One thing I’m trying to understand if it is simply a sporterized military rifle is the stock. The rifle has a full Mannlicher-style fore-end with fairly fine checkering and a fore-end diamond, and the wood appears to be purpose-shaped for that configuration rather than a cut-down military fore-end. The geometry around the receiver also looks like it was inlet specifically for this stock rather than reshaped from a military fore-end. The walnut also appears fairly nicely figured compared to the straight-grain wood usually seen on service stocks.

If this started as a military SMLE, would that suggest the original military stock was discarded entirely and a new sporting stock fitted later? Most sporterized SMLEs I’ve seen seem to retain the original fore-end that has simply been shortened.

I also took a closer look at the left side of the receiver and noticed what appears to be a faint rectangular area where markings may have been polished out. I’ve attached a photo of that as well. If the action began life as a military receiver and was later scrubbed and refinished, could this possibly be a commercial sporting rifle built on a surplus Lee action rather than a typical sporterized service rifle?

I’m still learning about these and am happy to provide any additional photos if there are specific areas that would help identify it more clearly.

I'd like to push back a bit on the cheap sporterization angle. I understand that many SMLE rifles were sporterized during the interwar and postwar periods, and a lot of those were inexpensive conversions. However, a few structural features of this rifle make me question whether it fits the typical “cut-down surplus sporter” pattern.

First, the rifle has a full Mannlicher stock with a fitted nose cap, not a shortened military fore-end. The wood appears to have been made as a full stock from the start rather than cut down from military furniture. This is not a cut down original front end.

Second, the magazine sits flush with the stock and uses a hinged floorplate rather than the standard detachable SMLE magazine. That requires different bottom metal and stock inletting, which seems like significantly more work than the typical cheap surplus chop job. As far as I understand, there should also be a rear trigger guard screw inside the guard, which this seems to lack.

Third, the buttstock geometry doesn’t match a standard SMLE stock. I actually tried fitting a No.1 Mk III buttplate and it is too small for the outline of this stock, which suggests the butt was not simply reshaped from military furniture but was made from a different blank. The butt end of the stock is simply too big for this to be an SMLE buttstock.

Finally, this is high quality walnut and appears to be hand checkering, not a garage cut down sporterization of an SMLE.

I’m not claiming it’s a factory BSA sporting rifle, but the construction details seem to suggest a purpose-built sporting stock and bottom metal fitted to an Enfield-pattern action, rather than a simple cut-down SMLE.

I’m not trying to be argumentative and I appreciate the conversation. It just doesn’t seem to fit the typical cut-down SMLE story. It almost looks as if someone tried to make a nicer European-style sporting rifle out of Enfield parts — high quality walnut, Mannlicher stock, nose cap, and a flush floorplate.

I’ve also read that a lot of small British gunmakers and trade shops between the wars built sporting rifles using surplus Enfield actions. Some of those were fairly well finished and don’t always match a specific cataloged model.

So I’m wondering if this might be something along those lines — a small-trade or gunsmith-built sporting rifle using an Enfield action rather than a simple surplus sporterization. I humbly admit I’m not an expert on these. I’ve just got a rifle that has really nice wood, well polished, very well fit, that doesn’t match anything I can find.

So I’m wondering if this might be something along those lines — a small-trade or gunsmith-built sporting rifle using an Enfield action rather than a simple surplus sporterization. I humbly admit I’m not an expert on these. I’ve just got a rifle that has really nice wood, well polished, very well fit, that doesn’t match anything I can find."

This would be my thoughts to, but with one major flaw.

Most of those were justifiably proud of their work & marked them prominently with their house name.

My L.G.S growing up was J & G Gibbs, now "James W Gibbs Gunsmiths", they were literally a 3 minute walk from my house. They're now in Bath. I never saw one of their customs ever without the name prominently engraved on them.

https://gibbsgunmakers.com/" rel="nofollow - https://gibbsgunmakers.com/