.303 british markings

nadrepadre · July 25, 2016, 11:59 AM

My grandfather gave this to me about 15 years ago. It shoots straight and the bore is clean. It's a sporterized SMLE. I'm really curious about the stock markings though. Sadly, I have no way of tracing this rifle back to it's origins.

Snappo · July 25, 2016, 12:29 PM

Shame he bubba'ed the weapon (or got it already bubba'ed). There are forums just for Lee Enfield. Just google it up. I have 3 of them in different versions. It might be possible to find a period SMLE with damaged barrel and use it just for the furniture so you can get yours back to right condition.

Here's my 303 love-of-my-life. I got it at a pawn shop for $100 and it had all the documents showing it was completely gone through by the Enfield production factory in Australia. $100!!!! Who in their right mind brings that to a pawn shop in Georgia?!?!?!

nadrepadre · July 25, 2016, 12:39 PM

wouldn't be surprised if it was my grandfather. He was sharpening his issued k-bar on a bench grinder.

Old Bill Dibble · July 25, 2016, 02:27 PM

Enfield surplus rifles typically have tons of armory markings on them from their tours of duty in different units throughout the years. Some have factory markings, reworkings and other symbols on them.

This guy:

http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/history/markings/

has put together a nice collection of them.

jrothWA · August 12, 2016, 10:33 PM

there should be three ap\lpha-characters something like [BSA, RFI, OR LB] and a date X-XX for month and last two digits of year.
BSA = Birmingham Small Arms, Rifle Factory, India

If you are REALLY LUCKY YOU, SAVAGE ARMS - US Property - Lend-Lease.

What you have in the pictures are likely when the rifle was return to an arsenal for rebuilding.

NOTE : If reloading, do not full-length resize case, as the British Army, cut the cased shoulder deeper by .0625", since the cartridge headspaces on the case rim, the British wanted any round that was picked-up from the filed would Chamber and fire for the user.

so you'll need to neack-size for maximum case-life.

eastbank · August 13, 2016, 04:27 AM

it has had one of the longest runs in military rifle history and is still on battle fields even today. i have about 20 of the .303 british rifles that i shoot from time to time. eastbank.

surg_res · August 13, 2016, 08:06 AM

Thanks for sharing the photos. I'm just glad to see some chat about a 'real' rifle for a change. I'm sad that too many of the old timers that used to have stacks of mil surps at the shows are all dying off (and tons of knowledge is going with them). When I first started collecting WWII bolties in the early 90s (yeah I know I'm just a kid), you could spend hours in conversation with the right company. Nowadays, they are so few and far between.

Gunplummer · August 13, 2016, 08:47 AM

I had a sporter years ago that was pretty rough, but it really shot well. There were all kinds of stamps all over that rifle.It must have really gotten around. They are not too bad for hunting once you get some weight off them.

T. O'Heir · August 13, 2016, 12:44 PM

"...SAVAGE ARMS - US Property..." That is only found on No. 4's.
Gigantic pictures aside, those stock marks are most likely Regimental markings. They weren't put there by any factory. FTR stamps went on the receiver, not the stock.
The wood ring is a fill in(not well done either) for the brass ID disk that used to be there. Looks like grandpa whittled on the butt stock a bit too. Rifles only worth the sum of its parts really(sporterised No. 1 MK III's don't have any collector value and not much as a hunting rifle. Even though a lotta moose have been put in freezers with 'em, up here.), so that's not a big deal.
Should be a manufacturer and year stamped on the receiver rings.
"...do not full-length resize case..." Um, BNIB brass and once fired requires FL resizing. And neck sizing only works with brass fired out of that rifle only.
Real issue with reloading is the wide variation of barrel diameters and the lack of bullets over .312".
Slug the barrel. .311" is nominal, but up to .315" was acceptable. Most factory bullets, both loaded ammo and for reloading are .311" or .312". Montana Bullet Works is making some cast 180 and 200 grainers up to .315" though.

July 25, 2016, 11:59 AM	#1
nadrepadre Member Join Date: September 12, 2012 Posts: 27	.303 british markings My grandfather gave this to me about 15 years ago. It shoots straight and the bore is clean. It's a sporterized SMLE. I'm really curious about the stock markings though. Sadly, I have no way of tracing this rifle back to it's origins. Last edited by nadrepadre; July 25, 2016 at 12:11 PM.

July 25, 2016, 12:29 PM	#2
Snappo Junior Member Join Date: July 24, 2016 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 7	Shame he bubba'ed the weapon (or got it already bubba'ed). There are forums just for Lee Enfield. Just google it up. I have 3 of them in different versions. It might be possible to find a period SMLE with damaged barrel and use it just for the furniture so you can get yours back to right condition. Here's my 303 love-of-my-life. I got it at a pawn shop for $100 and it had all the documents showing it was completely gone through by the Enfield production factory in Australia. $100!!!! Who in their right mind brings that to a pawn shop in Georgia?!?!?! __________________ “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more ‎violence. If the Jews put ‎down their weapons ‎today, there would be no ‎more Israel” ― Benjamin Netanyahu

August 12, 2016, 10:33 PM	#5
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	Check for additional stampings under the bolyknob.. there should be three ap\lpha-characters something like [BSA, RFI, OR LB] and a date X-XX for month and last two digits of year. BSA = Birmingham Small Arms, Rifle Factory, India If you are REALLY LUCKY YOU, SAVAGE ARMS - US Property - Lend-Lease. What you have in the pictures are likely when the rifle was return to an arsenal for rebuilding. NOTE : If reloading, do not full-length resize case, as the British Army, cut the cased shoulder deeper by .0625", since the cartridge headspaces on the case rim, the British wanted any round that was picked-up from the filed would Chamber and fire for the user. so you'll need to neack-size for maximum case-life.

August 13, 2016, 08:06 AM	#7
surg_res Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2005 Location: Texas, 5th GEN! Posts: 621	Thanks for sharing the photos. I'm just glad to see some chat about a 'real' rifle for a change. I'm sad that too many of the old timers that used to have stacks of mil surps at the shows are all dying off (and tons of knowledge is going with them). When I first started collecting WWII bolties in the early 90s (yeah I know I'm just a kid), you could spend hours in conversation with the right company. Nowadays, they are so few and far between. __________________ ----

August 13, 2016, 12:44 PM	#9
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...SAVAGE ARMS - US Property..." That is only found on No. 4's. Gigantic pictures aside, those stock marks are most likely Regimental markings. They weren't put there by any factory. FTR stamps went on the receiver, not the stock. The wood ring is a fill in(not well done either) for the brass ID disk that used to be there. Looks like grandpa whittled on the butt stock a bit too. Rifles only worth the sum of its parts really(sporterised No. 1 MK III's don't have any collector value and not much as a hunting rifle. Even though a lotta moose have been put in freezers with 'em, up here.), so that's not a big deal. Should be a manufacturer and year stamped on the receiver rings. "...do not full-length resize case..." Um, BNIB brass and once fired requires FL resizing. And neck sizing only works with brass fired out of that rifle only. Real issue with reloading is the wide variation of barrel diameters and the lack of bullets over .312". Slug the barrel. .311" is nominal, but up to .315" was acceptable. Most factory bullets, both loaded ammo and for reloading are .311" or .312". Montana Bullet Works is making some cast 180 and 200 grainers up to .315" though. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 25, 2016, 12:39 PM	#3
nadrepadre Member Join Date: September 12, 2012 Posts: 27	wouldn't be surprised if it was my grandfather. He was sharpening his issued k-bar on a bench grinder.

July 25, 2016, 02:27 PM	#4
Old Bill Dibble Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2016 Posts: 802	Enfield surplus rifles typically have tons of armory markings on them from their tours of duty in different units throughout the years. Some have factory markings, reworkings and other symbols on them. This guy: http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/history/markings/ has put together a nice collection of them.

August 13, 2016, 04:27 AM	#6
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	it has had one of the longest runs in military rifle history and is still on battle fields even today. i have about 20 of the .303 british rifles that i shoot from time to time. eastbank.

August 13, 2016, 08:47 AM	#8
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I had a sporter years ago that was pretty rough, but it really shot well. There were all kinds of stamps all over that rifle.It must have really gotten around. They are not too bad for hunting once you get some weight off them.