[rockmax2]

Hey guys I bought this 1917 B.S.A CO Lee Enfield Smle a couple of days ago I’m just curious on the nose cap serial number the letter is a J but the numbers match the other parts that are matching have a D. Here are some pictures. Thanks

I don’t think the stock is original because I don’t see a serial number.

 

[Grizzley1]

The letters aren't part of the serial number.

 

[rockmax2]

I see do you know they are for?

 

[Hawg]

The letters are inspectors stamps. I've never seen SMLE on a stock before and the ID disk is missing.

 

[rockmax2]

Yeah other people say they never seen the smle in the stock either I think someone probably bubba’d it.

Or it’s a reproduction stock.

 

[rockmax2]

Some people are saying the font on the serial numbers don’t look correct. The only one that looks a little odd to me is the serial number on the nose cap what do you guys think?

 

[Hawg]

I don't see anything wrong with the font. The numbers on the nose cap are crowded and it was probably a blank cap that somebody had numbered.

 

[jim brady]

I wouldn't worry about the numbers - they look correct to me. I doubt if anyone tried to force match those numbers. How does the bore look?

Just before I bought my last SMLE No1MkIII - I happened to read an article in one of the gun magazines about them. The author crowed about how "The Sergeants made sure that those SMLEs were well maintained". Horse puckey. I guess I had one with a sloppy NCO. My 1916 SMLE had a bore that looked like the interior of an old sewer pipe. It took a very intense cleaning, many bottles of Sweet's, Hoppes, JB Bore Paste, 20 rounds of Brownell's fire-lapping bullets and hundreds of tight fitting patches to improve that bore. It isn't perfect now, but much better and shoots great.

If you decide to completely strip it down for cleaning and oiling - be extra careful when you remove the fore stock. The wood in the receiver area is very thin and prone to break/crack if you are not careful. (I won't tell you how I know this.....)

One last chirp: If you reload or plan to get into it, do yourself a favor and use neck-size dies when you resize your fired cases - NOT the 'full length size die'. The .303 is notorious for developing the dreaded 'ring' at the base of the cases and will only last 2 or 3 reloadings before they begin to show signs of case separation. You can stretch out your case life if you just neck size them. The .303 was made with large chambers to enable the soldier to fire dirty or slightly damaged battlefield ammunition. Good for the soldier in the field - not so good for the reloader.