I very recently posted a question about a Mosig-Nagant rifle that my grandfather has and was wondering if anyone can tell me what this rifle is. I believe it is an SMLE Mk. III but I'm not entirely sure as the markings on it are damaged with time.

by Vordigan3693

I would also like to confirm that this rifle is actually 102 years old. Please tell me as much detail about this as you can and if the time stamp below the CR is the date this gun was manufactured.

Here is the link to the album: http://imgur.com/a/U6puYdZ

Edit: Another detail of this rifle is closer to the bold there is a stamp that reads No. 1

Meesus

Working based off of The Lee-Enfield: A Century of Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield Rifles and Carbines by Ian Skennerton:

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That's definitely a No.1 Mk.III* Lee-Enfield from 1917. There's nothing recorded about there ever being forged markings on Enfields - although some models (mainly No.5 "Jungle Carbines" converted from No.4 Mk.Is by importers) were counterfeited, markings generally stay untouched. Everything about it definitely fits the date suggested:

  • G.R. stamping is correct for the king at the time
  • Enfield is one of the factories producing the rifle during the war
  • 1917 is appropriate given specific features absent on the rifle
  • S^(HT)LE marking is correct for Short, Magazine, Lee Enfield
  • III* denotes that it is a Mk.III* model

Compared to early war SMLEs, it's missing the unit marking disk on the right side of the butt, and, although you can't see it in any of the pictures, it's not going to have the long-range volley sights, although the stock may have a weird shape on the left side if it was converted from an older rifle (Mk.III, no star) that had the sights. There shouldn't be any windage adjustment on the rear sight either. If the rifle was converted from an older one or was produced from a receiver made before production changes had been made to eliminate a lot of those things I mentioned above, there's a decent chance you've still got the magazine cutoff slot on the right side of the receiver. If it's there, you should be able to see a slit that would allow a flat piece of metal to fit between the bottom of the bolt and the top of the magazine. I don't expect it to be there (the production streamlining happened in 1916), but it's not unheard of for post-1916 rifles to have the magazine cutoff slot.

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I believe the white stripe has some significance as well, although it's not something I'm aware of off hand, nor am I able to find it in the markings section of the book. If it was white and red stripes, it would denote a DP (drill purpose) rifle in non-firing condition, but there's nothing I've seen anywhere that suggests the single white stripe is something to be concerned about.

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Check around the gun and you may be able to find more markings to tell more about it. If the wood hasn't been sanded or refinished, you should be able to find cartouches stamped on the butt that should tell more about the rifle, and there should be a proof mark on the receiver.