Help dating an Enfield -- Need to Restore

Salmo

Salmo

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Halifax Nova Scotia
I received, what I think is a Lee Enfield No1 mk3 that I am considering restoring. It will need all furniture and related hardware. There is text, "Regulated by Fulton" & "Nitro Proved". There are many stamps/marks, but no date. It is a BSA, Birmingham Small Arms, but I am unable to translate much else.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

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It doesn't look to have had the dates scrubbed from the right side of the butt socket. There is a very good chance it is a commercial rifle put together as an original sporter rather than a military rifle for issue.

Google No1 MkIII BSA co. 23127 and a search may turn up its assembly date.
 
The LACK of Government Proofs and Inspectors' markings tells you that this rifle never went anywhere near the military.

The BSA marking - and no Crown and Date and Mark - tells you that it is definitely a COMMERCIAL rifle.

The REGULATED BY FULTON tells you that it was at one point set up with full wood and REGULATED by one of the best gunsmiths in the world for long-range target shooting.

What happened is very simple: BUBBA TRASHED A FINE FINE FINE MATCH RIFLE!

Friend, I wish you the very best luck. THIS one MUST be restored.

Right now I'm feeling a bit sick..... I think I'm gonna go have a cry......
 
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Bubba took a $700-$800 (present value if original) Commercial BSA target rifle that was "regulated" or "tuned" in todays language and made a $150 sporter out of it. In it's original form, it was made to WIN at such places as Bisley.

I think I will visit SMELLIE and we can cry in our coffees.
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Probably 1920s.
I restored one of these. The shop that had it also had the PH5A that had been on it.
Nice looking rifle now.
 
The crown has a little feather like point in the middle, canted to one side. The rifle has the magazine cut off, so according to wiki this went away in 1915, so guessing vintage is 1907-1915. This date range should be enough, if I can find a schematic to put a parts list together and start shopping.


Thanks for everyone's help, now if you have any parts to sell, let me know.


R
 
Yes, the Magazine Cut-off went away late in 1915, carried on in some plants (LSA) until late 1918...... but the standard REVERTED to the Mark III (WITH Cut-off) AFTER the war.

Cut-offs finally were removed for good early in War 2.

BSAs built as Commercial rifles in the inter-War period commonly show the slot and tapped screw-hole for the Cut-off.

Best way to DATE this one would be through the serial number..... and I don't have the figures.

Good luck in your quest!

BTW, Springfield Sporters (ssporters.com) in the States has UNNUMBERED NEW Nose Caps for this rifle, also a lot of NEW and second-hand spares. Trouble is getting the parts HERE if your dealer can work out how to do it.
 
The BM proof stamp was introduced in 1916 so your rifle dates from 1916 on.
The cutoff DID NOT go away in 1915 or 1916 or any other year untill 1941, there were some years between that no MkIIIs with cutoff were made but the LoC of 1916 was in 2 parts, part 1 was changes made to the future manufacture of the MkIII which included the omittance of certain parts in the manufacture of the MkIII such as the Volley sights.
Part 2 was the introduction of the MkIII* which was the same as a MkIII except it was without the cutoff slot & as it was the same as a MkIII the changes made to the MkIII also applied.

 
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Thanks everyone, the amount of information....some of it conflicting, is almost overwhelming. Great reading up on the history of the design and factories that made them. Still trying to track down the seriel number, but records may have been lost during the war.


R
 
This is a commercial rifle, so doesn't necessarily mean it would conform to a sealed pattern (as would a martial arm). 'List of Changes' to a pattern doesn't apply to this rifle. The serial number holds the key to dating it.

The BM proof has always puzzled me. My take is that it was applied only to mil spec rifles. I have an 1896 MLE that wears it along with its original Victorian proofs. So a civvy reproof?

Nice job on the restoration!
 
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