I need help identifying a rifle..

S

Springarm1911

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I got this rifle from a friend. He was an armourer. He's not around to tell me about it anymore...

The markings on this .303 are:

g.r.i. ishapore 1939 sht le III

I don't know much about this part of firearm history.
If someone could tell me the story, I'd be happy to read it.
It shoots FLAWLESSLY.
The number on the bokt marcher the one on tge rifle and the one on tge mag...

Thank you fellows and stay healty!

Cheers
 
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G.R.I. is stamped on guns made in the reign of King George (George VI, in 1939), it stands for George, Rex, Imperator, (i.e. King and Emperor, because he was King of England and Emperor of India.) 1939 is the year of manufacture, it was made at the Ishapore arsenal (sometimes stamped RFI for Rifle Factory Ishapore.) It's a Short Magazine Lee Enfield, the SMLE so that's why it's stamped with sht and le and it's the model originally called the Mark I, No.3 but the War Department changed the system of nomenclature so by the time your rifle was built it become No.1,Mk.III.

(Short Magazine Lee Enfield doesn't mean they have short magazines, it's a shorter version of the original Magazine Lee Enfield. The latter is sometimes called by the nickname Long Lee to distinguish it from its more popular and long-lived successor, the SMLE aka "smelly."))
 
Ishapore Arsenal in India is still in operation and made the No 1 Mk III Enfield (and its variants) until 1974.

I was in India a couple of years ago and you can still see them carried by the police and toll booth guards.
 
TheTooner said:
G.R.I. is stamped on guns made in the reign of King George (George VI, in 1939), it stands for George, Rex, Imperator, (i.e. King and Emperor, because he was King of England and Emperor of India.) 1939 is the year of manufacture, it was made at the Ishapore arsenal (sometimes stamped RFI for Rifle Factory Ishapore.) It's a Short Magazine Lee Enfield, the SMLE so that's why it's stamped with sht and le and it's the model originally called the Mark I, No.3 but the War Department changed the system of nomenclature so by the time your rifle was built it become No.1,Mk.III.

(Short Magazine Lee Enfield doesn't mean they have short magazines, it's a shorter version of the original Magazine Lee Enfield. The latter is sometimes called by the nickname Long Lee to distinguish it from its more popular and long-lived successor, the SMLE aka "smelly."))
Click to expand...

Wow!!! Thank You so much!
If it shoots well I should keep it than I guess?
I have many rifles (moderns) but unless this is a collectible and would please better a collector, I might as well keep it right? It's a nice piece if history.
Thank you again so much for the infos!
 
Springarm1911 said:
Wow!!! Thank You so much!
If it shoots well I should keep it than I guess?
I have many rifles (moderns) but unless this is a collectible and would please better a collector, I might as well keep it right? It's a nice piece if history.
Thank you again so much for the infos!
Click to expand...

Remember that Enfeilds should be stored muzzle down.
 
TheTooner said:
G.R.I. is stamped on guns made in the reign of King George (George VI, in 1939), it stands for George, Rex, Imperator, (i.e. King and Emperor, because he was King of England and Emperor of India.) 1939 is the year of manufacture, it was made at the Ishapore arsenal (sometimes stamped RFI for Rifle Factory Ishapore.) It's a Short Magazine Lee Enfield, the SMLE so that's why it's stamped with sht and le and it's the model originally called the Mark I, No.3 but the War Department changed the system of nomenclature so by the time your rifle was built it become No.1,Mk.III.

(Short Magazine Lee Enfield doesn't mean they have short magazines, it's a shorter version of the original Magazine Lee Enfield. The latter is sometimes called by the nickname Long Lee to distinguish it from its more popular and long-lived successor, the SMLE aka "smelly."))
Click to expand...
The SMLE or No1 MkIII was never called a "Mk1, No3" there is a No3 Mk1 but thats the P14 which became the No3 Mk1 at the same time as the SMLE became the No1 MkIII.
 
The number designates the rifle while the mark is the version of that rifle. There were No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 Enfields built of varying Marks. The word "Short" differentiates it from the Magazine Lee Enfield which was, oddly enough, longer. Military inventory nomenclature, Short, Magazine Lee Enfield.
Edit: There was also a No. 7 but I don't know about a 5 or 6.
 
bdft said:
The number designates the rifle while the mark is the version of that rifle. There were No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 Enfields built of varying Marks. The word "Short" differentiates it from the Magazine Lee Enfield which was, oddly enough, longer. Military inventory nomenclature, Short, Magazine Lee Enfield.
Edit: There was also a No. 7 but I don't know about a 5 or 6.
Click to expand...

The No.5 was the jungle carbine.
 
There were No.1s (Shot, Magazine, Lee-Enfield). No.2s (.22 trainers, two different types - one being a purpose built trainer and the other a converted No.1 to .22). No.3s (being the P14). No.4s (Mk.I, Mk.I*, Mk.II - also the conversions Mk.I/2; being a Mk.I upgraded to Mk.II standard, and the Mk.I/3; being a Mk.I* upgraded to MK.II standard). And the No.5 'Jungle Carbine".

Correction, I'm unaware of a No.6 rifle - but there apparently was a trials rifle from Australia, the was an SMLE made into a Jungle Carbine.

The No.7 is either a converted No.4 to .22, or a purpose built .22 training rifle that looks like a No.4. The No.8 is a purpose built No.4-esque .22 trainer built for New Zealand - but with cut back wood, and a shorter/heavier barrel. And the No.9 is another .22 trainer built for New Zealand - but it appears in more "proper" No.4 like form.
 
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Your rifle is an SMLE (Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield), or a Rifle, No.1, SMLE, .303 inch. Yours is an Ishapore (Indian) made example. Nothing at all wrong with the Ishapore rifles, but some collectors turn up their noses at them with all sorts of claims of them being lesser than their British (or Australian) made counterparts.

Photos would certainly help to give a value, if that's what you're looking for. Condition is king, as is matching serial numbers (bolt and receiver, specifically).
 
TheTooner said:
G.R.I. is stamped on guns made in the reign of King George (George VI, in 1939), it stands for George, Rex, Imperator, (i.e. King and Emperor, because he was King of England and Emperor of India.) 1939 is the year of manufacture, it was made at the Ishapore arsenal (sometimes stamped RFI for Rifle Factory Ishapore.) It's a Short Magazine Lee Enfield, the SMLE so that's why it's stamped with sht and le and it's the model originally called the Mark I, No.3 but the War Department changed the system of nomenclature so by the time your rifle was built it become No.1,Mk.III.

(Short Magazine Lee Enfield doesn't mean they have short magazines, it's a shorter version of the original Magazine Lee Enfield. The latter is sometimes called by the nickname Long Lee to distinguish it from its more popular and long-lived successor, the SMLE aka "smelly."))
Click to expand...

I have a GR smle, it is beautiful, and fires well, the ishapores are great rifles too
 
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