It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the .303 Britishcartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers. [50], The term 'Jungle Carbine' was popularised in the 1950s by the Santa Fe Arms Corporation, a U.S. importer who refurbished many surplus rifles, converting many of the No. The No. The No. l 1150.00. Serial Number on the rear face of the bolth handle of my 1944 No. 2 3 rd Edition, Lee-Enfield No.4 and No. If it has the cutout toward the barrel knox,after 1942. good point on the longbranch but the maltby not so much , interesting thought line englishman - i know peter has been a wealth of knowledge and much life experience. [111][112] (For more information see Gun politics in the United Kingdom and Gun politics in Australia. I have a lee Enfield no1 mark3. No Savage LeeEnfields were ever issued to the US military; the markings existed solely to maintain the pretence that American equipment was being lent to the UK rather than permanently sold to them. MAGAZINE LEE RIFLES & CARBINES Lee-Metford Lee-Enfield Note: Charger loaders and conversions are family. Most of the Canadian made No.4 Mk.I* (T) sniper equipments went into British service. 950.00 . "UF" is a Fazakerley serial number prefix found only on 1955 dated Mk2 rifles (page 26 of Charles Stratton's book, British Enfield Rifles Vol. 5 Mk. [91][92] Also contributing to the total was the Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI) at Ishapore in India, which continued to produce the SMLE in both .303 and 7.6251mm NATO until the 1980s, and is still manufacturing a sporting rifle based on the SMLE Mk III action, chambered for a .315 calibre cartridge[93] the Birmingham Small Arms Company factory at Shirley near Birmingham, and SAF Lithgow in Australia, who finally discontinued production of the SMLE Mk III* with a final 'machinery proving' batch of 1000 rifles in early 1956, using 1953-dated receivers. There were more than 317,000 Mk I MLE rifles produced and nearly 600,000 Mk I* MLE rifles. The Indian conversions were originally chambered for the .410 Indian Musket cartridge, which is based on the .303 British cartridge, and will not chamber the common .410 shotgun cartridge. Solomon Islands: used by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. 4 action, but lightened and shortened, chambered in .303 British. The Australian military were not permitted to manufacture the No. [53] These rifles were designated as the No. Short Magazine Lee Enfield Norway: Received from Allied airdrops to the resistance during WW2 and given by Britain to the Norwegian Brigade during the occupation of Germany in 1947. I have a No4 MkI cruciform bayonet made by Singer Sewing Machine. For the No. Bangladesh: extensively used during 1971 war. They were supplied to the UK under the Lend-Lease programme during the Second World War. Adopted by the British Army at the turn of the century, the .303 Lee-Enfield saw service in both world wars and countless conflicts around the world. 83L3414 1945, No4Mk1*,CDN MkIII sight, non-FTR, Steel Buttplate, Grooved, un-serialed stock, Lower 1945 serial number than currently listed in your survey. VIEWS British "Enfield" rifles are some of the most iconic small arms in the world. None of these is known to have been successful,[71] though some owners have adapted 3-round magazines for Savage and Stevens shotguns to function in a converted SMLE shotgun, or even placing such a magazine inside a gutted SMLE magazine. 4 series rifles that were converted to 7.6251mm NATO were re-designated as the L8 series of rifles with the rifles being refitted with 7.6251mm NATO barrels, new bolt faces and extractor claws, new rear sights and new 10-round 7.6251mm NATO magazines that were produced by RSAF Enfield to replace the old 10-round .303 British magazines. [10], The LeeEnfield rifle was introduced in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, LeeEnfield,[10] or more commonly Magazine LeeEnfield, or MLE (sometimes spoken as 'emily' instead of M, L, E). M madcratebuilder Registered The initial wooden-stocked De Lisle with a fitted suppressor. As far as civilian rifles are concerned, some manufacturers have their own dating systems, with, for example, prefixes or suffixes to serial numbers providing that information. It is one of 75,000. The Serial Number is located on the right side of the receiver ring. 303 british identification 303 british rifle identification 303 british serial number search 303 british serial numbers 4 Mk 2 rifles: Note 1: Second World War UK production rifles had manufacturer codes for security reasons. It is possible to obtain a 10-round (the maximum allowed by law) M14 magazines for the M10-B2 match rifles in particular, provided an import permit from the appropriate Licensing Services Division can be obtained in some States, yet Australian Federal Customs may still refuse importation on no valid grounds. Will ship at buyers expense. [30] The magazine cut-off was reinstated after the First World War ended and not entirely dispensed with in manufacturing until 1933 and some cut-offs remained on rifles so-equipped into the 1960s. 3) in 1944. Rifle Factory Ishapore of India still manufactures an sporting/hunting rifle chambered in .315 with a LeeEnfield action.[114]. Thanks to inter-war development, an improved and simplified design was waiting in the wings, and the No. Rifle & Carbine Serial Number Log. Australia: No.1 MkIII/MkIII* manufactured at Lithgow Arsenal in Lithgow, New South Wales. Published by Ian D Skennerton, PO Box 80, Labrador 4215, Australia, 2001. No5 rifles (Jungle Carbines) serial numbers consisted of a sequential 4 digit number starting with 0001 running through to 9999, the numbers were preceded by a letter prefix. [42], Later in the war, the need for a shorter, lighter rifle forced the development of the Rifle, No. Lee Enfield 303 Serial Numbers 1 How can I look up my SMLE's history by serial? [90] The original 2,000 yards (1,800 m) rear sight arm was found to be suitable for the ballistics of the 7.6251mm, which is around 10% more powerful and equates to a flatter trajectory than that of the .303 British MkVII ammunition, so it was a simple matter to think of the '2000' as representing metres rather than yards. I, Mk. Numerous attempts have been made to convert the various single-shot .410 shotgun models to a bolt-action repeating model by removing the wooden magazine plug and replacing it with a standard 10-round SMLE magazine. Could it be some other sequential number? Returned to Britain in 1952 in exchange for P-17 rifles. Vietnam: Vit Minh captured LeeEnfields from French forces. I blade bayonet which had a large muzzle ring to fit over the flash hider. [37] The design was found to be even more complicated and expensive to manufacture than the Mk III and was not developed or issued, beyond a trial production of about 20,000 rifles between 1922 and 1924 at RSAF Enfield.[37]. General Great War Discussion. [96] AIA also offered the AIA M10-A1 rifle, a Jungle Carbine-styled version chambered in 7.6239mm Russian, which uses AK-47 magazines. 4 action was similar to the Mk VI, but stronger and most importantly, easier to mass-produce. The No.4 (T) rifles were extensively employed in various conflicts until the late 1960s. With an S prefix, this was about the 196,800th rifle produced by RSAF Enfield in 1916. [15] Total production of all LeeEnfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles.[8]. Japan: Captured from British Army during World War II. I rifle as many collectors believe. 7 and No. These unusual rifles have something of a mysterious service history, but represent a missing link in SMLE development. 4 Mk 2 rifle, the British refurbished many of their existing stocks of No. 4 Mk I was officially adopted in 1941. such a low number. 32 and its bracket (mount) were matched and serial numbered to a specific rifle.[54]. The Australian Army modified 1,612[51] Lithgow SMLE No. [48] The No. The manufacturer's names found on the MLE, CLLE, and SMLE Mk IMk III* rifles and variants are: Note 1: 'SSA' and 'NRF' markings are sometimes encountered on First World War-dated SMLE Mk III* rifles. Your rifle,even with your 252 serial number does not mean it is pretty rare. Recording of serial numbers for Enfield muskets,.577 Sniders and.450 &.303 Martini rifles. The resulting weapon, designed by W.G. [20] Many LECs (and LMCs in smaller numbers) were converted to special patterns, namely the New Zealand Carbine and the Royal Irish Constabulary Carbine, or NZ and RIC carbines, respectively. 4 Mk. 5 Mk I, designated Rifle, No. BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22'. [82] It fired in semi-automatic only and suffered some feeding and extraction problems and, despite meeting accuracy and soundness of design concept, never made it past the prototype stage. 5 Rifles). The weapon was reliable but unergonomic for the user as the force of the recoiling bolt interfered with handling. [77] Similar developments were the South African Rieder and Charlton of Australian/New Zealand origin. Indian Merchant Service who died 30/12/1915 BOMBAY 1914-1918 MEMORIAL, MUMBAI India. 4 Mk. That MLE with a s/n of 252 must be a pretty rare one then. 1944present (produced 19441947) BSA-Shirley produced 81,329 rifles and ROF Fazakerley 169,807 rifles. This means that final head space is not achieved until the bolt handle is turned down all the way. I have no clue. Also non macthing bolt is a concern. [14] Top-notch accuracy is difficult to achieve with the LeeEnfield design,[40] as it was intended to be a battle rifle rather than a sharpshooter's weapon,[40] and thus the Enfield is nowadays overshadowed by derivatives of Paul Mauser's design as a target shooting arm. Brunei: used by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Royal Brunei Police Force during the early days. These were similar to the No. The No. 1* is functionally the same as the Mk.1, but various changes were made in the design to make the manufacturing process faster. It is essentially an updated N0. MAGAZINE LEE RIFLES & CARBINES Lee-Metford Lee-Enfield Note: Charger loaders and conversions are family. Very early production low serial number. 4 rifles and brought them up to the same standard as the No. [73] 303/25 calibre sporterised SMLEs are very common in Australia today, although ammunition for them has been very scarce since the 1980s. 4 Mk I* in 1942, with the bolt release catch replaced by a simpler notch on the bolt track of the rifle's receiver. This is one reason the bolt closure feels smooth. Hand. It was equipped with a No. 4 rifle was further simplified for mass-production with the creation of the No. 32 Mk. LeeEnfield No. [36] Many Mk III and III* rifles were converted to .22 rimfire calibre training rifles, and designated Rifle No. The current world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British ArmySergeant Instructor Snoxallwho placed 38 rounds into a 12-inch-wide (300 mm) target at 300 yards (270 m) in one minute. I* (T) sniper rifles were converted to this new calibre and designated L42A1. I assume its a Canadian longbrance, but I am a bit confused as a web post puts this serial number around 1950? BSA-Shirley, Birmingham produced 81,329 rifles and ROF Fazakerley, Liverpool 169,807 rifles. Dave91 Apr 25, 2010 The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast Member Benefits: No ad networks! The bolt has a relatively short bolt throw and features rear-mounted lugs and the bolt operating handle places the bolt knob just rearwards of the trigger at a favourable ergonomic position close to the operator's hand. Unmodified muskets require handloading of ammunition, as the .410 Indian Musket cartridge was not commercially distributed and does not appear to have been manufactured since the 1950s. Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: 866.686.7424 Fax: 877.486.7278 [14] LeeEnfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, including Malawi. An alternative developed during this period was to be used on the No. The charger bridge was no longer rounded for easier machining.The iron sight line was redesigned and featured a rear receiver aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) with an additional ladder aperture sight that could be flipped up and was calibrated for 2001,300 yd (1831,189 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments. In good looking condition, this was the last year they were ever made. 4 (T) sniper rifles to 7.6251mm NATO, which led to the creation of the L42A1 series sniper rifles.[86]. 303 enfield rifle tha has a serial number of 42973 and ENGLAND. Again Big B, you have a very collectable and sought after rifle and in pristine condition would fetch a handsome sum of money. The rest of the story is that this carbine was accepted into New Zealand service in 1899 and was assigned inventory number 1909. Initial production was 1,403 conversions of 19311933 troop trials No. LeeEnfields are also popular with competitors in service rifle competitions in many Commonwealth countries. 4 and No. 5 was first issued to the British 1st Airborne Division and used during their liberation of Denmark and Norway in 1945. The British military switched over to the 7.6251mm NATO round in the 1950s; starting in 1970, over 1,000 of the No. p. 372. Ive just purchased a 1942 stamped Lee Enfield rifle which has a number 93L8939. 9, all .22 rimfire trainers and/or target rifles based on the Lee action, were adopted or in use with Cadet units and target shooters throughout the Commonwealth, the No.8 as of 2017 has been replaced among cadet forces due to obsolescence. [10] Replacing this with a new square-shaped rifling system designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield solved the problem, and the LeeEnfield was born. [55], Numbers of LeeEnfield rifles were converted to .22 calibre training rifles,[56] in order to teach cadets and new recruits the various aspects of shooting, firearms safety, and marksmanship at a markedly reduced cost per round. IV rifles are externally identical to a .303 calibre SMLE Mk III* rifle, the only difference being the .22 calibre barrel, empty magazine case, bolthead and extractor which have been modified to fire .22 calibre rimfire cartridges. [68] Production of this model was 19441946 and a few in 1950 to 1953.[69]. Often the serial number . under the crown stands for 'George Rex' and refers to the reigning monarch at the time the rifle was manufactured.

Chicago Obituaries 2022, Articles L