- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
I fell onto a wonderful opportunity recently. Two years ago I found a sporterized No1 MkIII* rifle on the EE and noticed it had the small NRF marking on the left side of the boltway on the receiver, I had to have it! Two years later I finished restoring it and fitting the stock to make one hell of a shooter and collector. Then just last week I answered an add on the EE listing a No1 sporter for parts. Turns out that this was no parts rifle at all, but rather a beautiful Parker-Hale Supreme No1, only missing a scope, rings and magazine. The second rifle was built at SSA, also in 1918. The bore was rusty and the toe of the stock was chipped, but all in a beautiful example of one of Britain's most famous gun maker's factory converted sporters.
They both started off as Peddled Scheme rifles, put together from parts sourced from whichever manufacturer could provide them, both having major components built or assembled at the small Standard Small Arms (by the time the second rifle came about the factory had been renamed the National Rifle Factory) but being completed at the Enfield factory. There seem to have been about 250,000 of these rifles built in this fashion, and with the UK's production of SMLE's during WWI in at over 3.8 million I think I'm pretty lucky to have two of these in the collection, especially two 1918s that are only about 25000 rifles apart in production.
How the two rifles survived the end of WWI, WWII and then both went on to be FTR'd at BSA in 1953 is beyond me. I'm assuming they both were FTR'd there due to the identical FTR marks on both rifles. Then how one was sold as surplus in military trim only to be bubba'd and later restored, while the other wound up converted to a sporter permanently by Parker-Hale is very interesting. Let alone how they both wound up here in Alberta together again. They just seem to be following each other through time!
SSA stamp on the Parker-Hale
NRF marking on the SMLE. This is the only evidence remaining of it's origin. The right and left sides of the butt socket were both scrubbed clean, I presume at FTR because this rifle is painted with suncorite.
NRF right side
SSA right side. The * is barred out, and it has a magazine cut off slot cut in it. Must have been made into a No1 MkIII post WWI?
NRF left side
SSA left side
NRF FTR 1953 mark. This rifle also has the BSA crossed rifles on the knox form.
SSA FTR 1953 mark. This rifle also shows a '53 barrel date. Parker-Hale was said to have hand picked the best rifles for conversion to their Supreme grade sporters.
NRF serial of R85842. I managed to keep this rifle all matching during its restoration by using a un numbered NOS nosecap and magazine. Matching or forced, is what it is.
SSA serial of R60157. These two were 25,685 rifles apart in production. I wonder, were they numbered in sequence with those built in house at Enfield? Would that put their production date closer together than I'd think? If they are only SSA/NRF numbers then they must be about 6 months apart, if not they maybe are only a few weeks?
Anyway, thought some of you guys may enjoy this. If anyone has anything to add please do! I'm always all ears to learn new things about these old girls. Also if anyone has the matching scope, rings or magazine for the Parker-Hale or know exactly what parts are needed to complete it again I'm all ears. It has a Parker-Hale base on it now.
They both started off as Peddled Scheme rifles, put together from parts sourced from whichever manufacturer could provide them, both having major components built or assembled at the small Standard Small Arms (by the time the second rifle came about the factory had been renamed the National Rifle Factory) but being completed at the Enfield factory. There seem to have been about 250,000 of these rifles built in this fashion, and with the UK's production of SMLE's during WWI in at over 3.8 million I think I'm pretty lucky to have two of these in the collection, especially two 1918s that are only about 25000 rifles apart in production.
How the two rifles survived the end of WWI, WWII and then both went on to be FTR'd at BSA in 1953 is beyond me. I'm assuming they both were FTR'd there due to the identical FTR marks on both rifles. Then how one was sold as surplus in military trim only to be bubba'd and later restored, while the other wound up converted to a sporter permanently by Parker-Hale is very interesting. Let alone how they both wound up here in Alberta together again. They just seem to be following each other through time!
SSA stamp on the Parker-Hale
NRF marking on the SMLE. This is the only evidence remaining of it's origin. The right and left sides of the butt socket were both scrubbed clean, I presume at FTR because this rifle is painted with suncorite.
NRF right side
SSA right side. The * is barred out, and it has a magazine cut off slot cut in it. Must have been made into a No1 MkIII post WWI?
NRF left side
SSA left side
NRF FTR 1953 mark. This rifle also has the BSA crossed rifles on the knox form.
SSA FTR 1953 mark. This rifle also shows a '53 barrel date. Parker-Hale was said to have hand picked the best rifles for conversion to their Supreme grade sporters.
NRF serial of R85842. I managed to keep this rifle all matching during its restoration by using a un numbered NOS nosecap and magazine. Matching or forced, is what it is.
SSA serial of R60157. These two were 25,685 rifles apart in production. I wonder, were they numbered in sequence with those built in house at Enfield? Would that put their production date closer together than I'd think? If they are only SSA/NRF numbers then they must be about 6 months apart, if not they maybe are only a few weeks?
Anyway, thought some of you guys may enjoy this. If anyone has anything to add please do! I'm always all ears to learn new things about these old girls. Also if anyone has the matching scope, rings or magazine for the Parker-Hale or know exactly what parts are needed to complete it again I'm all ears. It has a Parker-Hale base on it now.
