G.S. also see surplusrifle.com for some more info on your rifle. abbreviations include: a crown. Headstamps of the .303; http://www.dave-cushman.net/shot/303headstamps.html .. Headstamps and markings on .303 ammunition, great site well worth a visit. B.W.X. H.C. FA Frankford Arsenal (S.A.A.) Anti-tank gun. Particularly, the 2nd Bn. BG/C Granby Small Arms Training M.L.O. A/C Aircraft Senior Weapons Engineer dailyinfo[29]=' 4547 Lance Corporal Albert FERGUSSON 1st Bn. 5) what Mark (level of modification) it is. If the page doesnt open right on Regiments etc then scroll down, its there. L4A3 7.62mm Bren LMG conversion of Mk II Bren (prior L4A1 & L4A2 were MEF Maribyrnong, Vic. 1, MK. ESQ Esquimalt (Royal Canadian Navy) The most common of these were: XP was used for the Shortened and Lightened Australian Lithgow (No6 Jungle Carbine) rifles, A was used for No1 MkVI trail rifles, BS was used on the British No7 small bore rifles, and T1 for the No5 small bore rifles. MF (S.A.A.) Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle L2A1 Automatic Rifle in Australian service (Canadians have C2 & C2A1 WW2 this practice of over-the-counter retail sales was curtailed primarily for security reasons. M.M. Lee Metford information and pics. ROP Rovenna Ordnance Plant dailyinfo[2]=' Second Lieutenant Arthur Cyril YOUNG 8th Sqdn. L94A1 7.62mm Machine Gun, Chain. reserved SYD Moorebank, NSW Electrical & Mechanical Vickers Armstrong . It does have the rear windage adjustment fitting and I can see where the original serial number was lined out and a new, matching serial number was stamped. Ordnance Select Committee Last equivalent Automatic Rifle) No experience necessary. Australian, Canadian & US monograms from the late Frank Adlam's records Minute of angle (optical) BM denotes 'Birmingham Military', proved to the same pressures as the military proof. new generation AFVs. Small Arms Inspection Dept. MPT Tamworth, NSW Army Inspection Department .50 cal However, a later re-issue refurbishment is a possibility. 2. L36A1 7.62mm Machine Gun. DJ/C De Beaudeau Europe during WW2. Home of the well known author of The Lee-Enfield, and many others books. S.A.T. US, National Rifle Association http://www.nra.org.uk/. S.A.I.D. Seen in the picture above are the normal spots to find the serial number and manufacturers information on the No4 and the No5 rifle. UK, National Rifle Association; http://home.nra.org/#/home The NRAs main website. Depots, United States: L41A1 7.62mm Machine Gun, drill (inoperable model L8). The mark ' HV ' was also found on rifle barrels which had been strengthened to ' High Velocity ' standard. KEN Kentucky Ordnance Plant MJB Hendon, Vic. LoC List of Changes paragraph no. As you know standard reissue mark on British rifles is in the form of 'date (ie '40) on the left side of the receiver wrist below the safety. L8A17.62mm Machine Gun, AFV; redesigned L7. Repair I have some comments about markings that are present or not present. Further development of Hughes EX34 Please W.R.A.Co. (more recently) 33rd "Prairie Division" AEF and American Field Service 1917-18, York and Lancaster Regiment There are five different models (called Marks) of oilers. I do not believe that the distinction in the clarity of the markings on the barrel date from them coming from a different time but from the process of marking. MY (gun ammo) St. Marys No. R.D. M.E. R.C.D. This updated and expanded edition also has a ready model identification chapter and colour plates. MFG Goulburn, Vic. L81A1 7.62mm Cadet Target Rifle, version of the Parker Hale M82 UK and Mosul Does the rifle have the magazine cut-off fitted? For official references, usually the finished and issued rifle was tracked by its rack number and of course these records have long since been destroyed or lost forever. I t has little historical value in current condition. 6 Mean point of impact Army Design Department A.P. that is) Armouries reference centre. S.B. M.L.O. FIELD GUIDE TO LEE-ENFIELD OILERS / OIL BOTTLES. L54A1 .303 DP variant of the Bren LMG. L.E. RD Redstone Arsenal Commissary-General of L68to L73? FTL West Australia (for Royal Navy) That's interesting, I did not know that lll*'s had been produced in 1915, it's a long time since I saw the Skennerton book and, sadly, it was borrowed from the library, so not my copy. Goto Anti-aircraft The station monograms may also be found incorporated in various case headstamps, marked on ammunition chargers, clips and other production. Director of Artillery dailyinfo[30]=' 35346 Private Stuart Bathurst Scott COATES 13th Bn. The .303-cal. RA Remington Arms (S.A.A.) I would like to know the year of manufacture and what the markings mean. S.G.O. HDN Helidon, Qld. Cavalry Carbine Mk I (also II, R.A.O.C. Royal Gunpowder Factory The Milsurp Knowledge Library http://www.milsurps.com/ . I had it cleaned and looked over b/c I had previously had a primer fall out when I was shooting some surplus ammo. Artillery Carbine Mk I (also II, chain gun, applied It is a commercial contract rifle from BSA with a South African Govt property marking. MO (empty shell) Maribyrnong Ordnance L7A17.62mm Machine Gun, British-made version of the FN MAG. First debuted in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, the rifle has still found use today in military, sporting and ceremonial roles - over one hundred years since its inception in its original form. Royal Welsh Fusiliers who died 23/04/1918 WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION France ' TOC Tocumwal, NSW Here is a 1912 produced rifle BSA rifle with its original 1912 barrel. are UK stations) Mean time or Missed target None the less I still believe the '40 is the barrel year of manufacture as it is to be found an all the standard British ShtLEs in my collection, many of which have not been rebuilt and the year matches the receiver. R.L.G. Honourable Artillery Company who died 29/04/1917 ARRAS MEMORIAL France ' Wood color may not match. I know pretty much nothing about rifles but I picked this one up in a trade. P.I.A.T. ALB Albany, West Australia Terminal velocity C6 7.62mm MAG 58 GPMG (flexible or co-axial roles) Magazine Lee-Metford Coast artillery sniper rifle. VY/C Viliroy DM Des Moines Ordnance Plant O.F. Plastic explosive M.P.I. Observation post S.o D. Superintendent of Design PM Port Moresby, New Guinea High velocity PE/C Petawawa Army Training Memorandum Machine gun I include a (poor) photo below showing the marks on wartime produced rifles. IA Indiana Ordnance Plant A.A.A. H.M.S. L2A3 Submachine Gun (improved L2A2 - British only, currently in service) L82to L84? converted Mk III Bren) - these 3 guns UK service only. XL68 4.85mm left hand Individual Weapon L9A19mm Pistol, Browning Hi-power, previously the Pistol No.2 Mk I*. US, Civilian Marksmanship Program; http://www.odcmp.com/. Director, Royal Artillery e.g. D.C.I. HB Hobart, Tas. deeper struck, so my guess is that it was a much later additional mark stamped in 1940 when the rifle was probably refurbished and re-issued. R.N.D. 2 Machine gun $85.00. Stratton also indicates this (1997:62) mark as barrel manufacture date. South African Infantry who died 12/04/1917 BROWNS COPSE CEMETERY, ROEUX France ' Gale & Polden, Bernards Publishers as well as Others: AC Brownsburg 6 I know pretty much nothing about rifles but I picked this one up in a trade. I haven't been getting good groups from it. Hollow charge or High capacity All the British produced rifles examined above carried the date and broad arrow. Tank Corps who died 28/04/1918 MARISSEL FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY France ' V.A.C. Australian Field Artillery who died 14/04/1917 GREVILLERS BRITISH CEMETERY France ' Proof & Experimental Officer MR Rutherford, NSW Here is a simple shadow board depicting the 4 most common Enfields. I am not sure that this is entirely correct. L.A. Co. London Armoury Co. Army Training Instruction SYD Sydney, NSW (for Royal Navy) MFA Albury, NSW British WW1 Enfield Leather Frog BAY337 Leather. 3 Original Lithgow Smle III .303 Rifle . M.L.M.C. The mark and type of rifle will be stamped onto the left side receiver wall. Regarding the barrel date vs "reissue stamp" question. 'Excellent' Portsmouth shore base WGA Wallangarra, Qld. Enfield #4 MK1 Stock Set LE4059 #4 MK1 Stock Set (stock & forend & 2 handguards). A little knowledge, which is what I have, is dangerous and I don't have Skennerton's LE Rifle book so please feel free to correct my observations if they are incorrect. Guncotton 200-rd. 1 D.o A. Director of Ordnance Factories Riot Gun. Threads per inch Surplus Rifle; http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=27 .. Wikipedia Lee Enfield; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield Wikipedias entry on Lee Enfields. Fantastic information, everyone. Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield RAPD Raritan Arsenal Publication Dept. KAM Kamloops (Royal Canadian Navy) By S.M.R.C. Director General of Ordnance L18? The Lee-Enfield series of rifles is one of the most successful bolt-action rifles of all time. O Gauge garden model railway MW (S.A.A.) "Killingholme" Royal Naval Air Service who died 27/04/1916 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL United Kingdom ' Ordnance Plant L57 & L58? R.S.A.R.F. SAS Live DVD/CD It seems you can't find a good gunsmith or machine shop to save your life out here. British No4 rifles were set up with a 5 digit serial number system with 1XXXX being allotted to Maltby, 2XXXX Fazakerley, 3XXXX BSA Shirley. CAC Colonial Ammunition Company, Black powder abbreviations You are correct in that it is based upon the Sht.LE Mk.III military version. None the less I still believe the '40 is the barrel year of manufacture as it is to be found 0n all the standard British ShtLEs in my collection, many of which have not been rebuilt and on these the year matches the receiver. L4A2 7.62mm Bren LMG conversion (X10E2) w/ lightened bipod, steel barrel. British Army Delegation To me, and others, it would appear to show that Mully's barrel is original and that the ' 40 ' date mark and the Broad Arrow to it's right were new stampings added to the original barrel in 1940 ? 4. Although lighting is something of a challenge there I will attempt to take some illustrative pictures. Hudson & Kearns (cordite factory) Matching serial numbers is always a plus. .. conversion of No. MG (S.A.A.) Enfield-Stuff;http://web.archive.org/web/20120802024544/http://www.enfield-stuff.com/oilers/makers_marks/oiler_makers_England.htm . for locations of Ammunition R.G.P.F. Truth be known about Enfield serial numbers is simply, the serial number was used more for production counting than any other reason. It appears to me that the barrel has Enfield inspections stamps (crown number over E) whereas one would expect a 1915 BSA rifle to have been originally fitted with a BSA barrel (crown number over B ) as shown on the receiver of the rifle (on original pic no2 below the proof which is actually on the receiver). NA/C Nanaimo D.I.L. Sk In the case of a rebarrelling like here (for example) the barrel was produced 25 years laterthan the rifle and then installed in the rifle. Separate and distinct Lx L29A2 .22 Sportco Model 71S Trainer Martini-Enfield Carbine MO Maribyrnong Ordnance Factories It does not have the magazine cut-off. Martini-Henry var fontstart = '' dailyinfo[16]=' 56932 Serjeant William Philip WATSON Distinguished Conduct Medal, Military Medal 58th Field Amb Royal Army Medical Corps who died 16/04/1918 TYNE COT MEMORIAL Belgium ' MB Ballarat, Vic. Abbreviations used by military manual printers appear on the Small Arms I believe some on this site say Hornady .303 bullets are a little "fatter". Lee-Enfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, particularly Canada, where they are the main rifle issued to the Canadian Rangers, and India, where the Lee-Enfield is widely issued to reserve . as 12.7mm L2A1, Director, Weapons & Development L51 9mm DP Sten Mk III Machine Carbine L60to L64? Small Arms Committee 'The LEE-ENFIELD ' Skennerton A Century of Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield Rifles & Carbines. The book has a general history of the series, with This pattern was universal on all the examined rifles so I don't see all my 1917 rifles being reissued in 1917 etc, On these rifles the stamping of the serial on the barrel was much more consistent and straight even in high production years like 1916/7/8 where one might expect less neat stamping (see below confused by the overstamped UK civ. Discarding sabot Mine was stamped on the stock with the crown and "Lithgow 1942". MEM (gun ammo) Mulwala No. CR/C Cherrier 2 & No. "kfk", 1943 went up to 'BL'. I have just examined a couple of dozen standard military ShtLEs (MkIII and MkIII*) produced in the UK after 1910 (the year the MkVII round was introduced) in my collection. P [above] Try the simple fixes first. L97 ? (E) Design Department (Enfield), Some Australian ones too DEN Denver Ordnance Plant (S.A.A.) South Africa No apparent FTR stamp on LHS of wrist; did not go through a Factory Thorough Repair ?? K.H.K. gun, with barrel 152mm longer than L6A1. 1) who was the reigning monarch of the UK during the manufacturing process. centuries. Our new DVD/CD sets have specific serial nos. Interesting info on looking after C&R rifles, including wood restoration. L28 ? L12A1 .22 Conversion Kit by Heckler & Koch, for L1A1 rifle. They may or may not have the serial stamped into the front part of the fore-end and in the case of the Australian Lithgows it may be stamped into the butt as well. Controller of Ordnance Services You may have a worn bore. My suggestion would be between $75 and $175 depending on bore etc. Factories DK Deer Park, Vic. Over the years I have received many emails regarding serial numbers. Armaments Design,Fort Halstead L53 ? Unique and excellent match up service for rifles missing parts, and parts astray from their rifles. Classic cars Manufacturer's Monograms for ammunition production reserved Ian D. Skennerton, German Manufacturing Codes of "ch", "gsb". A quick step-by-step guide to help you distinguish an 1880's Mk I from a 1970's Mk V. It's easier than you think. Tri-nitro-cellulose Captured enemy equipment, marked as yours, sends a powerful message. L37A1 7.62mm L7 Machine Gun for AFV; special barrel for tracer. D.W.P. View basket for details. C9 5.56mm Minimi LMG 1663'. any General Staff BMH Bacchus Marsh, Vic. Armour piercing incendiary Government site useful for its rules and regulations about C&R rifles. Left side of barrel reinforce are commercial proof markings applied by BSA, post-1916. C Office (or Her Majesty's) Mean point of burst var day=mydate.getDay() Classifieds for guns and parts. UK, Lee Enfield Rifle distribution; https://salw-guide.bicc.de/en/weapon/view/11/lee-enfield-smle. I.C.I. Restoration Service) from Canada reports that he visited the Leeds site a few L49 9mm DP L2A3 SMG Too bad that UK postal takes so long! BWG Birmingham wire gauge, Ordnance factory and ordnance depot abbreviations appear in various service Essex Regiment who died 09/04/1915 CALVAIRE (ESSEX) MILITARY CEMETERY Belgium ' (also Maribyrnong) T.V. You may also find the "Broad Arrow"- 3 marks that make an arrow- British equivalent to the US Flaming Bomb mark- indicates govt issue. L88? C.G.O. Boardat www.skennerton.com National Arms & Ammunition These were introduced in LOC 15638 dated 1 October 1911 to govern alterations to existing rifles and new manufacture. Cordite DEN Denman, NSW designate Canadian production and/or issue. However, the meaning of the date stamp is, in my view, the year the barrel was produced. Thanks a lot for all the information. ordnance; we see items such as L2 55mm Smoke Bomb, L2 hand So there are certainly at least 2 meanings for the HV mark, those service rifles which were altered, and some specialist Target Rifles for example, which had ' strengthened ' High Velocity barrels. $125.00. L3A1 .30 cal Browning M1919A4 (fixed gun). L42A1 7.62mm Sniper Rifle, conversion of .303 No. D.S. dailyinfo[22]=' Major Thomas Archibald BATCHELOR Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Cross No. MH (S.A.A.) Ltd. Greycaine Ltd. small arms, edged weapons, MGs. DE/C Debert 4 Mk I/2 or I/3 for MDK (gun ammo) Albion No. XL69 4.85mm left hand Light Support Weapon L13A1 5.56mm Blank Fire Attachment, Blank ammunition. OAP Ordnance Assembly Plant Click here and we'll show you how to ID your oiler type in three steps. The following list is generally post-Great War vintage and therefore it is I am about to go off to access my secure storage so I will check both this and the HV mark and report back. Bore Viewers images http://www.enfield-stuff.com/tools/bore_viewers/index.htm . H.V. Large grain BC Beloeil Chatteralaut (French). I had the bolt get locked down due to a primer falling out of the casing after the round fired. Seen in the picture above are the places where the serial number and manufacturer can be found. L11A1 9mm Automatic Pistol Kit (same as L9A1 but with accessories & kit). Copyright Markings on Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk 1* 1478 views Bryan Brown Dec 2, 1996, 3:00:00 AM to Among the markings on the No. MS Salisbury, SA No.2 (also Mauritius) Military small arms, Generally, the infantry (County regts.) You know more about this than I do, so hopefully, we can make some sense of those markings. Known Fact: originally built at Lithgow in 1943 or Refurbished at Lithgow in 1943, was used at some point by the Ministry of Defense. Factory service. Very nice. I lifted the rear windage sight and, sure enough, it is stamped HV with what I believe is SC, just like Chris' photos above. On balance then I think I am now more certain than I was previously that HV was a standard WWI mark applied to both new production and converted rifles and that the date stamped on the barrel knox form is a production/acceptance date of the barrel as opposed to a reissue stamp. C9A1 5.56mm Minimi LMG with optical sight T.N.T. Coast defence Also included here The new S/N matches the Knox form & receiver S/N. On all of these rifles that retained their original barrel, they were marked either HV or HVSC on the barrel just behind the rear sight, indicating they were sighted for MkVII High Velocity rounds. N.P.L. Breech mechanism BN/C Borden MK Mark C No.7 Mk I .22 trainer of Stores The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Find the worth of your vintage Lee Enfield rifle. L12A1 9mm Blank Fire Attachment, Blank ammunition. British Standard Specification G.C. A.T.I. var fontend = '' Surveyor-General of Ordnance L47A1 7.65mm Pistol, Walther PP. Small arms training maybe even 100% more than for a regular German manufacturer. C.I.S.A. This is not to say that Enfield serial numbers provide no information or that they are not an interesting subject. LA/C L'Arcadie I read that BO would indicate early 1944. 's Defence Council Instructions MSP Port Pirie, SA (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force). W.C.& S Ltd. William Clowes & Sons Ltd. Ordnance Some of these abbreviations may also found marked on the action M.L.E. It can get a little confusing! grenade and L9 SUSAT sight. BGT Bogan Gate, NSW C.A. It's easy! DU/C Dundurn M.O.A. Lancashire Fusiliers who died 25/04/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' dittos what he said - beat me to it by an hour or so , should be a nice rifle for you , i have a lot of BSA made rifles in my assortment , i like them a lot . 4 Westley Richards. & Co. Percy Lund, Humphries Henry Rifled Barrel Co., 1878- codes may be found on various wartime small arms manufactured in Nazi-occupied Gas operated R. & E. Range & elevation AFV service. F.S. along with some notes on British, South Africa and New Zealand stations where packing. G.R. Danish G.S.B. Sign up for a new account in our community. Vickers Armstrong, Erith belt C.E.A.D. V.A.O.S Vocabulary of Army Stores Royal Carriage Department An excellent, expanding reference library of text and pictures of both common and rare Lee Enfields. Angels Lost and Found; http://www.milsurps.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48 . (Arm) Director General, Armaments The British 'Tommy' Ian Skennerton has personally viewed this rifle & has verified it & for those who have his book "The Lee-Enfield" you will find mention of this rifle on page 566 & for the sharp eyed lot, yes . L7A27.62mm Machine Gun, improved L7A1 with revised feed mechanism & L8 parts to enable removal for perimeter defence. L46A1 7.62mm Machine Gun, drill (Skeleton model L7A1/A2). GBK Glenbrook, NSW I believe this distinction is repeated on a large number of my rifles. Obsolete for future manufacture