Mk III bolt marks
- Thread starter gerard488
- Start date
Interesting Body (receiver) markings you have there.
This is a Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark 3 Star Bar..... and likely it should have another * but they didn't mark them.
Built as a Mark III (with cutoff), cutoff removed to give it the *, cutoff replaced after the War to give it the = (cancelling the *)..... and then served in War Two withOUT the cutoff (removed again in the 1930s) and likely was called a Mark III*.
Poor thing must be confused by now!
But there really are not a lot of rifles in circulation with this collection of markings, If this one has a decent bore, then I would think it definitely worthy of being taken very good care of.
The Bolt you picture is from a T series of rifle serials. They started a series with Number 1 and worked to 9999, then brought in a new letter and number 1 again. Rifle B9999 was followed by number C1, in theory at least. Bolts for Telescopic (T) rifles were numbered to the rifle; only the Body would have been marked. The majority of T (telescopic) rifles were Number 4s anyway; the Bolts would not have fitted your rifle.
An oldie but a goodie. Worth restoration.
Nice toy; thanks for showing.
This is a Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark 3 Star Bar..... and likely it should have another * but they didn't mark them.
Built as a Mark III (with cutoff), cutoff removed to give it the *, cutoff replaced after the War to give it the = (cancelling the *)..... and then served in War Two withOUT the cutoff (removed again in the 1930s) and likely was called a Mark III*.
Poor thing must be confused by now!
But there really are not a lot of rifles in circulation with this collection of markings, If this one has a decent bore, then I would think it definitely worthy of being taken very good care of.
The Bolt you picture is from a T series of rifle serials. They started a series with Number 1 and worked to 9999, then brought in a new letter and number 1 again. Rifle B9999 was followed by number C1, in theory at least. Bolts for Telescopic (T) rifles were numbered to the rifle; only the Body would have been marked. The majority of T (telescopic) rifles were Number 4s anyway; the Bolts would not have fitted your rifle.
An oldie but a goodie. Worth restoration.
Nice toy; thanks for showing.
- Location
- Winnipeg,Man.
just curiosity but would the same serials on both action and barrel be done by the same person? in the pics the barrel and action are stamped by different number sets. perhaps a replacement barrel and stamped with the same number as the action?
In order for the thing to be retrofitted from a Mark III* to a Mark III, the Cutoff Slot would have to be milled and a piece brazed on to handle the Cutoff Screw.
This has not been done (no evidence of brazing), which suggests that the Body was built as a mark III, THEN fitted to be a Mark III* by removal of the Cutoff.
This rifle was built originally just about the time the transition was being made in production.
I make misteaks, like anyone..... but I DO know a little.
The rifle was manufactured as a Mark III, likely left the factory as a Mark III*, was retrofitted to III, then re-retrofitted (by removal of the Cutoff yet again) as a III*.
It was rebarrelled in 1940, as pointed out.
STILL an interesting piece.
This has not been done (no evidence of brazing), which suggests that the Body was built as a mark III, THEN fitted to be a Mark III* by removal of the Cutoff.
This rifle was built originally just about the time the transition was being made in production.
I make misteaks, like anyone..... but I DO know a little.
The rifle was manufactured as a Mark III, likely left the factory as a Mark III*, was retrofitted to III, then re-retrofitted (by removal of the Cutoff yet again) as a III*.
It was rebarrelled in 1940, as pointed out.
STILL an interesting piece.
Weren't some actions manufactured with cutoff slot but not fiited with cutoff plate so therefore marked as MkIII*. I know they were in the lithgow factory but not sure with English made rifles. Also how do we know if it was reverted back to MkIII*. Again I know in Australian service, many weren't, but English?
It's all very interesting.
It's all very interesting.
What needs to be brazed on? all that needs to be done is the slot milled & the screw hole drilled & tapped
http://feb.imghost.us/FGEs.jpg
This could well be the case but not for the reason you say.
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As far as I know, the "Star Bar" conversion was done only with Bodies which already had the Cutoff Slot. I have one here which is very similar to this one.
There was, as far as I can determine, no post-War effort of rip down every Mark III* rifle built and rework the Body back to Mark III configuration, then restock with Mark III wood. If there had been, then Mark III wood would be a great deal more common than it is and III* wood would be rare. That this did not happen is attested by the existing woodwork, which, even in junk bins, tends very strongly to be Mark III*. Same thing holds for the rifles; many more III* rifles are to be found than III.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Just trying to help.
There was, as far as I can determine, no post-War effort of rip down every Mark III* rifle built and rework the Body back to Mark III configuration, then restock with Mark III wood. If there had been, then Mark III wood would be a great deal more common than it is and III* wood would be rare. That this did not happen is attested by the existing woodwork, which, even in junk bins, tends very strongly to be Mark III*. Same thing holds for the rifles; many more III* rifles are to be found than III.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Just trying to help.
