i got this today

flatlandsninja

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1896 Mk1 MLE (Magazine Lee-Enfield) Long Lee ?

at least thats what i think it might be ,,,,that has been ummm sporterized


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nice, saw your other post ;)

sparkbrook, I'll have to check their production numbers

thats one hell of a rifle to start with as a restoration project.


RNVR is the regiment, but I can't find it in my book ?? Royal Natal Volunteer Rifles but I'm guessing
 
Rnvr

How about Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve?.
Peter (Burlington, Ontario)

nice, saw your other post ;)

sparkbrook, I'll have to check their production numbers

thats one hell of a rifle to start with as a restoration project.


RNVR is the regiment, but I can't find it in my book ?? Royal Natal Volunteer Rifles but I'm guessing
 
Seeing as it is cut in front of the band, the forend could be restored, with the joint concealed. The necessary metal parts can be located. The rifle is a dandy restoration project. Gentle cleaning with oil and bronze wool will take care of the minor rust that is showing.
 
These are a beautiful old rifle and yours is not Bubba'd nearly as badly as most. You still have the full-length barrel, so she can be restored.

You will need:
Forestock
Front barrelband/bayonet lug
Volley-sight aperture, spring and screw
Volley sight dial, pointer, screw - possibly all or part in left side of rifle - no pic
and that's about all. You HAVE all the hard parts to get, including a dust-cover which hasn't even been wrecked.

These old things are a LOT of fun to shoot. They are the actual rifles with which the Boer War was fought.

DOES your rifle have a quarter-inch capital letter "N" on the LEFT side of the butt socket, just above the triggerguard? If you have this, then it is DEFINITELY a Navy rifle.

Congrats on the FINE find! It took me many years of searching to fin a genuine SPARKBROOK rifle; they made less than 1 percent of production and the plant closed in 1904. It reopened during WW1 as BIRMINGHAM REPAIR, marked repaired rifles with a SCRIPT letter "B" in the proof and inspectorate marks, closed again after the War.

Hope this helps.
.
 
These are a beautiful old rifle and yours is not Bubba'd nearly as badly as most. You still have the full-length barrel, so she can be restored.

You will need:
Forestock
Front barrelband/bayonet lug
Volley-sight aperture, spring and screw
Volley sight dial, pointer, screw - possibly all or part in left side of rifle - no pic
and that's about all. You HAVE all the hard parts to get, including a dust-cover which hasn't even been wrecked.

These old things are a LOT of fun to shoot. They are the actual rifles with which the Boer War was fought.

DOES your rifle have a quarter-inch capital letter "N" on the LEFT side of the butt socket, just above the triggerguard? If you have this, then it is DEFINITELY a Navy rifle.

Congrats on the FINE find! It took me many years of searching to fin a genuine SPARKBROOK rifle; they made less than 1 percent of production and the plant closed in 1904. It reopened during WW1 as BIRMINGHAM REPAIR, marked repaired rifles with a SCRIPT letter "B" in the proof and inspectorate marks, closed again after the War.

Hope this helps.
.

yes there is a N on it i will get better pics of the markings soon
 
If you check the underside of the magazine cutoff, there will be a small N stamped there too. The cutoff is actually from an earlier Lee Metford but it is of Naval pattern in that it has had the corner stop nibbed off to prevent snagging on uniforms, rigging ???.

If you can show us good clear pics of the markings on the left and right hand sides of the barrel reinforce, just ahead of the receiver ring, I'll read you a story.

The fore arm has a notch for a charger bridge, just behind the mag cutoff, so not original to that gun, it will have come off a CLLE (Charger Loading Lee Enfield) conversion.

It was Gary Baron that was making repop wood here in Canada. But he no longer is in the business, hasn't been for some time. I can hook you up with a chap in New Zealand who is making decent repro wood. About $200 for a forearm, $125 for a hand guard. Plus you will need barrel band and nosecap.

Easy resto, more cosmetic than mechanical.

Nice find, too bad it can't talk.
 
Correxct vertical stringing of the receiver number for a Sparkbrook rifle. Looks to have had a new barrel some time during the reign of Edward VII (1901 - 1910).

Definitely a Navy rifle.

I am slowly rebuilding its twin, except that mine has a 26-inch (chopped) barrel. It was on its way to the dump when a friend rescued the barreled action and dropped it off at my place. When things such as that happen, I am DEFINITELY not loath to accept garbage!!!!!!

Some friends are definitely worth keeping!

Nice toy; hope to see her on the range again.
.
 
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