Lee Enfield Markings FOUND ANOTHER ONE, see last post

Found another marking on the left receiver that has been mostly scratched out but looks like it ends in ly or lly. Really faint but I will try to get a pic
 
I just found a Lee Enfield Armourers Plug Gauge Rifle & M.G. .307 online. Could this have anything to do with the 307 stamped on my barrel knox?
Or could 307 be a ship number such as MTB 307? Just an idea I got from searching online.
 
7 days of spending every spare minute searching Lee Enfield markings and everything else I could find on LE rifles and so far a dead end. Posted my questions on 5 different forums and nothing, not even someone else having a rifle with the same marks (FDM, FP or 307)Still wondering if there is a 306 or 308. Frustrating so far, not knowing the reason for the marks, Is it a rare gun or did someone have a set of letter punches in the shed or does the short muzzle make it worthless anyway.
Anyway, done ranting now, gonna take more pics and start searching the proof marks tomorrow. In the meantime, this little rant will put my posting back at the top where it will get noticed and some may see it and be able to shed some light.
 
It's got me stumped. I have three books on Enfields that show hundreds of markings but nothing like those. I shall follow this with interest.
 
Got new better pics today, maybe they will tell us something. One kinda strange looking. Please excuse the dust, cleaned the marks with fine paper and didn`t see the dust till I uploaded photos. Hope I`m not posting too many photos. Thanks in advance





 
That's a well marked rifle. It's been around the block. THe arm with the sword is a London proof mark. the broad arrow on the top of the arrel is a Brit acceptance mark. The "303 2.22 mark is another proof mark when sold out of service, The marks on top of the bolt are ???? Looks oriental and an unuasual place for such markings
 
Couple more pics

...

The barrel profile gets narrower just behind the foresight to the muzzle because that's the way the No.4 barrels were made. Cutting it in front of the foresight was pretty common when sporterizing to make it look more like commercial hunting rifles which usually have their foresight right at the muzzle. And that foresight ramp is not unique, as already mentioned. That is also a cosmetic treatment to make it look more like conventional sporting rifles while using the original foresight block.
 
I too did notice what looks like "DP" stamped on the receiver top. I would get the rifle checked out by a gun smith first considering her overall condition at this time.
 
Another thing I missed. The 4 digit serial# is not a Maltby. If in fact the last digit is a double struck "8"
On the left of the receiver, is it marked ' No 4 Mk1 or N4 Mk1 ? I can't see the o after the letter N. not a big deal but most receivers when stamped had No for number.
 
Here is a better pic, the word that was on the scratched recessed area in front of no4 mk1 looks like it ends in "olly" or "ully" when I look at it with a magnifying glass. I looked at a couple of other no4 mk1`s and the end of the charger bridge looked like a round area the way it was welded in. This one looke like a perfect square.

 
Last edited:
Could there be a connection between Force Publique ,,Force Publique (Monaco). and the FPM marks on my rifle?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Monagasque Force Publique, see Force Publique (Monaco).
The Force Publique (French for "Public Force") was a gendarmerie and military force in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1885, (when the territory was known as the Congo Free State), through the period of direct Belgian colonial rule (1908 to 1960). After independence, the FP was retitled as the Congolese National Army or ANC.
During World War II (1939-1945), the Force Publique provided detachments to fight the German and Italian forces during the East Africa Campaign and in the Middle East. Belgium surrendered to Germany on 28 May 1940. With Belgium occupied, the contribution to the Allied cause by the Free Belgian Forces from the Belgian Congo was primarily an economic one. However the Force Publique grew to 40,000 in the course of the War, formed into three brigades, a river force and support units.[5
 
Last edited:
Hard to imagine, still nothing on the FPM(or FDM) and the FP markings, This can`t be the only one. I can understand an end user stamping a rifle in one place such as the FP on the receiver wall and the 307 on the barrel knox. The FDM, or (FPM) is stamped on the Bolt, Barrel and Receiver and the stampings are sloppy work. This seems more like factory work to me, Wouldn`t you think that and end user/owner would be more careful with stamping a name or initial and wouldn`t they be more likely to stamp it in just one place. Even a compamy that did sporterizing work would take pride in their marks or stamps. Haven`t found any info concerning the marks on top of the bolt handle, that is also strange
I think that there must be more rifles with those marks, Just can`t figure out where to look.
 
I must be blind as I do not see "LLY" on the forward left portion of the receiver on either of the No 4s.
Third picture page 1 and second last picture page 3 you can see the ly but it is faint, looking at the gun with a magnifying glass it is a little better but still very faint
 
Ok, I see it now.

I'm going to hazard a guess but I think I can see a "U" just forward of those letters as well in the second last picture of page 3 ? For some reason, the word "Sully" comes to mind but I'm not quite sure as I don't specialize in Enfields.
 
Back
Top Bottom