Need help with 1941 Lee Enfield SMLE MKIII

[BooSSted]

Hey guys, I need some help with a Lee Enfield that I have. I was given to me from my father who bought it approx 10-12 years ago.

From the research I have done so far, I have learned that it is a 1941 Lee Enfield S.M.L.E Mk III in .303 and it was made in the Lithgow factory in Australia.

Now, during all of my readings and looking at hundreds of pictures, I can't find a rifle that actually looks the same as mine. Even guns with the same markings are not the same.

All the rifles I have see look like this one:

This is mine:

Does anyone know why mine is different from all the others I am seeing? Am I off on the indentity or is this one rare or something?

Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks,
Matt

Let me know if you need more detailed pics

Here are the markings on the gun:

 

[m1grand]

look up the no 1 mk 3 you will see lots of pics. , it will look like the old ww 1 .303's , just look at the sights, i'm sure someone else will give you the full story

 

[bdft]

You have a No. 1 Mk 3 Lee Enfield made in Australian at the Lithgow factory. The bad news is that it has been "sporterized" and therefore worth little. The good news is that the Aussies made some very accurate rifles so you've got a good hunting rifle if nothing else. No.1's can be easily distinguished from No. 4's by their sights. 1's have sights on the barrel while 4's have a rear peep sight.

 

[BooSSted]

I have found a couple that are the same now. I still havn't found info as to why the stocks are different.

Does anyone know what these are worth?

 

[BooSSted]

You have a No. 1 Mk 3 Lee Enfield made in Australian at the Lithgow factory. The bad news is that it has been "sporterized" and therefore worth little. The good news is that the Aussies made some very accurate rifles so you've got a good hunting rifle if nothing else. No.1's can be easily distinguished from No. 4's by their sights. 1's have sights on the barrel while 4's have a rear peep sight.

I am guessing "Sporterized" indicates the difference in the stocks?

 

[Hitzy]

I am guessing "Sporterized" indicates the difference in the stocks?

Yessir. $$....gunshops sell them from $100 for a typical bubba,to $200+ for commercial sporters.

 

[bdft]

Thousands and thousands of 303's were dumped on the market after WW2. At the time they weren't considered anything but a heavy military rifle so....lop off the stock and the heavy wood handguards and presto, a hunting rifle that you can carry in the bush. Companies like Parker Hale used Lee-Enfield actions to make commercial sporting rifles, some of which are very nice and don't deserve the term "bubba".

 

[John Sukey]

Well, the barrel hasn't ben cut so you only need
1. a replacement forend
2 font and rear handguards
3. Nosecap and the spring and plunger that fits under it plus the two screws that secure it plus the "T" nut that fits into the forend for the bottom scre.
4. Mid barrell band, screw and sling swivel
5. magazine
6. possibly the inner barrel band, spring, and screw Not sure about that from the pics.
A brass stock disc and screw would be optional.

Everything can be found but the forend will be the hardest to find

 

[BooSSted]

Thanks for the help guys!

I was thinking about selling it, but it seems as though I might as well keep it if it is only going to sell for about $100.

 

[Baribal]

The way the stock is made really looks like a post WWII (wich is what it is, actually) sporter rifle.
Unlike it is commonly accepted, these sporting rifles were not made by Bubba (namely Ti-Coune, in Quebec) but by many arsenals, such as BSA and Parker-Hale made these sporters. They usually are quite a bit hard to identify, unless they carry checkering (the patterns are very typical and really don't look like homamade) or had the barrel (and / or sights) changed for a new one.
There was usually two grades of sporters, the early style (like yours) and the later wich shows a better finishing.
They also made a huge amount of Enfield (P-14 and M17) in different calibers.
Below, different grades of Parker-Hale (early '50s, sometimes refurbished by BSA, too) No. 1 and No. 4 sporters.
The upper ones are higher grade.
Yours really looks like the middle one, the "standard" grade, or "workhorse".
Last ones are No. 4 actions.