Please Help Identify SMLE |
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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Posted: January 22 2020 at 7:22am |
I’m new to the form, trying to learn more about my rifle. Can someone help me identify the maker? Here is a picture of the thumb plate.
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Unfortunately I cannot open the photo.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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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 cant even see a link! Maybe this will help anyway. "OC1- Savage
OL1- Long Branch Or: All factories in the North were
prefixed with a "N", those in the Midlands were prefixed by
"M" and those in the South prefixed by "S" OR To work out which factory that your No4 was made is to look at wrist markings where the serial numbers are. Now this only equates to British No4MkI here. The British made No4MkI’s use a prefix and number – (Alpha numerical) system to identify manufacturer. Numbered serials starting with 1 indicated ROF Maltby, 2 indicated ROF Fazakerley and 3 indicated BSA Shirley. However as one soon learns with anything to do with life there are exceptions, early in on the game BSA Shirley did a production run which used only 4 numbers and went from Axxxx to Zxxxx. " |
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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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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Sorry the pic didn’t work. Its a No. 1 Mk 111*, made in 1943.
Thumb plate looks like this: Crown G.R. Possible “L” or “E” the rest can’t be read 1943 SHT LE III* Proof marks: Crown G.P. Cross Flags L Best I can do, thanks.
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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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welcome - will help when more is available to work with , glad you joined us
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Welcome from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada!
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The Armourer
Senior Member Joined: June 23 2019 Location: Y Felinhelli Status: Offline Points: 1246 |
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Could that "L" or "E" be a single letter "B" ? If it is then it is a BSA assembled rifle from the 'Dispersal scheme' If it turns out to be a B then I'll post up more information. |
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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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It could be a lower case “b”, it looks double struck. I wish I could get the picture to upload.
Thanks for the help.
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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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in 1943 a no1 mkIII* built in england would have been a BSA made dispersal rifle - they were the only one making them at that time in that place ,
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The Armourer
Senior Member Joined: June 23 2019 Location: Y Felinhelli Status: Offline Points: 1246 |
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Up until 1940, BSA made normal high-quality No1 MkIII* on limited military contracts, marked with the usual Crown and BSA&Co, as well as identical rifles just marked "BSA&Co" for commercial sale and export.
With the invasion scare, the Ministry of Supply ordered BSA to make rifles out of whatever parts it could get together. Hence the rifles were made of mixtures of commercial and military parts, mixed walnut and beech wood (or all-beech), later on No4 butts and firing pin/cocking pieces. A second wave of production in 1945 even used recycled and re-dated receivers. About the same time the emergency rifle production was started, BSA was ordered to disperse its many Birmingham factories away from the bomb-target central area, and also to increase war production by diluting experienced staff with war staff. BSA was a huge engineering group, and this "Dispersal" programme led to 70 seperate factories being set up, moved and/or expanded. Rifle production involved several of these factories (both No1s and No4s), and this type of "all available parts" No1 has become known as a "Dispersal rifle". Technically, even the No4s were Dispersals, as well as motorbikes, bicycles, aircraft parts, machine guns and heavy weaponry... BSA marked these rifles with just the first "B" of BSA&Co. Presumably this was to dissociate the company from these slightly less-than top quality peacetime rifles! |
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The Armourer
Senior Member Joined: June 23 2019 Location: Y Felinhelli Status: Offline Points: 1246 |
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If you want to send me a PM with the picture (or an email address and I'll contact you) I'll add the picture to the thread. Here are a couple of pictures of Dispersal BSA's (Note the B below and to the left of the crown & GR) Note the 2nd picture is using a re-cycled, scrubbed and re-dated action. Anything just to get it out into the 'field'. |
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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Thank you for the information, I’m thinking this is what I have. Pictures provided by Mr. Armourer look like the stamping on mine, only difference is on my rifle the “b” looks to be lowercase and double struck/punched one on top of the other.
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The Armourer
Senior Member Joined: June 23 2019 Location: Y Felinhelli Status: Offline Points: 1246 |
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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Thanks for the help. I was trying to learn what I had, you put it to rest.
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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 agree , save i think it 43 , nice rifle - if its original you have a keeper
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rchoat
Newbie Joined: January 22 2020 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Thank you, it look all original. All serial numbers match. Bore/barrel are great.
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