I think it’s more likely they were issued but maybe spent the war on a rack at battalion HQ, or maybe guarded a bridge somewhere or whatever. For whatever reason some of these rifles are really worn and others are near new.
WW1 SMLE time capsules
- Thread starter Claven2
- Start date
Here's my MkI SMLE that entered NZ service in 1905, also has NZ WW2 Home Guard markings on the butt
OK, I have to share as well. This is a pristine, unissued 1918 BSA Lee Enfield. From the stamps, I speculate that it was made in the waning stages of the great war and was therefore never issued. I believe it was held in surplus stock until released for sale (note the "Sales Permit" stamp on the knoxform. You will also note the second set of serial numbers and military acceptance stamps that have been struck through so it may well have been sold to a civilian shooting club, of which there used to be many in Great Britain. Enjoy.
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Hi LawrenceN. Your rifle has a commcerial BSA barrel with the standrad pilearms logo stamp. As with most commercial guns a distinct separate serial number was added onto a military body. So your rifle is a BSA rework for commercial sale. John T.
Here's another
1908 BSA MkIII that entered NZ service in 1909 & was later converted in NZ to the No2 MkIV* pattern around 1927
Non matching rear sight but everything else matches & except for the replacement. 22 barrel the original numbers
1908 BSA MkIII that entered NZ service in 1909 & was later converted in NZ to the No2 MkIV* pattern around 1927
Non matching rear sight but everything else matches & except for the replacement. 22 barrel the original numbers
Hi Maple Leaf eh. The Brits controlled where rifles would go. After the Japanese attacked and sarted WW2 most early production Long Branch rifles Mk I* rifles went to NZ for emergency storage. the U.S. chipped in thousands of Springfields as well. I understand there was a war reserve near 50K in NZ of both. Our soldiers were training with refurbed SMLE rifles and some with Ross. Most of the earliest MkI Long Branch went directly to GB but many Mk I* had a different destination.
They were never used so NZ sold a few off as surplus in approx. 1970. As a result one can find an early minty LB rifle with NZ
electropencilled view marks. On LB bayonets too as NZ sent up to LB their own inspectors for selection. There was always a tug of war between England and Canada in regards to rifles, including sniper rifles. John T.
