LE No1MKIII manufacturerers code

Brandon3

Brandon3

CGN Regular
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Location
Vancouver
I was wondering if anyone can tell me where this rifle was made. It is a Lee- enfeild NO1MKIII* model with the letters "FR" under the model number on the receiver socket. I have looked through the LE reference pages but have been unable to find this code listed, although some of the codes are very close such as FTR , RF, and RFI. Thanks.


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There are absolutely no markings on the other side of the socket. The barrel and front of the receiver are marked with a crown, the letters GRI underneath, and then a pair of crossed flags underneath that. I think the GRI stands for Georgias Rex India (George the sixth , emperor of India) What do you guys think?
 
Thanks for the proper spelling , I was to lazy to look it up! So what I have then is a Pre-Indian independence made LE that was repaired at Ishapore. It also has "england " stamped on the receiver so I assume it came back to Great Britain at some point and then was re-exported to Canada and eventually into my possession.
 
Yea, me too. I figure if it was made during peace time they would have had the time to stamp the manufacturers code on the rifle. I just took it out of the cabinet and went at the right side with solvent and there is definitely no other markings on it other than the ones I've already described. If you think this is perplexing I have another one for you. MY friend found a sporterized LE near Whitehorse which he gave to me. It has no manufacturers marks on either side of the butt-socket!
 
Yes it is an SMLE. It must have been in good condition at one time because it has a shortened barrel , monte carlo wood stock, and ramp front sight. It's kind of junk now as I cleaned and rebuilt it and took it to the range but some of the rounds wouldn't go off. I think the headspacing is screwed.
 
Brandon, what did the spent cases look like? The headspacing could be an issue but not necessarily? Could also be a weak firing pin spring, or junk inside the bolt preventing proper movement of the pin, or something else.
 
I have A.G. Parker s/n 0019, which has no markings at all apart from the A.G. Parker crest on the Knox-form. It started off as a Lee-Metford Mark II and was sportered about 1920.

Under British law, it is possible to remove all the markings from a firearm on rebuild, just so long as it subsequently has new markings added; it then is sold as a "new" firearm.

I also have encountered a Mark III* SMLE marked GRI 1943 and with ENGLAND stamped on it rather prominently. It looks as if the entire Akrika Korps ran over it with their Mark IIIg panzers, but it's all there. India supplied quite a few SMLEs during War Two. Many of these made their way to England and, after the War, were surplused. It was at that point that they were stamped "ENGLAND", even though actually not built there. Following this, they were sold on the international market (that means to us) or handed out as military aid to armies which were re-establishing themselves following the Occupation. Norway, for example, was almost totally bereft of Krags, Greece of Mannlicher-Schoenauers and so forth, the Nasties having moved them all over the map to stop the locals from shooting little round holes in those nice square helmets. But the "ENGLAND" stamp at least gave one an idea where the things were coming from.
 
As part of the FR process all marks were erased from the body. All marks of SMLE were FRd and all manufacturers, British, Australian and Indian.
 
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