[Gordon Frye]

Etienne:

I agree with Jean that the SMLE is a GREAT rifle, and in my opinion the best of the military bolt actions as a military rifle. Perhaps not as accurate nor as strong as the Mausers, but easier to keep clean and a heck of a lot faster to manipulate. Coming with a 10-round magazine, it's a lot faster to "unload" than a Mauser-style with it's 5-round magazine. I do find the stripper clips of the Lee to be a bit more of a challenge than the Mauser's stripper clips, especially in making sure that no rims overlap the wrong way, but other than that it's a very fine rifle (with the caviat that it's in good shape, that is).

I have a couple of nice old Lee's, both are made by BSA in 1915 and both shoot very well. One was sadly butchered by some amature gunsmith years ago trying to "sporterize" it, but lucky for me it is still quite sound otherwise. Both are reasonably accurate, and both have very, very smooth fast actions. And I find the SMLE Mk III*'s to be much smoother, and therefore faster than the WWII No.4MkI's, though the later's sights are better. (Interestingly enough, though members of the Empire/Commonwealth, neither India nor Australia ever adopted the No. 4 series of rifles, but stuck by their tried and true SMLE's until they were replaced by the FAL in the late-1950's/early-1960's. Fine rifles, those old SMLE's are!)

At any rate, per having the headspace checked, it's a very good idea, though it's not nearly as critical on a rifle such as the SMLE firing a rimmed case as it would be with a Mauser-style rifle firing a rimless case. None the less, I'd have it done prior to shooting. As Linn says, much better to err on the side of caution and have you do this than for us to read of your misfortune due to our poor advice! The good news is that if you find an older gunsmith around, he's probably got all of the tools for checking the headspace and doing other gauging on the rifle, as the SMLE was a very popular rifle in Canada from the 1920's through at least until the 1980's, and probably still is to some degree, since it was the standard service rifle of the Canadian Forces for over 50 years.

Good luck on this, and it's good to see Canadian lads taking up shooting!

Cheers!

Gordon

[Nick Trueman]

Etienne

Sorry i'm late on this one. Can you post some photos of your rifle? Especially markings and stamps, and a overall pic?
I can tell you lots if you send me pics.

Heres my favorite, BSA No1 MkIII all matched numbers. Made in 1916, still shoot it ,just to give the .22 shooters a headache.

I havent had a chance to read all the replies but whatever you do. do not fire X military .303 rnds through your rifle! Mk7 ammunition which is the most common, was made for the no4 mk1 etc and Vickers machine guns.... ww1 SMLES were
not made to handle the pressures of this cartridge.
Though towards the end of the war they changed this so all .303 ammo could be used. Check to see if there is a marking
on your barrel labeled HV ( high velocity ). It should be located next to the fore end adjustable sight. Then you can use it but I dont recommend it anyway.


Nick

[Nick Trueman]

9 out 10

Because the cartridge was rimmed, a inexperienced soldier or civilian will jam it under pressure!

10 out of 10 as its was the best made military bolt action made for its time, and because Im biased. Nothing came close until the M1 Garand came about.

N

[Nick Trueman]

Safety

Take it to a gunsmith who knows about SMLE style safety's and action.

But this test you can do your self

Cock the rifle ( make sure the barrel is clear off any bullets)

release the safety to safe position.

The trigger should still be able to move freely, BUT if when you depress the trigger it fires, then your safety lug needs replacing. This is easy for a gunsmith, Ive done my own.

If it doesnt fire the rifle, then this is normal. If the safety is working properly you wont be able to open the bolt/action. it will lock.

Hope this helps.

Nick

[Nick Trueman]

MMMM

5 Rnd magazine?. This is odd for a 1918 No1 MkIII*. Ok if you cant send pics of the rifle describe it. Does it look like the one I posted earlier?
When you lift the bolt tell me what is written on the metal band, and tell me if there is a crown present?
Also on the bolt arm just behind the knob, what is the number stamped there? Also where the barrel is exposed and the bullet goes in ( Breech, knox form ), what number is stamped there? And any other funny numbers or letters in that area.

Cheers

Nick

[Etienne Hamel]

Like i said earlier i cant have pics of it and if you want me to describe it you will be a little surprised but anyway...

first yes it looks like the one you sent but the front sight has been removed, the "wooden upper caps" too, the sight that you "lift" is also not there and the cleaning rod is not there as well (so there is not garnments) but it's working well and i wish i could restore it...

and i don't know well about the magazine because it is as big as yours but my grand father said it is for 5 rounds only and i don't know how to test its capacity (is it with real bullets or...)

[Gordon Frye]

It's possible that there has been a block put into the magazine to ensure that only five rounds can be loaded into it in order to fulfill hunting regulations. I'm not sure about Canada, but in most states in the US, hunting regs require that your magazine hold five rounds or less. Some states don't require this, others do, and if Quebec required this then that would explain why it only holds five rounds at present. It's easy enough to fix, you order a new magazine and save the old one for hunting, if you ever do that with the rifle.

Cheers!

Gordon

[Nick Trueman]

Etienne

Ok sounds like your rifle may have been sporterized? Basically people get X military rifles and remove parts of the stock and in some cases shorten the barrel. They do this to lighten the rifle. But very strange that they have removed the sights?

When you get a chance measure the length of the barrel, and I will tell you if its worth restoring.

This is only a guess as there is no way to tell without a photo.

Just out of curiosity does your rifle look like this?

[Etienne Hamel]

there is something on mines that you doesn't have on yours. i don't have your type of back sight but my kind is a little more "big" and near the bolt (like over it). and the barrel seems just right because the end of it is approximately 45 or 50 cm long after the hand grip not the handle (i'm not familiarized with these therms ).

[Nick Trueman]

like this?

[Etienne Hamel]

nope smaller than that like a small bridge on the bolt.

[Etienne Hamel]

like this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SMLE_Mk_III.jpg

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Shayan G]

Mildly off-topic but regarding the use of antique Enfields, I've ready from many different firsthand accounts that many Afghan fedayeen used decades-old Enfields to great effect as sharpshooters' weapons against the Russians. These weapons were almost a century old by then, and still functioned well enough to be used in combat...astounding!

That said, as those with more experience have already stated above, DEFINITELY get this one checked out by an experienced gunsmith before you even consider using it, and get extensive firearm safety training as well.

[Lin Robinson]

[Shayan G]

Ah, I remember reading that somewhere too, thanks for reminding me! The account that first popped into my mind was of an antique, and even some of the ammunition used in the antique rifle was leftover from the British, which is what really astounded me. I don't know too much about rifles and I had NO idea antique ammunition could work decades after manufacture. The Enfield sounds like quite the rifle.

[Lin Robinson]

[Nick Trueman]

"nope smaller than that like a small bridge on the bolt."

Gee that sounds like a no4 Mk1 etc. But the pic you sent from wikpedia is the first SMLE, with volley sights. Does the little sight flip up and down?

N

[Nick Trueman]

Ok any closer?

[Nick Trueman]

The only other true SMLE I can think of with a sight over the breech is the Mk V trial rifle. If this what you own hang onto it.

check the link

http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ri3a.htm