Canadian Marked SMLE WWI Era Price?

Drachenblut

Drachenblut

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Hello,

I am curious as to the market price being asked usually for Lee Enfield No.I Mk.III (* as well) rifles that are Canadian broad arrow marked, and possibly unit/other provinance marked, from the 1914-1918 era. I am considering picking one up in the next year, and wish to find out who has them here, who might be willing to sell, and what sort of monetary compensation that is being asked for.

Cheers,
Drachenblut
 
I recently paid $325 for a 1917 SMLE with the C-broad arrow marking that appears to have been subsequently refurbished in Australia. The metal is Parkerized like many Lithgow built rifles. I would rate the overall condition as good to very good.
 
IIRC all C/l\ SMLEs are Canadian WWII vintage, sold to Canada after the Great War in the20's. (the vast majority of them seem to be 1917 production). The SMLE was still the comonwealth's issue rifle until the No.4 in 1941. While Canada did adopt the SMLE during WWI it's my understanding they were not C/l\ marked until after WWI. Thus it would be pretty much impossible to determine a Canadian WWI SMLE from a British one.

Unless someone has other information to the contrary.
 
BIGGEST problem is that the Discs, Marking, Butt were removed before they were sold off. If we had those, we would know just exactly what formation they were issued to.

Newfoundland rifles were marked "NFLD" on issue, often were 'acquired' by returning veterans (a bottle of rum to the Armourer would assist greatly in the removal of the butt bolt and this rendered the entire rifle 'kit-bag' length). I have seen several.

But the troops brought back SOMETHING (they WERE armed when they boarded the ships) and turned them in to the Army when the war was over. I don't think several hundred thousand rifles just disappeared. Rather, I think the C/!\ rifles are the ones carried by our troops, brought back by our troops and (possibly) subsequently marked to our military.

Makes sense, anyway.

You can find Bubba'd ones for $75 and resto them yourself or you can find one that's still in one piece or that has already been resto'd. I think 350 sounds about right, these days. In comparison to other rifles, it's actually low. There were less than half a million C/!\ marked SMLEs as compared to close to 10 million Kar98k. The Mauser is a nice rifle, but not nice enough to justify the price difference.
 
I only acquired my Canadian-marked SMLE (1918 BSA) at the end of last year after searching for a while. For a good condition, matching, "original" (that definition can vary) Canadian-marked No. 1 Mk III* I'd expect to pay better than $400, though lower-priced ones do come along.
 
Thinking on the previous statement as to the dates of Canadian-marked War One rifles.

When you consider the tremendous rate of attrition during the actual war, it's not surprising at all that the vast majority of surviving rifles bear 1917 and 1918 dates. For every sinfle MIA, a rifle was wandering around. For every KIA, a rifle was wandering around. For every WIA, a rifle was wandering around. And then there were the ones that were lost in the mud, surfaced a year or so later, were gathered up and rebuilt (there have been a couple on here, as I recall). All of these things were gathered up, even the ones that had taken direct hits, sorted out. If they were allright, they were returned to service after a cleaning. If they needed work by the regimental armourer, they got it and were returned to service. If they needed more than that, they were returned to England and rebuilt or repaired. Remember, Sparkbrook had closed as a small-arms factory just shortly before the war. During the war, it operated at full-blast and marked the rifles it rebuilt with BR: Birmingham Repair.

That war was really hard on manpower.... and it was every bit as hard on rifles. Far too few of either one survived. BOTH of them are still being dug up in Belgium and France.

But I think that's why so many C/!\ rifles are dated late in the war. They survived to see the war end; the others didn't. And they were iron, steel and wood.... the men were only flesh and blood.

Sobering thought.
 
Indeed, smellie. Thus, it is by owning these pieces of iron, wood and steel that we remember the men who fell and were wounded by war. Thus why, I feel, we should be milsurp collectors, at least in part. Once one understands that it is not just a gun they hold, but a tool held, or representative of, a man who fought for his country, wherever that might be, and that a rifle is as testament to this battle or that battle as any statue of bronze. Let us keep our guns and remember our nation's great past, honour our fallen, and that of the friends we once called enemies.
 
Gary D said:
IIRC all C/l\ SMLEs are Canadian WWII vintage, sold to Canada after the Great War in the20's. (the vast majority of them seem to be 1917 production). The SMLE was still the comonwealth's issue rifle until the No.4 in 1941. While Canada did adopt the SMLE during WWI it's my understanding they were not C/l\ marked until after WWI. Thus it would be pretty much impossible to determine a Canadian WWI SMLE from a British one.

Unless someone has other information to the contrary.
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This would also solve and issue debated on a thread awhile back about P14's and P17 in Canada, people said they where not marked, so therefore not Canadian. But many reports talk of a lot of P14's coming back from Brittan, mine still has storage grease in it, the P17 the Canadian paint, but no arrows, so I wonder if the P14 are from Canadian storage, just like the older SMLE's not marked. A bit off topic, but an issue that has had me reading and searching. :confused:

I sound probable on the SMLE adoption, was forced on Canada by the troops turfing the Ross's.
 
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Canadian marked smle's are hard to find. If they match, have a good bore etc. and are not rebuilds (ex bubba's) they run in the $600 range. Two sold for $595 about a year ago with one dealer.
 
I paid $600ish a couple of years ago for mine (1917 Enfield).
It is a nice example - C-Broad Arrows, all matching #s, great bore, unit disc still intact and marked to the RCAF (a bonus I thought)



(Hope you don't mind me using your pics again Geoff, I really have to take some of my own :redface:)

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1916 Enfield, WWI and WWII Canadian marks. Windage on the rear sight works. All matching. Original barrel. $625 last fall.

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I saved the description from the seller:
- 1916 SMLE MkIII* made at RSAF Enfield. CANADIAN MARKED. This one is a "transitional" in that is still has windage adjustable sights, but no volley sights. Rifle is all matching except the rear sight which has a lined out serial number indicating it was re-used off an earlier rifle. This is a probable inter-war Canadian FTR. There are ww1 and ww2 era C-broad arrow ownership marks, so this one likely served with Canadian forces in both wars. Three very well done Canadian stock repairs are evident and a rack number is painted on the toe of the butt. Comes with a sling. This is a really great example of a rifle that stayed in Canadian service from the time it was made until it left service, probably in the 1950's. Bore is somewhere between an 8 and a 9, closer to a 9 IMHO. No pitting, but very slight wear is evident. Bore still has tons of life in it and is superb for a ww1 era rifle bore (the barrel is still the original 1916 dated one).
Price: $625 SOLD PENDNG FUNDS
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