BSA No1mrk3 Restoration

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greyman441

CGN Regular
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Location
Wasaga Beach, ON
So I was out at the gunshow this morning looking for a worthy restoration project and I came across this 1916 BSA No1mrk3 enfield. So after a look over I found out it was matching bolt, barrel and receiver. The headspace is nice and tight. The bore is MINT and because of these features I paid on the high end but I think it was worth it. The bluing is 95% and for being 97 years old I think it looks amazing. So I brought it home and tore it apart. Alot of it was gummed up and dirty so I cleaned it off and found the bluing under the wood as good as the exposed bluing. Also found a magazine cutoff slot which matches my full wood perfect. My wood set I have is unissued walnut that I have to start laying the coats of linseed oil to before putting it on the rifle. I will be updating this post slowly as I start putting the rifle together. I still need a rear band as well as a nosecap and screws. My plan is to make it look unissued. With the wood and the condition of the bluing, I dont think it will be that hard.

Anyways here is some pics


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So after doing a couple of coats of linseed oil on the wood I started fitting and the butt and forstock. Took a little shaving and some slight filling but seemt to fit pretty good. Nice and snug, no flop or wiggling. I am still hunting for a couple parts. On my list would be

-Butt stock disc and screw
-Middle band with swivel
-Mag cutoff and screw
-nosecap with screws and swivels

Then its all done.

Here is a couple updated pics.

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Looks great...Nice job..The BSA looked in very nice condition, even before you started. Obviously well looked after. Got a few items in the passed from Marstar and from Numrich (also ebay) good luck and post a few more pics when finished....
 
So from the help of a fellow CGN'er I was able to track down almost all the rest of the parts.
All I need now is 2 sling swivels, a screw for the nosecap as well as a stock disc and screw.

Anyways, this is what it looks like now.

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Great job, it looks fantastic! Tagging this for interest.

I recently(ish) picked up a 1917 Enfield in about the same condition myself and am slowly accumulating parts for it. This is certainly inspiring. Just curious, but what made you decide to replace the buttstock rather than reuse the existing one? I noticed mine lacks the disc but is otherwise in pretty good shape, and appears original, so I was planning on just leaving it as-is.
 
The reason I changed the butt is because I ended up getting a full set of dark walnut that was matching and the original buttstock was a much lighter walnut. I just wanted it as close as possible becuase my plan was to make it look unissued.
 
Restoration WITH a Cutoff is correct for this rifle.

You have a Mark III "Star-Bar" rifle. It was made as a Mark III, refurbed as a Mark III*, which is when the Star was struck and the Cutoff removed.

AFTER the Great War, the standard reverted to regular Mark III, which is when the Cutoff was replaced and the "Star" was BARRED OUT.

Shortly before War Two, it was decided that the Mark III* was okay (again)..... and so the Cutoff would have been removed (again) and the rifle stocked-up as if not Cutoff had ever existed.

You are restoring the old girl to the way she was MADE.

Not to worry too much about Volley Sights. They were slow and difficult to make and they were the first things to go in the search for more production. There WERE Mark III rifles made without Volley Sights.

It's going to be a beautiful specimen.
 
Thanks everyone. Im very happy with it, turned out exactly the way I wanted it too.

Smellie, Thanks for the background on this old rifle. Its nice to know the history on it. This is my first venture to the No1 side of the enfields so I have lots to learn.

LawrenceN, It worked out well today in orangeville to be able to find almost all the parts I needed. This is the one I mentioned to you at the show today. Now I just need to post of some pics of that jungle carbine and see where I can track down some wood.
 
She is beautiful. One day my 1941 lithgow will be saved from the ugly sporter stock but until I find wood it will have to wait.
 
It started out as a MkIII* not a MkIII
The III stamp is offset to the left to make room for the *, on a MkIII the III is more central.
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