Cut Down Lee Enfield

[GasMasksUK]

As to the cockong piece, I don't think you can date an SMLE by that. I have seen the same model with a variety of pull knobs. It depended on the machinery available at the time of frantic mass production runs. The teaching versions used in my classes in Army Cadets were cut aways .

We still have one thats been cut down and had parts cut away so the mechanism can be viewed. Its in the store, I'll see if I can dig it out in the new year and take some pics if I remember

Thanks

Danny

[Patgore]

GasMasksUK:

Just curious....but do the serial numbers on bolt, receiver, etc. match?

This info might tell us whether we have a single salvaged weapon, or just a hodge-podge of availabe bits.

P

[GasMasksUK]

GasMasksUK:

Just curious....but do the serial numbers on bolt, receiver, etc. match?

This info might tell us whether we have a single salvaged weapon, or just a hodge-podge of availabe bits.

P

Sorry, it was behind a sheet of glass and at the time I didnt pay much attention to it. Its planned that me and some mates re-visit some of the places we went to as part of a school trip last year, simply for the reason everything was rushed. If we go back to hill 62 I'll see if I can find out, bearing in mind if I remember

Thanks

Danny

[Garryowen]

Everyone seems to have overlooked the cocking-piece on the modified gun, as far as I am aware - this is the later pattern cocking-piece used after the great-war. I always thought that the cocking-piece on the 14-18 rifles were without the ribs and had the rounded extension at the back to grip. Iknow you find 1st war dated rifles with this type on, but I was lead to believe these were fitted after the war. I do recall seeing a gun like this when I was in the Army Cadets in the 1960's, it was used for teaching cadets how the bolt action worked. I am not trying to imply that is what this particular example is though. But I doubt if it was for firing the standard ball-round for ANY reason!

Harry.

I agree with you on this Harry, the cocking piece certainly looks like the knurl used on the No. 4 Mk 1 as opposed to the rounded cocking piece on the No 1 Mk III. But the stripper clip guide on this cutdown Lee looks like the larger rounder type found on the No 1 Mk III and not the shaved type weight reduced model on the No 4.
Combination of rifles?

[m3bobby]

This serrated type of cocking piece was introduced on the 2nd of January 1916 on the MkIII* along with the deletion of mag cut off etc.

[theduke635]

i have seen guns like this before ... if i remember correctly these where used for practice firing artillery without wasting rounds or something of the sort .. there was an old guy in Kansas who had one the real "army navy surplus" stores when i was a kid and he had a couple of those enfields like that....I cant remember what he said exactly but i remmeber they where for firing some sort of practice something or the other ..but its been 28 years so my mind is kinda fuzzy !!

[m3bobby]

They used similar to launch trench morters (Which is what I thought it was initialy, maybe blown of the morter) but on checking my reference again I see the trench morter igniters didn't have a magazines, they had a filler piece in its place.

[Darren Lillington]

Hey, i was browsing the net today when i found a picture of a cut down Lee Enfield that looks similar to yours, it was used in Star wars would you beleive.



Here is the description-
In the Star Wars film series, The blaster utilized by the Jawa who shot R2-D2 was built from a cut-down British Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII* series bolt-action rifle with the grenade launcher cup attached to the shortened barrel.

Obviously not entirely the same but it made me think of this thread.

Cheers-

Darren.

[blackheart0866]

MU God, that .303 round would have one hell of a kick, with no stock, and that short of a barrel.

I would not want to fire that, I think it would be about the same as shooting a 10 gauge shotgun, with one hand, would really hurt, and kick very hard.

[pmccombs]

Cool looking, but oh so impractical...
Paul