Long Lee Military model rifle

[graydog]

Hi

I have a Long Lee Military rifle for sale. I have been advised to start this thread to see if someobe there might be able to me if it is a Boer War bring back. Here is what my ad says.

I have a very nice Long Lee Enfield (military model) rifle for sale. It is in very good condition for a gun that was probably made in the very late 1800's. The bore is good to very good a little dark but has sharp rifling and should shoot very good. The rifle has the volley sights, magazine cutoff and the action dust shield as well as the cleaning rod. The bolt serial number and barrel serial number matches the rifle serial number as well. The wrist is marked with a crown and under that is VR, then BSA & MC then 1897, then LE and under that is I I have never shot it but I can see no reason it will not work exactly as it was intended to.

Any and all help on this matter will be much appreciated.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Since it still has the earlier features, it is more likely to have been taken out of service early than remaining in service to end of life. I am not a Boer War expert by any means, but that alone would make me suspect that being taken home by the soldier was most likely what happened. Someone else will likely have more information than that for you.

 

[RRCo.]

That's a beaut, and very rare to find in that completely untouched condition.

How's the bore and rifling?

 

[Mikehenrybell]

The long lee is infamous for giving shooter bad accuracy at the beginning, only when SMLE came out with the spitzer bullet modification, did the lee Enfield platform starts to shine. Most of the long lee I've seen in the Canadian market is packed with pitted bore or heavy muzzle or throat wear due to the mulsurp ammo they used back in the day. The long lee is not made for shooting modern spitzer ammo but it will still fire, performance is another story.

 

[graydog]

The bore and rifling are very good in this gun, very surprising when you consider how old it is.

Graydog

 

[Incurable Collectoer]

Graydog,

Your Long Lee looks like it could a Canadian M.D. gun. The first place to look is on he right side of the butt stock above the round stamp. In the photo I can't quite see but if it has M. & D. stamp above than it was part of the Canadian Government purchase. The other place to look is on the tang of the butt place the unit markings were often stamped there as well as beside the MD stamp. If it has no unit markings or MD stamp then it becomes a lot harder to establish any connection with the Canadian contingent sent to the Boer War.

 

[jtaylor]

Hi graydog. I read some of the guesses put out by the posts and must respond. Your Mk I BSA Lee is a nice piece as it appears untouched. It is NOT one of the 40,000 Canada purchased in 1896. There are no stock markings indicating service other than English. As long as you are only slow fire target shooting the action can take modern loads and pending the quality of the rifling should produce excellent groups. Not sure what it will do up to the 2800 yd long range setting intended for barrage firing. It is too good condition to have seen any kind of active service in the field. This rifle has collector value past the usual shorter rifles you see on the market. It takes the Pattern 1888 bayonet. Of course it was intended that 2 rods be screwed together to make a useful cleaning length with patch. Butt marks mean Mark I class 1 rifle. JOHN

 

[Incurable Collectoer]

graydog,

I went back to my copy of Defending the Dominion and it suggests that any BSA made Long Lee that has a serial number higher than 13000 is not part of the Canadian contract and any gun with a serial number 13000 and lower is very likely part of the Canadian contract. The author does admit that this is under the assumption that BSA made guns were consecutively numbered during production. jtayor might well be right that this gun is not part of the initial purchase but, I have seen a 2 CMR (Canadian Mounted Rifles) marked Long Lee with a 1901 date of manufacture. It could have been a gun put together from parts or it might have been issued as a replacement for a gun lost or damaged in the field. Never say never, but without clear unit markings it will be next to impossible to prove where that gun served.

 

[GAIRLOCHIAN]

Best advice for any Enfields is Never say Never.Also applies to white tails.

 

[XRCD011]

Best advice for any Enfields is Never say Never.Also applies to white tails.

Never say never, and never say always

 

[Evanguy]

Thats an awesome looking rifle. I have 2 in similar condition. One is a CLLE though. both came out of South Africa stamped "UDF"