity for 1918) with a slot for a magazine cutoff. Kind of weird isn't it - considering by 1918 SMLEs were well into the MKIII* (no mag cut off slot) production (by a couple of years).

Any thoughts?

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Some of these were retro-fitted after the war, I have seen Lithgow and even WW2 BSA Dispersal rifles like that.
 
Interesting Jean, thanks - I've also see Lithgows with mag cutoffs well into the 1920s but I just figured it was an Aussie thing. The buttsocket on this one shows no signs of ever having been peened with a star so I just thought it was strange...
 
In the world of Enfields, anything is possible. In the last 10 years, I have seen a lot of stuff that was not in the books. Hurry up Mr Skennerton and get that new book out!
 
Am I missing something?

Your rifle is indeed a No.1 Mk.III (no star) but if you look closely, there are marks beside the III. These are cancel marks in the area of where the star would be. Perhaps the star is not visible because jusdging by the rest of the characters, the metal has been buffed and reblued.

I had an Enfield built No.1 Mk.III dated 1917 with the cutoff. Mine started out in 1917 as a Mk.III*, no piling swivel, no cutoff. Then after the war, it was refurbished, fitted with the cutoff and the star canceled with the marks as per your rifle. The piling swivel was not retro fitted for this reversion.

This was a common occurance, the Mk.III* was just a temporary wartime manufacturing concession. Original Mk.III had the cuttoff AND the piling swivel.
 
What are those extra holes for? I have a SMLE that was converted to a single shot by riviting a loading platform to the reciever, and the holes on yours appear to be in the same place. However that was done in India.
 
Single shot.

I had the same thought as you John, rivet holes from an Indian single shot conversion. But did RFI not use a wooden plug for the well secured with two wooden dowels through the forearm woodwork, the ends of which were visible from the outside as round dots? If I am thinking about the same arm, they used regular 303 brass with the neck opened up to make a straight wall case. The cartridge was loaded with a round lead ball, and the bore was opened to a larger diameter and smooth like a shotgun was it not?

Whatever those holes are, this is an interesting rifle with a story to tell, i'm sure.
 
englishman_ca said:
I had the same thought as you John, rivet holes from an Indian single shot conversion. But did RFI not use a wooden plug for the well secured with two wooden dowels through the forearm woodwork, the ends of which were visible from the outside as round dots? If I am thinking about the same arm, they used regular 303 brass with the neck opened up to make a straight wall case. The cartridge was loaded with a round lead ball, and the bore was opened to a larger diameter and smooth like a shotgun was it not?

More than one type of .410 shell. You are correct that an un-necked .303 case was used.

Cartridge SA Ball, BL,SB,.410 inch Cordite MkI, approved for Indian service January 1929
one round lead ball 10.4mm in diameter weighing 95gr, ahead of two thick felt wads.

Cartridge Sa Segmented Shot .410 inch Cordite Mark 1 approved Feb. 1929
twelve segmented shot contained in a bag.

Cartridge SA Buckshot, .410 inch Mark 1*
approved Indian Army L.O.C para 1042, june 1930
Eighteen buckshot with one glazeboard disc above and a millboard disc below
17.5 gr of Cordite size 1, above which was a glazeboard disc and a felt wad.

There was also a .410 ball drill round,
A .410 ball dummy round
and a .410 buckshot dummy



There are also TWO single shot .303 conversions, and yes they also plugged the mag well on the second type.
The first type had NO mag well and the trigger guard was a straight shot to the king screw.
Click to expand...
 
I think you'll find that the authorized rifle remained the SMLE III, with the III* authorized for substitute production. After the war, new rifles were made well into the 1930s with mag cutoffs. I have an Iraqi contract BSA SMLE from 1938 with the mag cutoff.

The earliest versions of what became the Number 4 Rifle (SMLE No. 1 Mark VI) had a cutoff, also, which was finally got rid of when the switch to Number 4 came along, about 1931. Sure would like one!

Cutoffs are fun. Just one more classy little accessory from the days when folks really cared about what they were building.
 
What is segmental shot exactly? In a bag?

Also, I wonder what is on the lhs of Naugler's action's buttsocket?
 
[QUOTE=smellie

The earliest versions of what became the Number 4 Rifle (SMLE No. 1 Mark VI) had a cutoff, also, which was finally got rid of when the switch to Number 4 came along, about 1931. Sure would like one!

You mean the 1931 Trials rifle converted to a No4Mk1T thats in my closet?;)
 
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