Savage Experimental SMLE

[Vimy Ridge]

http://www.collectiblefirearms.com/RiflesLeeEnfield.html

 

[skirsons]

Cool. I wonder why it was never completed.

 

[green]

The action looks very much like the M1920 Savage.
At the same time Winch made some experimental bolt actions heavily influenced by the P14 in 30-06, .303", 6.5x58, 7x57 and 7.62x54R for possible sale to the Allies.

 

[woodchopper]

very interesting,

I went thru all the photos and it looks to me that it did have a trigger guard at one time but it was removed and it looks like they were trying to improve it. If you look at the photos you can see behind the trigger where they filled in some of the inletting and it looks like they enlarged some of the inletting between the trigger and mag.

I don't have my references handy but I also noticed that it has the large head cross bolt on the nose cap, that may help narrow down the date a bit.

 

[Greenfields]

Volley sights?

 

[Nyles]

I actually remember seeing another one of these on gunboards years back that was complete.

 

[Lee Enfield]

The action looks very much like the M1920 Savage.
At the same time Winch made some experimental bolt actions heavily influenced by the P14 in 30-06, .303", 6.5x58, 7x57 and 7.62x54R for possible sale to the Allies.

This is the same gun that was found in a pile of junked parts guns and sweepings from the Savage factory from when they went under in the 90's. IIRC it was sold to the first owner for the price of a used barrel...

I would love to have either of those guns...

As was discussed on Gunboards at the time, it appears to be an evolutionary step toward the M.1920 action ~ conjecture at the time was that it was offered to the British @1914 as an alternative to the P-14, closer ergonomically to the SMLE than the Mauser based P-14 action... based on an action that Savage was already developing.