I found an SMLE MK1 III* coated in old yellow paint (cadet rifle?) for $150.

The bore is amazingly clean and bright with sharp rifling. Apparently all metal parts, including what was under wood, was painted yellow a long while ago. The paint has faded to a dull brown. What I thought was a patina of brown rust on the barrel turns out to be paint with a beautiful blue below.

Although it is a pain to take off, the paint protected the metal and there is a deep smooth blue under the paint. So far, no rust or even pitting that I can see.

As I remove paint, proofs and markings are coming to the surface. All the serial numbers match so far. 5 digits 18xxx with the suffix Z. It must have been renumbered, cuz I found a spot marked 2-228 with the 2-228 over struck with a 18xxx Z

I'm not sure where it was made yet as the only thing I've found is a Crown over GRI over crossed flags....hinting at British proofing at one time. Another spot on the stock socket has No. 1 MKIII FR 40 struck in.( 1940?) As the paint comes off I hope to find more. I'm also going to need to buy a book on these. I've found several crowns, TTSH, 39, 98, NF, .303, and TONS stamped on the barrel. I also found a broad arrow.

A lot of work cleaning this old girl, but fun. She has been completely disassembled and all the small parts are soaking in thinner outside the back door...and I am scouring the Int3rw3b looking for information on markings.

OK, I'm going with Indian Ishapore manufacture (prior to independence) on this although I don't see any RFI (Rifle Factory Ishapore) markings. The broad arrow is in 3 places including the stock disk cut in the wood. The GRI stands for George Rex Imperiatus and I believe that mark was specific to SMLEs made in India.

So I took the girl out to Fort Dix to give her a workout. Amazingly accurate offhand after so many years. The big surprise were the perfectly round seemingly laser cut dime-sized holes the .303 blew in my plastic target backstop...bigger than any I get with any of my other .30 cal rifles.

Using Remington Factory ammo, I saw the last 6 rounds (out of twenty) splitting.



I was getting a lateral split, 180 degrees around the case, about an 3/16th inch from the base. There was also a slight angle to that 3/16th inch relative to the rest of the case...almost as if the ejector was trying to twist the base off. I've ordered go - no go gauges from Midway. I was using factory Remington, so I wouldn't suspect the brass right off.

Bummer. Suggestions? This thing is more fun than ice cream. I hope it's not trashed.

you have really bad excessive headspacing on your rifle. You need to replace the bolt body with a longer one....allot longer. Please read my post on this topic.
Your problem is so severe, don't waste your time or money buying a larger bolt head. There are none made that will help.

You took the paint off!!

Well yes. This was obviously not collector grade, and it was butt-ugly. If it was a kewl tactical black, I might have left it...but a yellow rifle is just wrong.

Do you have pics of the paint that was on the metal? The yellow paint does not mean it was a cadet rifle, without seeing the paint I would beleive it was the tropical paint on the metal and yes you should have left it on ............

it was tropical

Dont worry about it, whats done is done, if you like it then thats what matters. Post some pics of the whole rifle.

The paint you stripped was a protectant, Since your rifle had this on it, meant it was probably in a tropical theatre, and it protected the rifle from rusting.

Ethan.

plus one on posting some pictures. Nothing better than a link full of images of SMLE's, nothing better ANYWHERE on the world wide web

Sounds like a nice and interesting rifle, would love to see some pics of the markings.

Were the restamped numbers on the bolt out of curiosity? It seems odd that the bolt is so far out.

Hope it fixes

I will pull the bolt and check it when I get home from work
Thanx

I've been searching around the Int3rw3b for a longer bolt body, but I suppose I need to measure mine then call these vendors. Are they usually willing to mike the bolt bodies? It was a serious blast to shoot, so I want to get it back in shape.

THese Ishy refurbs can be a pain to decode. At least my 1918/1967 was.

The first thing I can tell you about the rifle, is obviously as you said it was refurbed at Ishapore arsenal in 1940 (GRI is the Ishy proof marking).

The Z suffix is the new serial assigned to the rifle. Ishapore (as far as I can tell based on Stratton's British Enfield Rifles) only used the Z code on Enfield 2A rifles, however any rifles rebuilt in the 1960s were assigned Z codes (which would have been used only in 1967).

On my rifle the original serial number (A B prefix, indicated 1918 or 1919 manufacture) is lined out and a new Z number placed on.

Since you obviously don't see markings on the right side of the butt socket, such as a GRI Crown and Date, my guess is it is scrubbed off much like mine was. The FR 40 mark indicates that this rifle was Factory Thorough Repaired in 1940, HOWEVER as yours has a new Z serial number (only used by Ishapore in 1967, and apparently only on new production Enfield 2As and rebuilt SMLEs) I'd say yours was completely overhauled in 1967. I was lucky that my rifle had a crude 1967 almost cut into the buttsocket on the left side, instead of any FR or FTR markings.

What does this mean? That Ishapore refurbed it in the '60s, and probably in the '40s. What it doesn't say is who exactly made it. You say you've found another number, but no prefix. Using Stratton's book as a guide, your rifle could have been made by the following:

RSAF Enfield in 1915, 1916, or 1918
BSA in 1916
SSA in 1916, 1917, or 1918,
Ishapore in 1916
Lithgow in 1915-1918

Not exactly scientific eh? I would immideately discount the SSA rifles, they are extremely rare compared to the others. Since you do see a GRI proof mark, if it doesn't appear to be overstamped or on ground metal, I would bet that is the original proof mark. Let's proceed on the assumption it is an Ishapore.

Stratton says that in his survey the last observed Mk III (mag cutoff) was Serial number 95180. Now 2?228, if the original serial number, would make it a VERY early Ishapore and a Mk III. Ishy updated most in the 1920s (and even the 1940s, hence possibly your FR 40 mark) to Mk III* versions by adding new Ishy forends and removing the mag cutoff and screw. My friend has a 1910 RSAF Enfield Mk III with an FR 27 RFI mark on his, the mag cutoff and screw removed and a new Ishy forend not cut for volley sights added.

So what we need: can you get us a picture of the right side of your receiver, preferably with the forend removed. If it was indeed a Mk III the mag cutoff slot will still be there, proving that regardless of who made it (though probably Ishy) your rifle was a Mark III, probably updated to Mk III* standards in 1940, and then refurbed or given a new serial number commensurate with the Enfield 2A range in 1967. I may be off, but a lot of your rifle sounds like mine, which was made by Ishy in the second year of Mk III* production and similarly refurbed.

Also BTW, since it has excessive headspace, does it have any of the following marks anywhere:

GF
(Grenade Firing)

DP
(Drill Purpose)

EY
(Emergence Use Only)

W
(Worn Part)

P
(Replacement Barrel)

Mine had a W, then at some point got a new Barrel (P), then the whole thing was rearsenaled. My barrel has both serial numbers, thus indicating the replacement came before the '67 refurb.

Oh yes, here are some descriptions of my rearsenaled Ishy from a previous thread. Does any of this ring a bell?

This number 18117 Z is on everything.


Under the Safety is the FR 40







The same number on the bolt


You can see the strike-over on the barrel


Same area - left side


Same area - under barrel TTSH + a faint FR 68

Just what I thought,

See this slot?



That's the mag cutoff slot. Your rifle was a Short Lee Enfield Mk III with mag cut off and volley sights. It was then updated in 1940 to Mk III* and the cutoff was removed and a new forend added.

Thanx, Good info

So many marks, over marks, and over-over-marks on this puppy - it's been around the block.

Next is trying to find a longer bolt. This girl cries out to be used and shot well until I stopped due to not wanting to die from bad headspace.