Silly Enfield question....

B

BadRonald

Regular
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Location
NB
I received an Enfield No . 1 Mk III as a gift for Christmas. It is my first Enfield. I've torn down the rifle completely and looked over all the metal, and nowhere on it can I find a stamp that says .303. Is this normal? Just want to make sure it is safe to shoot .303 ammo.

Other info about the rifle:

Stamped No. 1 Mk III , GRI, 1945
Has the 'Ishapore screw'
Stamped 'dnalgnE' (England is stamped backwards)

On the chamber I can make out a faint stamp of '18 1/2 tons' and '2.22"'. In this same area I can faintly see ' 3" '. Would this be the remnants of a '.303' stamp?
 
What you have described is the remnants of the .303 proof markings for export firearms. Sounds like someone had a bad day (or a great weekend) with the backwards "England" stamp.
 
There are no silly enfields - only questions!

I'm sure it'll be a .303 British - only select No.4s (DCRA) were converted to .308

Enjoy it - I still have the remorse of selling my two SMLEs when I resurrected my gun hobby, years ago.
 
BadRonald said:
I received an Enfield No . 1 Mk III as a gift for Christmas. It is my first Enfield. I've torn down the rifle completely and looked over all the metal, and nowhere on it can I find a stamp that says .303. Is this normal? Just want to make sure it is safe to shoot .303 ammo.

Other info about the rifle:

Stamped No. 1 Mk III , GRI, 1945
Has the 'Ishapore screw'
Stamped 'dnalgnE' (England is stamped backwards)

On the chamber I can make out a faint stamp of '18 1/2 tons' and '2.22"'. In this same area I can faintly see ' 3" '. Would this be the remnants of a '.303' stamp?
Click to expand...

Louthepoo where are you?
 
Out of curiosity could the backwards England possibly indicate a Khyber Pass rifle? Just wondering because its like those pistols made in China during the warlord period where it would say things like brownings brownings etc.
 
Some of the old Ishapore rifles were converted to .410 muskets, but that would be easily spotted by the size of the bore at the muzzle. Normally they are clearly marked as such. :)
 
BadRonald said:
I can make out a faint stamp of '18 1/2 tons' and '2.22"'. In this same area I can faintly see ' 3" '. Would this be the remnants of a '.303' stamp?
Click to expand...

I think your assumption is correct. Here are some stamps from my '43 GRI:

FullSizeRender_zps6d7bad54.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
I checked it again. The 'England' stamp is actually upside down rather than backwards. This isn't one of those Khyber jobs that will blow up if I shoot it, is it?

16011609877_177991e918.jpg


16010059100_95784024f7.jpg
 
Last edited:
Nothing too strange about it being upside-down. Back-to-front, however, as you said at first, now THAT would be very interesting to have seen. As a matter of fact, ALL military firearms - indeed, ALL firearms sold commercially in the UK, even surplus British military arms, are required to be proofed before they can be sold. To do otherwise is illegal. The Proof Acts here in UK are Law, not advisory.

tac
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom