My first SMLE!

[Milsurp Collector]

While I have two Savage No. 4 Mk 1* rifles, my collection was missing a SMLE/No. 1 type rifle. A few days ago I was taking my kids shopping when I drove past a local gun store. I was well past it when I decided to turn around and check it out, since I hadn't visited that store in awhile. I wanted to see if they had dropped the price on an Arisaka Type 99 I had been eyeing. The Type 99 was gone, but they had an Arisaka Type 38 Carbine that had a mum, but unfortunately it also had a scope mount and a bent bolt. Then I noticed that next to the Arisaka was an old-looking SMLE for $299. It looked good to me and I wanted to buy it then and there, but I wanted to check with my wife first. She had been complaining about the amount I have been spending on "old guns" recently. As luck would have it, my cell phone battery was depleted, and I didn't want to get the SMLE without talking to her first, so I sadly left the store.

When I got home I checked my references and I got even more excited about the SMLE I had seen. My wife said I could get it as long as I gave her the same amount of money I was going to spend on the "old gun"! Talk about extortion! But I had to have that SMLE, so I reluctantly agreed.

I had to wait a couple of days for the store to be open again, and last evening I rushed to the store after work and got there just before closing. I told the owner about my predicament, and explained that every dollar he could knock of the price would save me two dollars. He took pity on me and knocked the price down to $275. He explained that the rifle came from an estate and it was one of the last of a group of Enfields and Mausers that he was selling for the inheritor. He said he sold them all within the past month, so I missed out on most of them.

Full slideshow at http://s625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/milsurp_collector/SMLE/?albumview=slideshow

My SMLE is an ex-Irish 1905 Mark I*** made at Enfield.

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/milsurp_collector/SMLE/122c04b8.jpg
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The original serial number was 6495 H, and then it was renumbered ER 6604. The rear sight leaf still has the original serial number, and the bolt and nose cap were renumbered with the new serial number.

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/milsurp_collector/SMLE/0301f9b7.jpg
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http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/milsurp_collector/SMLE/bb3aa959.jpg
http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/milsurp_collector/SMLE/17e56174.jpg
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[Art]

That is a really cool early SMLE. The only fly in the ointment is that like just about all of them, at some point in its history it lost it's magazine cut off.

You did good!

[John Sukey]

Mag cut-offs can be found, Not that big of a problem.
I think that ER designates one given to the Irish Republic though not certain of that.
So you may have a "Shamrock enfield" as some folks are prone to call them;)

In any case, you got one hell of a deal for a rifle of that vintage with those features.,

Oh, if you do intend to get the cut-off , don't forget the screw which is special.

[Milsurp Collector]

Yes, the ER prefix means it was transfered to the Irish.

Apparently not all Mark I's had the cutoff installed. According to Charles Stratton in British Enfield Rifles, Volume 1



All Mk I, Mk I*, and Mk III rifles had provisions for a cut-off, but with the Mk I none was fitted--except for rifles issued for Naval service after August 1903. The use of the cut-off was extended to Land service rifles in 1906. Use of the cut-off was suspended with the approval of the Mk III* rifle in January 1916 (although it reappears on Ishapore, Lithgow, and BSA rifles manufactured after WWI).

[Fred]

Wow, That's a GREAT find! Anybody know what a rifle like that would be worth in todays market? I'd like to get one, but not having the cash, I'd have to trade a Long MLE Mk I* made in 1899 towards one.

[RJW-NZ]

Hi Milsurp collector, by blind good fortune you've stumbled onto a somewhat rare, highly desirable and valuable rifle, go look at gunbroker, if these come up for sale they're more around the $1,000 mark...if they come show up at all.
Collectors bust their chops trying to restore butchered versions of these just to have an example in their collection.
Do some research on it, you have done extremely well, and go buy a lotto ticket too.

[RJW-NZ]

Bloomin well done, thats a $1,000 rifle if you look on gunbroker.
There a mag cut off on ebay at the moment, you should put it on...It's common for these to have had the barrel changed over, especially after the wear and tear of ww1.
They're considered the last of the real rifleman's enfields on account of keeping lots of features for fine tuning the shooting, ie a truly adjustable rear sight, a lot of these features were lost during ww1 for speed of production.


oops, accidentally double posted...my first post went away and came back 5 minutes later who knows why...

[Fred]

The magazine cutoff AND screw are on International Military Antiques. They're the only ones that have the screw as well as the cutoff. It's in the section under British, SMLE.

[John Sukey]

AND you can have a nervous breakdown fitting that screw:icon_lol:
The cutoff must be in exactly the right place with the hole lining up PERFECTLY with the holes in the reciever. The tip of the screw is FLAT.

By all means get the cutoff.