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Trying to figure out what I bought

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splangeland View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 28 2013 at 12:37pm
Hey folks! New to the forum, and Enfield's. I was on vacation and happened to find an Enfield and fell in love with it. Let me say I know absolutely nothing about these guns. All I have been able to figure out through research and reading the markings,  is it is a 1918 NO.1 MKIII. When I found pictures I learned that the rest of the stock has been cut or the whole thing completely replaced. I am trying to just learn more about it. Is there any ammo I should avoid shooting through it since its so old I don't want to have a grenade go off in my face. The million dollar question, I payed $125 for it. Did I score an okay deal or should I have passed it up? Also, does anyone know where I can get a stock for this? Any info would be awesome because as I said I am not an Enfield man.














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SW28fan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SW28fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 3:40pm
he!!o and welcome to our merry band  you have a sporterized No1 Mk III* Short Magazine Lee Enfield SMLE made at the Lithgow plant in Austrailia. The Price you paid is typical for what a sporter sells for in the US.  The barrel does not look like it has been cut so you could restore it.
Here is a list of parts sources:
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 7:12pm
I have a few questions of my own.
Why is St.Albans Vt stamped on it?
Where did all these "other" numbers stamped into it come from?
From what I can tell-your bolt & barrel #'s all match, so that's a good thing.
Hows the rifeling?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SW28fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 9:29pm
St Albans is where the importer was located  Century Arms
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 9:46pm
the 3MD on there indicates it served in the austrailian third military district , as did my BSA mkIII , seems to have missmatched bolt/receiver/magazine , but looks to be in decent condition and is a candidate for restoration i think ,
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 10:54pm
Nice rifle and it can be restored.

Lots of Enfield goodies here.

http://www.gunboards.com/sites/reichoutfitters/index.html
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bear43 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2013 at 11:12pm
Well worth restoring this rifle. The early Lithgows don't come up a whole lot, even the ones with mixed parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 12:52am
Bear 43,

I agree with you.

I would restore this rifle if it where mine.

Originally posted by Bear43 Bear43 wrote:

Well worth restoring this rifle. The early Lithgows don't come up a whole lot, even the ones with mixed parts.
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 2:41am
Hoadie, Century would sometimes add additional stamping, "No I mkIII" and "303". 

Ed
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BlackAck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 2:51am
It looks like the rear sight ears are missing too.  Are those easy to replace?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 3:10am
I do not think the ears are hard to replace.

Originally posted by BlackAck BlackAck wrote:

It looks like the rear sight ears are missing too.  Are those easy to replace?
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 3:46am
i need to apoligize , in relooking the bolt /receiver/bbl match#s , the mag is no big deal , but also matches
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bear43 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 4:45am
After you said that I had to look again, and you are right A_square. That last digit on the receiver is kind of hard to see too.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BlackAck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 6:22am
It's corrosion or crud, but I too had to look twice
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote splangeland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 10:57am
Awesome info guys! So if I understand it is a matching numbers gun, right? I believe its crud or cosmoline that is covering the numbers on the barel. I found what looks like cosmoline still in the mag when I was out shooting today so I'm guessing the previous owner didn't clean it out too well.

I ran a few patches down the barel today, not much because I was in a hurry to take it to the range today. The bore didn't look the best in world but it wasn't pitted out or anything, just not a mirror finish. The patches were coming out brown like maybe there was some surface rust or something in there I'm not sure but I only ran maybe 10 patches through it.


100yds. I think most of the grouping problem was honestly...Me. By the time I actually shot paper with it my shoulder was pretty tender and I was flinching something awful. My barrel was also kind of hot once I got done busting the steel gong at 200yds. I really think it would have shot better, If I would have shot better. All in all I was pretty happy with how it shot. I think it shoots better than my M91/30. Ammo was pretty pricey so I think I might get into reloading. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2013 at 9:39pm
yes , all matching , again im sorry for the error post earlier , my old eyes dont see as well as they once did , even with the cheaters
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