NICE thing that the Barrel is 30.2 inches. Twenty-nine and a half is nice, but thirty-point-two gives you about another 10 f/sec theoretically..... and another $300 when you sell it.
What you have, friend, is what appears to be a Commercial Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark I. As a military rifle, this pattern was approved on November 11, 1895 and manufactured until the introduction of the Short rifle in 1902. This was the production-class rifle of the Second Boer War. They were manufactured by the Government arsenals at Enfield Lock and Sparkbrook, Birmingham and commercially AND militarily by the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA, same people as made all those superb motorcycles). I suspect (rather strongly, from the markings and other points) that your rifle is a COMMERCIAL model, many thousands of which were sold to officers, sportsmen, target shooters and the like..... but the vast majority of which were sold to the many regiments and companies of Volunteers and Territorials which were so under-funded that they had to buy their own rifles.
Big question: does the serial number on the back of the BOLT HANDLE match the serial number on the RIGHT side of the Receiver Ring at 2 o'clock position? I ask this for a REASON: BSA also manufactured large numbers of Commercial Mark II Lee-Metfords marked as "LEE-SPEED PATENTS" rifles. The LS-II had only a half-#### Safety but the later rifle had a "flag" Safety on the Bolt. I do not see this "flag" Safety on your rifle, yet it is DEFINITELY a Lee-ENFIELD (the Barrel has the E mark meaning Enfield rifling is in that barrel). The "flag" Safety WAS absent on some of the early Commercial LE-Is, so this could serve to place your rifle in the production series.
From what I can see in the photos, it looks as if the rifle is pretty complete, although you are missing the rear Handguard and the Nose Cap and Screw with the built-on Bayonet Bar for the Pattern 1888 bayonet (a beautiful piece of work!). Also, your FORESTOCK has been butchered by Bubba The Execrable (may he fry in excrement!). I know for a fact that a small number of Forestocks will be made in the New Year (I am supplying the patterns, so I am pretty sure about this) so, although they are harder to find than turkey-teeth at present, they WILL become available soon...... for the first time in more than a century.
Wood on these rifles is straight-grained Walnut which was naturally air-cured for several years and finished with Boiled Linseed Oil for maximum protection against the elements and durability.
You can CLEAN this rifle carefully, removing surface rust with DRY "FINE" or "EXTRA FINE" grade Steel Wool and then finishing the job with Lubricating Oil to prevent further rusting. Wipe the surface dry after de-rusting and NEVER allow the rust-dust to mix with your preserving OIL: rust + oil = grinding compound.... and you really don't want that. You can clean the BORE as any other rifle: solvent, a good scrubbing with a brass brush, more solvent, wipe dry, oil and wipe out again with an OILY swab so as to leave some oil in the bore. This you can remove before shooting the rifle. Be sure to DRY the CHAMBER before loading a round into the rifle: VERY important.
The MAGAZINE for this rifle was very nearly identical to that f the SMLE rifle of World War I fame and an SMLE Magazine can be used. The proper Magazine, though, is marked "2" on the Rib at the back of the Magazine and the right-front cartridge-retaining Lip is on a rivetted-on HINGE.
What we need NEXT are a good close-up of the Butt of this rifle (right side) and another of the TOP of the Butt, entire length. Depending upon what is on this pat (or what is NOT on it) this can tell us a lot more about this rifle.
You have a Very Nice Toy which is in desperate need of some TLC. Give it what it wants and you WILL be rewarded. I have an 1896 Sparkbrook which was sportered commercially in 1920 in a very good shop and it turns heads every time it goes to the range. These rifles are positively ELEGANT.... and anyone can see it.
Hope this helps.
