strange lee enfield ?? |
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jano9133
Newbie Joined: October 25 2019 Location: france Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Posted: October 25 2019 at 3:22am |
Hi everyone . I am french and excuse me if my english isn't very good . I herited from my grandfather a rifle who served in the first war and after .The problem is this rifle is equipped with a lee metford barrel . Has evrey one ever seen that . Thanks .
Ps . I don't know if is possible to dend you a picture . The riffle is marked . GR 1910 SHT LE III * / N° M33016 The barrel are 33" length ande marked 1886
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SW28fan
Special Member Donating Member Joined: July 02 2007 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 2951 |
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That is a new one on me, perhaps a target rifle built on a SMLE action but who, why or When I have no Idea. I have a Lebel 1886/93 and a MAS 36 & MAS 45 in my collection
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Have a Nice Day
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jano9133
Newbie Joined: October 25 2019 Location: france Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Thanks for response . The rifle is from BSA , there is a B between GR and the date 1910 . A friend said me perhaps is a special order commercial version . Is it possible ? Cdt . Jean
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Its quite possible. Metford rifling was for black powder rounds, One of the reasons for switching to Lee Enfield rifling was because of the change to Cordite as a propellant.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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i think you will find this predates WWI but that is only my guess without seeing it , it is indeed black powder if a metford barrel , and simon or terry lee can speak to these far better than i , we would love to see it if that works out ,
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philtno
Senior Member Joined: May 04 2019 Location: Blenheim, NZ Status: Offline Points: 261 |
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Bienvenue sur le forum :)Philtno
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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I'm not sure. BSA offered a choice of Metford or Enfield pattern rifling well into the 1920's. This is from a repro. of a 1923 (I think) catalog. |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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englishman_ca
Senior Member Joined: September 08 2009 Location: Almaguin Status: Offline Points: 1089 |
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It sounds like Short Magazine Lee Enfield receiver mounted with a non standard barrel.
My first though was that it might be fitted with a long Lee barrel, however, long Lee barrel has a length of only 30-1/4 inches, not 33. So it would be interesting to see what Grandpa had there. A custom target rifle? You mention a Metford barrel. Metford rifling was an existing design of rifling that was popular with the Victorian era target shooting community. It was renowned for accuracy and easy clean up with black powder. The Mk.I Lee Metford was basically a design of a Lee action mounting a Metford target style barrel. Much heavier than any subsequent Lee Metford/Enfield series of rifles. Cordite burnt hot and eroded the throat. Enfield style rifling was the solution, deeply cut square shoulder grooves. The barrel throat still eroded with the cordite propellant, but it held out longer for more rounds before needing to be changed. Enfield rifling was an existing in house design originally developed for the Gatling gun. A Sht.LE with a Metford barrel would have promise as a shooter. Metford rifling has seven grooves, Enfield has five. Picture would get you more answers. Welcome to the forum
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. Look to your front, mark your target when it comes! |
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Welcome to the forum Jano9133. Good to see another member in France!
To post a photo; use the "Post Reply" selection on the left hand of the screen. This has a n icon menu where you can attach your photos. If you use the "Quick Reply" box you cannot add photos. Sounds like an interesting rifle; looking forward to seeing some photos. |
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 6539 |
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1886 dated barrel, isn’t that early for the Lee Medford? That’s early for a .303.
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jano9133
Newbie Joined: October 25 2019 Location: france Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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Thank you for all your answers . I will try to put pictures . Thks
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jano9133
Newbie Joined: October 25 2019 Location: france Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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its an early mk I if im reading right , sported , we need some close shots of the bolt to be certain what they changed besides the stock alterations and such , should be a fun sporter ,
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terrylee
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Whatever it is, it appears to be based on a 1940 dated Dispersal Rifle. Badly stamped 4 looks like a 1. They didn't make the SMLE Mk III* in 1910!
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Bear43
Special Member Donating Member Joined: August 11 2010 Location: Doland, SD Status: Offline Points: 3059 |
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Like terrylee said, that receiver is a 1940 BSA dispersal.
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englishman_ca
Senior Member Joined: September 08 2009 Location: Almaguin Status: Offline Points: 1089 |
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The barrel is indeed a custom installation, but I dont that it think it is British barrel. I see no Brit proof marks.
I dont recognise the reinforce or nocks form, so I cannot hazzard a guess as to what rifle from which it was taken. Perhaps somebody will recognise the markings? The 1886 mark has similar characters to the 1888 mark on a Mauser 71/84 I used to have. We do not know if it chambered in 303 British. It might be chambered in some other caliber. A chamber cast would tell us a lot. The fore stock has a problem where it fits up to the receiver at the back. I see a gap between wood and metal where there should be no gap. Not sure as to what is going on there. But an interesting rifle for sure. Somebody spent time and effort modifying it.
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. Look to your front, mark your target when it comes! |
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