Please help. Info on this 303
- Thread starter archie126
- Start date
Parker Hale didn't make Lee Enfields but they did convert a lot of them to sporters. That scope mount base looks like something that I think PH made once upon a time.
Your first photo shows the type, maker, and year of manufacture on the buttstock socket. SMLE built by BSA in 1917.
Your first photo shows the type, maker, and year of manufacture on the buttstock socket. SMLE built by BSA in 1917.
Yup, Parker Hale sported Enfield, probably between the wars baseed on the name (Parker and Hale) and the age of the action. I think these are very nice rifles, and really form a seperate class - they certainly aren't Bubbas, the quality of the work is too high for that. How does it shoot - many of these rifles benefitted from the target rifles that PH built, in that they had hand lapped and ball burnished barrels and excellent bedding.
I have an A.G. Parker sporter which they built up on a Lee Metford Mark II action. I wrote to them about it and the return letter said that they had built it about 1920.
It is a bit interesting on account of several features: new heavy Parker barrel, 23 inches, gold front sight, reworked military wood, very fine flattop chequering.... and the bolt has been updated to the LE spec: added flag safety. They put their own s/n on this one and it is 0019, so I would call it somewhat early. The barrel is marked as "A.G. Parker/Bisley Works" in a triangle and it has Enfield-style rifling. It bears ONLY civilian proofing, NO date stamping and NO military information, as befits what they were selling as a completely-new rifle. ALL military markings have been scrubbed from the butt socket and it has been numbered under British law as a new rifle.
The rifle under consideration is somewhat diferent, but interesting also.
This rifle still has the 1917 barrel, so this is a sporterisation rather than a complete rebuild. Telescopic sights were extremely rare in this country until the late 1950s. I remember seeing rifles like this one, and scope mounts such as these, in our local hardware store in the late 1950s/ early 1960s. Also, the finish on this rifle is more to a 1950s standard: you would NEVER persuade a shooter before the War that a shiny finish was good for anything other than getting scratched. It was hand-rubbed oil finishes all the way.
I would date this conversion AFTER WW2 and I would also say that finding one this nice, at this remove in time, is pretty darned lucky.
Not original, but most CERTAINLY not Bubba!
Nice toy, friend!
.
It is a bit interesting on account of several features: new heavy Parker barrel, 23 inches, gold front sight, reworked military wood, very fine flattop chequering.... and the bolt has been updated to the LE spec: added flag safety. They put their own s/n on this one and it is 0019, so I would call it somewhat early. The barrel is marked as "A.G. Parker/Bisley Works" in a triangle and it has Enfield-style rifling. It bears ONLY civilian proofing, NO date stamping and NO military information, as befits what they were selling as a completely-new rifle. ALL military markings have been scrubbed from the butt socket and it has been numbered under British law as a new rifle.
The rifle under consideration is somewhat diferent, but interesting also.
This rifle still has the 1917 barrel, so this is a sporterisation rather than a complete rebuild. Telescopic sights were extremely rare in this country until the late 1950s. I remember seeing rifles like this one, and scope mounts such as these, in our local hardware store in the late 1950s/ early 1960s. Also, the finish on this rifle is more to a 1950s standard: you would NEVER persuade a shooter before the War that a shiny finish was good for anything other than getting scratched. It was hand-rubbed oil finishes all the way.
I would date this conversion AFTER WW2 and I would also say that finding one this nice, at this remove in time, is pretty darned lucky.
Not original, but most CERTAINLY not Bubba!
Nice toy, friend!
.
They are great rifles and a super value for the money. I think the P-H rings and bases are super mounts for an Enfield, far superior to the flimsy Weaver base and they have a recoil lug on the base as well. I have a set on a Whitworth sporter I own and they have never moved. You might still find a set of rings on the EE if you post a WTB.
The * after the III is a little star. It is pronounced "star". Your rifle started off as a "Rifle, Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield, Mark III*" in 1917.
The * indicated that the rifle had been BUILT without the long-range sights and without the Magazine Cutoff, both of which were standard features when the rifle was standardised in 1910 as the Mark III. (pronounced "Mark Three")
On earlier rifles which were CONVERTED to the Mark III* configuration, you will also find the * but it often is sloppily stamped and may not align properly with the rest of the markings.
The British Army only had money when they were in the middle of a war. At other times, Parliament kept them flat broke (sounds familiar, huh?). Every effort was made to bring obsolete weapons up to the latest standards. I have a couple of rifles that started off as earlier versions of yours. One is a Mark I* which has been updated twice: to Mark I** and then to Mark I***. The other is a Mark I which has been updated THREE times: to Mark I*, to Mark I** and then to Mark I***..... which makes it a twin of yours, even though it started off in 1904 very different. Some of the stars are punched amazingly raggedly!
The study of British military rifles is rather a lot of fun, although it can be confoozin' at times. Nice thing is that ANY of them can drop a Moose at 200 yards. So can yours.
Hope this helps.
.
The * indicated that the rifle had been BUILT without the long-range sights and without the Magazine Cutoff, both of which were standard features when the rifle was standardised in 1910 as the Mark III. (pronounced "Mark Three")
On earlier rifles which were CONVERTED to the Mark III* configuration, you will also find the * but it often is sloppily stamped and may not align properly with the rest of the markings.
The British Army only had money when they were in the middle of a war. At other times, Parliament kept them flat broke (sounds familiar, huh?). Every effort was made to bring obsolete weapons up to the latest standards. I have a couple of rifles that started off as earlier versions of yours. One is a Mark I* which has been updated twice: to Mark I** and then to Mark I***. The other is a Mark I which has been updated THREE times: to Mark I*, to Mark I** and then to Mark I***..... which makes it a twin of yours, even though it started off in 1904 very different. Some of the stars are punched amazingly raggedly!
The study of British military rifles is rather a lot of fun, although it can be confoozin' at times. Nice thing is that ANY of them can drop a Moose at 200 yards. So can yours.
Hope this helps.
.
4 rounds thru it to test it without incident. Haven't got to the range. It has a cool front sight with a "ramp" you can dial. I assume it goes to 2000 yards? Based on the numbers and the angle you have to hold it at.
As you can tell a lot of assuming, as I really don't know much about these rifles.
2000 Yards was the sighted range for these rifles as built.
If you want a MANUAL for this rifle, head up to the Military Knowledge Library at the top of this forum index...... or scoot on over to milsurps dot com and take out a membership (free) there, then pillage their incredible library. They have SO MANY books available for free download that it would take you half a lifetime to read them all. Serious. I downloaded 200MB in one session; now it's gonna take me the next 6 months to read them all!
Something to grab, while you're at it, is the complete set of Armourer's Manuals for the Number 4 Rifle. The instructions don't work for your rifle as they are quit different in some ways, but the DIAGRAMS are good and the instructions for setting and adjusting TRIGGERS are identical. Number 4 was very much the ultimate refinement of your rifle, redesigned for mass production by machines. But the principles are the same and you canlearn a lot from the Number 4 Armourer's manuals. Another thing to grab is your own copy of SHOOT TO LIVE, likely the best single riflemanship course ever put onto paper. It is based on the Number 4 Rifle, but a LOT is applicable to shooting with your rifle, also.
Have fun.
.
If you want a MANUAL for this rifle, head up to the Military Knowledge Library at the top of this forum index...... or scoot on over to milsurps dot com and take out a membership (free) there, then pillage their incredible library. They have SO MANY books available for free download that it would take you half a lifetime to read them all. Serious. I downloaded 200MB in one session; now it's gonna take me the next 6 months to read them all!
Something to grab, while you're at it, is the complete set of Armourer's Manuals for the Number 4 Rifle. The instructions don't work for your rifle as they are quit different in some ways, but the DIAGRAMS are good and the instructions for setting and adjusting TRIGGERS are identical. Number 4 was very much the ultimate refinement of your rifle, redesigned for mass production by machines. But the principles are the same and you canlearn a lot from the Number 4 Armourer's manuals. Another thing to grab is your own copy of SHOOT TO LIVE, likely the best single riflemanship course ever put onto paper. It is based on the Number 4 Rifle, but a LOT is applicable to shooting with your rifle, also.
Have fun.
.
