Anyone able to identify this enfield?

leonard

leonard

Regular
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
ALBERTA
Anyone able to deciper these markings?
SN is 3 digits , Matching SN for rifle + mag ect ect.
mkezd4.jpg

14oawh.jpg

2d17cqv.jpg


Yes I do still have the original stock I just have it removed to prevent it from dmg in hunting use.
 
The first pic is self explanatory aside from the III*. It's a 1918 Enfield No1 mk III which has been factory refurbished/upgraded, giving the Mk III, the * designation.
The other pics indicate British "proofing" marks (18.5 tonnes per square inch) and various inspector marks of acceptance, calibre and British government property (Broad Arrow). <-

Drilled and tapped? Chopped?
 
plinker 777 said:
The first pic is self explanatory aside from the III*. It's a 1918 Enfield No1 mk III which has been factory refurbished/upgraded, giving the Mk III, the * designation.
The other pics indicate British "proofing" marks (18.5 tonnes per square inch) and various inspector marks of acceptance, calibre and British government property (Broad Arrow). <-

Drilled and tapped? Chopped?
Click to expand...
thanks.
as far as drilled and tapped do you mean for the scope rail? if so no its not it just fits over and screws push in both directions to secure it.

May not even keep it scoped but its on there right now.

I assumed it was a no.1 mk3 enfield but i wasn't sure what the other stamps meant.

Its been in the family gun cabinet for ages as a backup hunting rifle and was just wondering exactly what stamps it had i see a few crowns there ect but i also see no markings elsewhere which can apparently sometimes be found.

This rifle shoots quite well and has been taken care of, the wood stock is in a box in a cabinet somewhere.

it has a 4xx serial number also id rather not post the exact # on a forum.
 
yea shot it lots.
its on with blue loctite and some good tigthening.
never had a issue with it coming loose put probably 200 rounds through it with 180grn remington core loc's and maybe 50 more handloaded 150grains..

I did have a issue with it being not perfectly lined with the barrel up and down though (pointing up to much with it flattened as much as it can be).
had to shim the back ring to bring it down some a few years ago.

that was the only problem i've had with the mount.

Its definitely not the best i've used, ive debated taking it off actually but not everyone likes irons and it tends to get used as a spare rifle.

It shoots do darn good though i may use it for next years entire season.
 
Most of the markings on the barrel are commercial proofs, some stamped over top of the original acceptance proofs. Hidden in there, however is a stamped mark '18 which would seem to indicate the rifle has its original barrel. You have the early cocking piece as well. Does the bolt match? If untapped, and unshortened, you would have the basis for a restoration to original military configuration, if so inclined to pursue original woodwork, etc.
 
Sold through the British gun trade. Birmingham Nitro Proof markings are post 1956 format. These are laid over top of the original factory proof markings. 303 is caliber, 2.222 is the length of the cartridge case in inches. 18.5 tons per square inch is the pressure generated by the proof load. Crown over BNP is nitro proof mark. Pic not clear enough, but, there is a crossed flags symbol over stamped on the '18' which contains letters for the date code info. With this info I could tell you as to what year it was proofed. Does it have 'ENGLAND' stamped anywhere?

Everything jives and looks legit markings-wise.

Some of these old sporters shoot really well to POA on a cold barrel. Zero can wander a bit as is warms up so it would not work too well as a target rifle. But typically how many shots does one get off at a deer in a hunting situation if you don't drop it with the first? Two, maybe three if you lucky?
 
yea i'm sure i saw England somewhere.
i just left the homestead today so i cant take a 2nd look till this weekend perhaps.
 
The pic isn't the best, but I can't see anything stamped over anything, and the Broad Arrow stands out proud. Was it not the practice to strike out "Government" indications as a rifle was deemed surplus and relegated to "Commercial" usage? (Broad Arrow struck through)
 
The proper format was to put a second boradarrow facing the first. The result would look like a star. Hoewever it was not always done, in fact I am pretty sure more rifles are missing that feature than have it. Pretty sure the labour of stamping a million obsolete rifles at the end of their service life made it somewhat impractical.

For Canadian rifles, the same counterstruck arrows could be found within a C. This was a separate stamp though, and not a modification of the original C broadarrow, which really did not leave room for the counterstrike. Also, since the C/l\ was deleted as a legal property mark in the late 40s, it wouldn't have really made sense.
 
plinker 777 said:
The pic isn't the best, but I can't see anything stamped over anything, and the Broad Arrow stands out proud. Was it not the practice to strike out "Government" indications as a rifle was deemed surplus and relegated to "Commercial" usage? (Broad Arrow struck through)
Click to expand...

Yes, it is a fuzzy pic, but I can definitely see that date code mark stamped over the top left hand corner of the 18.

As I understand (and I too am fuzzy on this) some martial proof marks were struck through in the flint muzzle loader days when arms were surplussed, but am not sure as to how widespread was the practice.
Arms with multiple Govt markings help tell their story. It is common to find early Lee Enfields with British War Department WD broad arrow mark, Canadian C broad arrow and New Zealand NZ broad arrow markings.

The double broad arrow is an example of cancelling a government property stamp. However, the double opposing broad arrow head 'Sold out of Service' marking has caused some recent debate. Perhaps it's use has changed over the years, but I am of the belief that it's use was not a sold out of service mark when it was retired from Govt use and surplused to the public through dealers.

I am making efforts at researching this, but certainly in the area of my collecting interest (late 1800s) I have reason to believe it was used as a 'Sold out of British stores' marking when sold to another government where an arm would be used in service wearing its double broad arrows.

Let me add that if an arm was sold and shipped to another govt directly from the factory, it would not have the double arrows as it never was in British stores inventory.

But perhaps that should be saved for another thread?
 
Last edited:
It was the subject of some correspondence within the Ministry of Supply after WW2 and with the Proof House. The Treasury Solicitor's views were sought as to whether the Gun Barrel Proof Act's provisions with regard to marking surplus arms were still valid or had been demolished by the doctrine of Implied Repeal. He eventually gave counsel's opinion that they were still in force, but that s.119 of the Act did not bind the Crown, so if they wanted to stop marking them there was nothing anybody could do to compel them.
 
stencollector said:
The proper format was to put a second boradarrow facing the first. The result would look like a star. Hoewever it was not always done, in fact I am pretty sure more rifles are missing that feature than have it. Pretty sure the labour of stamping a million obsolete rifles at the end of their service life made it somewhat impractical.

For Canadian rifles, the same counterstruck arrows could be found within a C. This was a separate stamp though, and not a modification of the original C broadarrow, which really did not leave room for the counterstrike. Also, since the C/l\ was deleted as a legal property mark in the late 40s, it wouldn't have really made sense.
Click to expand...

And the sale mark inside the C often looks exactly like an asterisk rather than two broad arrows tip to tip
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom