Deactivated SMLE
Does anyone here own a regiment marked SMLE to the Leicester regiment or Notts and Derby? Or an SMLE sniper? The reason I ask is my relatives were either in those regiments and one was a sniper.
Not currently looking to buy, but just wondering if they're out there
I dare say that there might be some out there, but the problem is that butt discs are so easy to stamp up to any unit you want, it is difficult to tell if a gun bearing unit stamps is legit. And as for an SMLE sniper rifle, they are about as rare as rocking horse sh*t.
As an aside, there is a militaria dealer who has an EY-stamped SMLE for sale. He is a well-known dealer of some years standing, and claims that the 'EY' stamp shows that the rifle was issued to the Essex Yeomanry. Well, putting it bluntly, its a load of bo**ocks. Guns stamped 'EY' are for; 'emergency use only'. I have tried telling the dealer on a few occasions, but he doesn't want to know. I even sent him a copy of the lists of markings which appear in Ian Skennerton's bible on the Lee Enfield, but he was STILL having none of it!
Shame some people are like that. I know I wouldn't find a SMLE sniper for less than 4K for sure, and I hear what you're saying about the butt disc stamping.
There are so many tampered with SMLE's between North Americans sporterizing them to rebuilds between and after the wars, it would be like finding a needle in a hay stack but I wish you all the luck in finding what your looking for.
If I'm not mistaken the barrel end of many of these rifles were also painted several different colors to denote their serviceability etc-I don't recall all the colors used but I think yellow was one color
Can't say I've heard or seen of any SMLE painted ends except if they were DP rifles (white). If you could find a reference on that I'd defiantly like to read up on it tho as I own both a MkIII and a no.4.
Will see what I can find and get back to you!
Similar Threads
Posting Permissions
.
Bookmarks