HOW I BECAME AN S.M.L.E. ADDICT

(or Enfield Rifle Collector)

By E. N. Field

Growing up in post war Britain I was taught to shoot by my grandfather with a Diana air rifle in our back garden.  By the age of twelve I had graduated to an old BSA under-lever in .177 and at 15 was out shooting rabbits and wood pigeons with a Harrington and Richardson 20 gauge single barrel hammer shotgun or my grandfathers Chassepot 12 gauge.

I first met the SMLE when I was about 11 years old and joined the local detachment of army cadets (A Coy. 2nd Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment).  We had fifty No 1 Mk III* rifles in the armoury at the local drill hall, as well as two Bren guns.  We learned the names of all the parts of the rifle, drilled with it and frequently had to clean it.  We carried the rifle on "manoeuvres" in the local countryside and occasionally were issued with blank rounds.  At summer camp we were taken to the range and got to shoot the rifle, leaving our young shoulders rather blue with bruises. We also learned to strip and clean the Bren and carry out all the "Immediate Actions" for stoppages with the LMG.

When I joined the Royal Navy, at age 17, I was introduced to the No 4 as well as the No 8 & 9 training rifles, the Lanchester and the Stirling.  In the Navy I continued to pursue my interest in shooting, taking part in the establishment matches and Command shoots.  It was not long before I had bought my own Parker Hale No 4.

To the No4 I added an SMLE, a P 14 and a Charger Loading Lee Enfield. However the stringent firearms regulations in Britain did not make it easy for an individual to acquire a large number of rifles.  Each new purchase had to be justified to the police.  By my mid twenties I was married, had children and a mortgage, and other interests took my attention.

Although I still managed some Service shooting and back garden air gun shooting with my own kids, it was not until middle age that I returned actively to the sport.  At this time, in the mid 1980s, Self-Loading Rifles were the order of the day, mine being a British L1A1 and H & K G3.  At this time my son was of an age when he could shoot a full bore rifle and I bought him an SMLE Mk III, although it was officially on my license.  It is this rifle that was the starting point of my present addiction (collection).

I had only returned to the active shooting scene for a couple of years when our country was rocked by the Hungerford massacre.  Following this tragic event all SLRs were banned in the UK.  It was not long after this that I retired from the Royal Navy and set off with my family to sail our yacht around the world.  I took along the SMLE, just because I still could.

Half way round the world we arrived in this wonderful place called New Zealand.  We liked it and the people so much that we decided to tarry awhile.  Then we decided to stay permanently, became residents and ultimately citizens.  Gradually my new friends introduced me to shooting in New Zealand and I have joined several clubs.

My collecting started slowly.  As previously mentioned I had brought my sons SMLE with me to New Zealand.  A friend offered me a sporterised No4 Mk I * by Savage, which I subsequently restored to military spec.  Then I found a No5 Mk I Jungle Carbine in a local sports shop and added that to my gun cupboard.  From an advert in the local paper I gained a Martini Enfield Rifle.  Now I needed a Long Tom or P 14.

A tip off from an acquaintance at a club shoot alerted me to a Lee Enfield Mk I* that was up for sale.  The vendor of this rifle suggested I put an ad in the wanted column of the local paper.  This resulted in a call from a collector who was selling off his collection.  Although I was late on the scene I still gained a few welcome additions to my collection, a Martini Henry Carbine, No 4 Mk I* by Long Branch and a .22 Short Rifle Mk I.

About this time I was introduced to the NZ Antique Arms Association and now enjoy the bi-monthly meeting where we take along collectables designated by a specific letter of the alphabet.  I also enjoy the auctions organised by NZAAA branches throughout the year and have been pleased with my modest success to date on making postal bids.

The oldest rifle in my collection is a Martini Enfield Mk I converted from an 1881 Martini Henry Mk III.  The youngest is an Ishapore No 1 Mk 2A date 1965.  The newest is a Fazakerley No 4 Mk 2 dated 1955, which was still in its factory grease and wrapping and as yet unfired.  Rarest so far is a SMLE Mk I *** dated 1906.  Of the .22 training rifles my best buy to date is an SMLE Mk IV* converted in NZ.

In researching my collection Ian Skennerton's "Lee Enfield Story" is the bible, with Charles R Stratton's "British Enfield Rifles" series also of great value.

I have found collecting and shooting Enfield rifles a fascinating and rewarding hobby and through it have met some interesting people and made new friends.  As a collector I am well and truly hooked and eagerly await the results of the next auction or that unexpected find that may be just round the corner.

Enfield (Middlesex) History

A SERVICE FROM WEBVERT.CO.UK LTD

Enfield has been a bustling market town since 1303 when the market charter was granted, with the cobbled market square, St Andrews Church and the New River winding its way through the centre it retains the feeling of a traditional country town.  Within a short walk of the town centre you step back in time to the Georgian era at Gentleman's Row, famous for it's connections with the Essayist and Poet Charles Lamb who stayed at Clarenden Cottage with his sister Mary in 1825 and 1827.

Enfield is a place of contrast where the city meets the countryside. London's northern most Borough is only a short journey from the heart of the City and offers visitors the tranquillity of parks and open spaces as well as bustling markets and shopping centres.

The former hunting grounds of Kings of England is as rich in history as it is in present day entertainment with a choice of theatres, cinemas and sports facilities.  New businesses are being attracted to Enfield's suburbs, building on the rich heritage which made it one of the innovative centres of trade and brought the world it's first colour television.  Visitors can discover Enfield's past following the footsteps of John Keats, Thomas Hardy and John Betjeman and enjoy the present in the shape of Capel Manor splendid gardens and the majesty of Trent Park.

Enfield is one of the capitals greenest Boroughs set amid more than 2,000 acres of parkland and open spaces. You can explore some of London's oldest countryside and imagine when most of the Borough was covered by the wooded reaches of Enfield Chase, Royal hunting ground to the Kings of England. You can wonder through the majestic sweep of Trent Park with it's rolling grassland and broad avenues of Oak and Sycamore or even visit the stately 17th Century Manor House, Forty Hall. Alternatively, you may enjoy the wonderful public gardens of Capel Manor, home to the country's leading horticultural college and Myddelton House, full of exotic plants collected by well known botanist E.A. Bowles.

Enfield has a rich industrial heritage and for more than 200 years the eastern perimeter of the Borough was the hub of the capital's manufacturing industry. The area was dominated by the bulk of the Royal Small Arms Factory which mass produced the Lee Enfield Rifle. The area also ushered in the electronic age with the invention of the Diode valve which gave birth to radio, television and computers.

LEE ENFIELD

SENTENCING AND REPAIR MARKS

Paul M. R. Breakey, Livonia, Michigan (USA)

The following is offered as a brief interpretation of the various sentencing and rebuild marks applied to British Commonwealth arms from about 1900 to 1960.  It is by no means complete or totally accurate as instructions have changed over the years by government direction and local interpretation.

The local unit armourer was instructed by the "Instructions to Armourers" and later "Lists of Changes" to maintain the arms in a certain manner.  He was allowed to make minor repairs, such as replace damaged wood furniture, re-brown the metal finish, replace small damaged or lost parts and mark the arm with the unit's designated abbreviation, date of weapon issue and an inventory or rack number.   Major problems such as excess headspace, rusty, bent or ringed barrels and bent receiver rails required that the arm be forwarded to an ordnance detachment for repair or further sentencing.  Repairs beyond their capability were sent to a repair factory, such as Fazakerley or Bagot Street , Enfield or Commonwealth arms factories, Lithgow, Ishapore and Long Branch.  Rifle upgrades such as the No. 1 Mk1 to Mk1***  were returned to factory or major repair facilities like the Navy's Portsmouth Depot.  The Long Lee to Charger Loading conversions were done at Enfield and Vickers Sons & Maxim.

Reynolds in his "The Lee Enfield Rifle" talks about the Traveling View Master who visited all active units and inspected their arms.  He could sentence a rifle to be returned to a major repair facility for repair/rebuild.   Rust in the bore would be removed and the rough area identified with an "*" asterisk mark at the approximate position of the spot.  This was done to identify the spot so that the soldier could be fined again if rust was found elsewhere and if it was issued to a new man-he would not be charged.  A great number of early rifles have a series of two digit year dates stamped on the left side of the socket.  These indicate the year an inspection took place, a repair was made or the weapon was upgraded to the next design level.

During WWII, rifles were marked "BLR" in paint on the butt during sentencing.  This stood for Beyond Local Repair, indicating that the finished the repair, the paint was removed and the stock or socket was marked "FR" which indicated that a factory repair had been accomplished.  Indian guns are often marked on the socket along with the last two digits of the year of repair.   Major rebuilds or reconditioning as was done after the war, were marked FTR and a date to indicate a Factory Thorough Repair had been done to restore the weapon to factory new equivalent.  After WWII, you will encounter rifles with the stock or action marked in paint "Z" or "ZF" which indicate major repairs are needed.  Guidelines were established to determine the extent of repairs and which Zed marking applied.  I have seen many Hi Powers with these marks and would suggest any arm so marked and intended to be shot, should be examined by a qualified gunsmith to insure that what ever was wrong was fixed.