BSA 1918 Lee Enfield SMLE comments and info welcome.

LawrenceN

LawrenceN

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Well! I lucked into the above mentioned rifle in phenomenal shape. It is all numbers matching (and yes, that includes the sight and the bayonet lug on the nose cap!). There are a few markings that I would like some info on. On the knoxform below the BSA crossed rifles, it says "Sale (Kings crown) Permit". On the barrel just below the rear sight block it has the letters "HV over SC". It looks to have 2 sets of serial numbers. On the barrel and the breech it has the numbers 820B, underneath that is a "K", and then the serial number that is on the bolt, sight, nose cap, and barrel. There are a few struck out inspection stamps (I'm assuming) on the left side of the breech and on the trigger itself. Overall, it's one rifle I've craved for years which is to say a beautiful, unmolested, walnut stocked, SMLE. Any input or comments from you Lee Enfield gurus out there would be most appreciated. Thanks for looking.


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The wood has been steel wooled and perhaps refinished recently. It was sold as a range rifle at some point, probably before WWII.

Overall a very nice piece, congrats.
 
5THBATT said:
Will need to see a lot more photos to be able to give you a good "run-down" on your rifle but from what i can see the barrel looks to be a replacement but other than that, it's looking good.

Here's a link to my 1918 BSA MkIII* with a K prefix s/n
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/933181-1918-BSA-MkIII*-SMLE
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Yours is a beauty. I have my doubts about the barrel being replaced on mine. As you'll see from the new photos, it's also clearly marked "'18". Like yours, mine has the divot on the left side for the volley sight dial. I forgot to mention that even the serial number on the wood matches. I've taken some new photos of some of the struck-out proof marks, the barrel with the 3 crossed rifles and the BSA logo, the superimposed serial numbers, and the barrel lettering that I'd mentioned in my first post.



 
Thanks for the additional photos, whilst not totally unexpected i cant say i've seen a commercial stamp on a WW1 BSA before, could be quite common but i have not come across one myself, interesting that one of the inspectors stamps has been struck out, certainly never seen that before!
The HV SC (High Velocity, Small Cone) are markings that identify the barrel as being set up for MkVII ammo.
 
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Very nice piece indeed, what marks are there on the left wrist? What stamps/marks are there on the receiver rear left and right on the flat's where the bolt goes through? Is there anything on the stock disc?
 
RememberTheSomme said:
Very nice piece indeed, what marks are there on the left wrist? What stamps/marks are there on the receiver rear left and right on the flat's where the bolt goes through? Is there anything on the stock disc?
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The stock disc is blank. There are no markings on the left side (the safety side) of the wrist. The right side of the wrist has that standard nomenclature for the rifle. There's "GR" over the kings crown. below that is "B.S.A.C. Co. Below that is the date of 1918 and then the Sht LE, and then the III*. On the left side where the bolt enters the receiver is another struck out proof mark and on the opposite side (right) is a single letter "s". I haven't taken the time to count them all, but there are a lot of struck out proof stamps on the rifle including one on the actual trigger itself. I'm assuming it was sold out of service, perhaps to a shooting club, and that's when the "Sale Permit" stamp was applied to the knoxform, but I don't know the reason for the cancelled proofs. Any thoughts?
 
Ok, i lied, i have seen struck out inspection stamps before (not proof, yours are intact) on the rear sight of my 1920 Siamese contract BSA MkIII* i would say yours was a military contract rifle that was sold as a commercial rifle, that would explain the cancelled inspection stamp plus the BSA logo on the barrel but then i would expect there to be a commercial proof stamp as well.
 
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