- Location
- Smithers, B.C.
Hello all!
I have an interesting mystery. While cleaning my all matching (everything matches, including the magazine from what I can tell) "Jungle Carbine" I discovered some numbers on the buttstock. There are the digits, approximately a half inch in height, on the bottom left of the right side of the buttstock, above the sling loop. The number is stamped 132. HOWEVER! I looked at it and oiled the wood a tiny bit, and slowly, under darker shades of light, found a very old, nearly worn away yellow number, in block numbering, reading 152, they are worn, but as close as I can make out, the first number is 1 followed by 5 being the clearest, then a 2. However, under anything but the right light conditions, the 5 in the middle looks like a 3! this is due to an odd "7" shaped mark along the back of the straight part on the side of the "5", as if someone had goofed on the number on the bottom left, realised the mistake, and gently tried to use some sort of imprint not painted, but more like a weak dent in the wood, to "fake" the mistake.
What are these numbers!? Any clues? First, some history of the rifle:
-Made in November of 1944 by ROF Fazakerly. No import markings.
-All metal under the wood has green "tropical" pain, magazine is laquered black.
-When stripped, found "blood enzyme" in a couple spots, no pitting, just very light surface rust that wiped away with a little WD-40, where the metal had rubbed the wood and the paint had worn away. Also found chips of what looks like bone, and blood soaking underneath the rubber pad sides.
-Bought from the grandson relative of a British Soldier, who said this rifle served possibly with the Brits in the pacific, and certainly in Korea, then when grandfather retired/discharged, emigrated to Canada and the rifle was taken out shooting from time to time, but otherwise closeted. The barrel is mint, not a single pit, and mirror shiny. A small 1 in by 1/8th in sliver of wood was repaired on the very front extreme of the lower wood stock, the wood is different coloured and laquered to match closely, but not quite, obviously younger wood, but very well done.
Let me know what I have and if the story sounds true!
Yours,
Drachenblut
P.S. Here is a picture of the numbers! It actually came out somewhat!
http://s1013.photobucket.com/albums/af259/Drachenblutt/Lee%20Enfield%20Number%205%20Jungle%20Carbine/
I have an interesting mystery. While cleaning my all matching (everything matches, including the magazine from what I can tell) "Jungle Carbine" I discovered some numbers on the buttstock. There are the digits, approximately a half inch in height, on the bottom left of the right side of the buttstock, above the sling loop. The number is stamped 132. HOWEVER! I looked at it and oiled the wood a tiny bit, and slowly, under darker shades of light, found a very old, nearly worn away yellow number, in block numbering, reading 152, they are worn, but as close as I can make out, the first number is 1 followed by 5 being the clearest, then a 2. However, under anything but the right light conditions, the 5 in the middle looks like a 3! this is due to an odd "7" shaped mark along the back of the straight part on the side of the "5", as if someone had goofed on the number on the bottom left, realised the mistake, and gently tried to use some sort of imprint not painted, but more like a weak dent in the wood, to "fake" the mistake.
What are these numbers!? Any clues? First, some history of the rifle:
-Made in November of 1944 by ROF Fazakerly. No import markings.
-All metal under the wood has green "tropical" pain, magazine is laquered black.
-When stripped, found "blood enzyme" in a couple spots, no pitting, just very light surface rust that wiped away with a little WD-40, where the metal had rubbed the wood and the paint had worn away. Also found chips of what looks like bone, and blood soaking underneath the rubber pad sides.
-Bought from the grandson relative of a British Soldier, who said this rifle served possibly with the Brits in the pacific, and certainly in Korea, then when grandfather retired/discharged, emigrated to Canada and the rifle was taken out shooting from time to time, but otherwise closeted. The barrel is mint, not a single pit, and mirror shiny. A small 1 in by 1/8th in sliver of wood was repaired on the very front extreme of the lower wood stock, the wood is different coloured and laquered to match closely, but not quite, obviously younger wood, but very well done.
Let me know what I have and if the story sounds true!
Yours,
Drachenblut
P.S. Here is a picture of the numbers! It actually came out somewhat!
http://s1013.photobucket.com/albums/af259/Drachenblutt/Lee%20Enfield%20Number%205%20Jungle%20Carbine/
