Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle Mk I ***…………SOLD

An unusual and rare  SMLE possibly issued to the Royal Navy as still fitted with magazine cut-off.

Serial Number ” CR 714″ on side of the receiver.  This serial number is repeated almost all over the rifle, even on the inside of the wood work when the rifle was stripped down.  The exception is the bolt, though the prefix is the same; “CR 3445”.

This standard early SMLE is chambered in .303 British. It is 44.3/8″ in overall length.  The barrel is 25.1/4″ long  with a very good bore and no pitting. The barrel is also numbered “CR714”.  Fully stocked in the normal SMLE way, with butt-trap in brass butt-plate for cleaning equipment.  The ID disk on the RHS of the  butt is unmarked.  The rest of the fore-end is of regular early pattern with the volley sights mounted on the LHS.  There is timber let away to allow for the rear part of the volley sight to be folded into the stored position. This is good reason to believe the weapon has not been restocked.  The hand-guard is however crucially different to later models, in that it carries the rear sight protector ears, not the lower fore-end.

The rear sight is very different to the standard later SMLE fitting.  Firstly, it has checkered bone buttons fitted to the slide catch, which are cross hatched to aid purchase.  Secondly, one immediately notices the wider head to the sight.  Look closer and you see the intricate dovetailing which the machine shop has used to affix the multi-adjustable sight  head to the ramp.  Thirdly, that the aiming point is clearly a “U” type aperture.   Many of the sight parts are Enfield inspected and carry the War Department broad arrow head stamp.  Behind the sight bed, on the barrel the letters “H.V.” are stamped.

The butt socket is marked as follows on the RHS, ” Crown  /  E.R.  / B.S.A.Co / 1904 / SHT.LE / I***”  This means that this rifle was made when Edward VII was on the throne.  On the other side of the socket is the rear of the long range volley sight system, along with the safety catch.  Another early feature which distinguishes this rifle as an early SMLE, are the narrow fore-sight protectors on the nose cap.  The bayonet location stud is correctly numbered to the rifle.

The action is quite different as well.  The main omission is that of a fixed loading bridge and charger guide.  The Navy wanted this so they upgraded the rifles by adding a sliding additional piece to the bolt head.  This is shaped to accept the loading clips.  When the bolt is fully withdrawn the charger head rests in position to allow the clip to be guided in to load the magazine.  When the bolt was pushed forward, the head would be pushed to the rear and be out of the way. It was an ingenious solution.  The Navy also retained the magazine cut-off device.  The bolt retains the “D” shaped cocking piece.

The wood work is bruised almost all over.  A lot of original bluing remains with wear on the high points.  Conversely, there are some strong signs of  corrosion on the magazine and trigger guard,  which may be salt corrosion, as it looks different to the normal losses one expects to find on these weapons.  This is a very interesting and unusual rifle in surprisingly good condition for its advanced years.

Stock No’  f 318

£ 1150.

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