Enfield-Rifles.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Enfields > Enfield Rifles
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Four Rifles Found in Afghanistan
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Four Rifles Found in Afghanistan

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
RiflePlumber View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: December 27 2016
Location: VA
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RiflePlumber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Four Rifles Found in Afghanistan
    Posted: December 27 2016 at 11:43pm
I've had a Lithgow No1 MkIII* for about 20 years, so I was excited to start deciphering the markings on these when I found them this week.  My guess is at least one, if not all, are Khyber Pass rifles, but I plan to continue doing research on what markings are visible now that I have found this site.  I may also clean them up and build an electrolysis tank, here, to help out with that.  I'm interested in any glaring observations you, the experts, may have before I get a chance to get into some real research on them.  Thanks.

Rifle 1:





Rifle 2:




Rifle 3:




Rifle 4:



Back to Top
hoadie View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: March 16 2006
Location: Niagara/Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9003
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 3:18am
gonna have your hands full on these
Loose wimmen tightened here
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5585
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 4:15am
Looking at the poor quality of the wrist stamps; letters inverted etc. I'd say you are correct in your assumption that these are Khyber Pass copies. However it will be fun cleaning them up; even if it's just to hang on the wall!
I was wondering if the Khyber Pass copies have some original parts; maybe from broken original rifles! Just a thought; as I have no personal experience of them.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
Zormpas View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: August 07 2013
Location: Central Florida
Status: Offline
Points: 73
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zormpas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 5:32pm
Those look rode hard and put away wet! There's an interesting story there somewhere...
-Zorba
"The Veiled Male"
http://www.doubleveil.net
Back to Top
RiflePlumber View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: December 27 2016
Location: VA
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RiflePlumber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 7:51pm
Some of the other, non-Enfield firearms are in a good bit better shape.  I have a Russian DP28 from the '20s that should still fire, and has no rust.
Back to Top
A square 10 View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: December 12 2006
Location: MN , USA
Status: Offline
Points: 14452
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 8:20pm
most definitely kyber pass rifles from what i see , they are "one of a kind" and will never be found again so in many ways worth preservation as a "one off" as it were , if i had become so well invested in enfields as to need these - i would jump on those , 

so many bought and sold-traded-gifted , i could have been there short of owning a lithgow and a paki no 4 , i do not look back only forward - you need to enjoy what you have in this lifetime , congrats , 
Back to Top
RiflePlumber View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: December 27 2016
Location: VA
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RiflePlumber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2016 at 11:13pm
Edited to add fourth rifle I had forgotten about.
Back to Top
Pukka Bundook View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 02 2015
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1369
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2016 at 6:01am
My hat is always off to blokes who can sit on the ground with a file and turn out something like this! 
Yes, we know they are not safe to fire usually, but they made these with hand tools, and although many disparage the makers, (Not here I note) I think they showed real skill in how close they got them to the real deal.
To appreciate how much work went into these, we should all sit down at home with a hacksaw and a file, & maybe a big hammer, and see how long it took us to make something that looks this close.  :-)
 
Must say though, they look as though they'd been buried in the camel bedding for a decade or 6!
 
Richard.
Back to Top
White Rhino View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 05 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5118
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote White Rhino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2016 at 7:12am
Pukka Bundook , I have seen an AK made in one of them caves in the Kyber pass area !!! via video. Primitive tools, hammer, a piece of rail road iron to use as an anvil !!  a mud brick forge, scraps of metal picked up here and there !!!

If those same guys would have access to modern equipment and better metal , just think of the treasures they could make !!!!

Seen the same thing personally in Turkey, but the guy was working in bronze and copper making trinkets to sell in the Bazaar in Istanbul ! not as intricate or as interesting as a rifle , but still nice work !! most of his brass was from our spent casings !!  Man the kid that gathered the brass was pissed off that the 25 mm cases were steel ! LOL!!!  but the .50 cal. , 7.62x51 and 5.56mm was brass !!!!
LOL!! when we would shoot the .50 cal. that kid would run for the brass... we would let him get down the defensive positions a ways and then pop off a 3 to 9 round burst and watch him run back !!!
"White Rhino"

"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer." --W. C. Fields
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.