SMLE Detail Questions.

[bogusiii]

Can anybody point me in the right direction on these two questions?

The rifle is a British B.S.A made No. 1 Mk.III (no star) dated 1939.

Would it originally have had a brass disc in the butt stock?

Would the mag cut-off necessarily have been fitted? There is a slot machined in the receiver but it and the mounting screw threads appear to be very clean suggesting no cut-off was ever fitted.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[JP]

Yes and No to both questions, depends on what parts were available when it was built or possibly re-built Post-War. A lot of variation in these BSA dispersal rifles.

 

[bogusiii]

Thanks.

But originally? Would there have been a 'standard' when it left the factory in 1939?

I'm not sure what to look for on a 'dispersal' BSA. This one looks in all respects similar to a BSA dated 1916 or 1918.

Yes and No to both questions, depends on what parts were available when it was built or possibly re-built Post-War. A lot of variation in these BSA dispersal rifles.

 

[JP]

Would there have been a 'standard' when it left the factory in 1939?

Answer to that is also Yes and No, BSA Factory producing the SMLE's was bombed out early in the War. Lot of old parts, scavenged parts and re-worked reject parts were used in the Dispersal rifles.

 

[sunray]

"...mag cut-off necessarily have been fitted?..." Not likely in 1939. The Brit Generals were mostly over the idea that the troopies would waste ammo by then.

 

[green]

If it was cut for the cut off it may have been fitted with one in 1939. I have a photo of BEF soldiers in France in 1940 and all their rifles have cut offs fitted.

 

[John Sukey]

Stock discs were deleted around 1915 though some were re-introduced after the war.
Now it might have the hole for the stock disc as there were lots of buttstocks in the parts bins after the change. Usualy these were filled with a wood disc.