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A Firearms Whatziss!

By The Armorer on July 7, 2006 | | Comments (24)

Why not? You guys have been working hard on all the obscure stuff.

Not that this isn't obscure, in it's way.

Your first instinct is probably wrong.

The usual questions: Who used it, what is the whole item (not just the closeup portion), etc.

It's on the net, in several places, too - not a complete cypher.

Update: Okay, John S, the gun dealer who *sold* me the rifle, gets it correct.

Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, No 1 Mk V. An experimental rifle that led to the No. 4 Mk1 of WWII fame.

Fuller view of the receiver here.

Hi Dbie! How're ya doon?

This is the rifle that usually holds the rifle-mounted barbed wire cutter. Which it *never* did in service I might add - I just have more stuff to stick on my No. 1's than I have rifles...

Jim B's crack about Australia is actually on the mark - many of these rifles *did* find their way to Australia - this one did. It sits in a No 1 Mk III stock (incorrect for the rifle, technically - the Mk V had an extra reinforcing band and one-piece upper handguard) marked to the New South Wales police.

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24 Comments

By Tim on July 7, 2006 7:55 AM
And here I was gonna say a 1913 Rossenfutz cypher. Drat.
 
By Trias on July 7, 2006 7:55 AM
Oo easy :-/ I looks old. Pretty damn old. I'll vote WW1 old. It's not German. Maybe British. Maybe a rifle?
 
By SangerM on July 7, 2006 8:02 AM
Windage and elevation site. On a... let's see... A 19-oh-10 Turkobritsh Mauser, Mk2, w/ vertical bayonet mounting.
 
By AL on July 7, 2006 8:28 AM
SMLE rear sight, maybe a shotgun conversion used by India or.......working..
 
By AL on July 7, 2006 8:47 AM
Micrometer rear sight No.4 mk1. Fits on reciever bridge not barrel. maybe..
 
By AFSister on July 7, 2006 8:56 AM
I'm guessing a bayonet mounting also, but that's the extent of the guess.
 
By USMC Steve on July 7, 2006 9:17 AM
Loks like the rear receiver bridge and rear sight assembly of a British SMLE number 1 Mk 3 of WW1 vintage.
 
By sangerM on July 7, 2006 9:21 AM
Actually, I assume that bump-thingy facing us on the right (forward of the receiver) is a charging handle of some kind (has slide marks on it, and depth is off). I would guess this is a carbine of some kind, and that the bolt is open?
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 9:27 AM
If you mouse over the picture, you'll see some text... that is applicable to some of you. It is not a bayonet mount. Keep going - you're both closer and farther than you think.
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on July 7, 2006 9:50 AM
Rifle No 4, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield. Sorry no serial number ... Cheers
 
By Neffi on July 7, 2006 9:53 AM
Volley-fire sight on a No1 MkIII SMLE... one of you're rifles, I presume?
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 9:56 AM
It is, indeed Neffi. And no, that is *not* a volley fire sight. I'll hafta post a pic of that.
 
By John S. on July 7, 2006 10:00 AM
Finally an easy Whatziss! Rear sight assembly of the British Mark V .303 rifle. About 20,000 of these rifles were made at Enfield 1922-1924. These were basically an improvement over the familiar No. 1 Mark III Short Magazine Lee Enfield of WW1 fame with the rear sight on the receiver instead of on the barrel, for better sighting. (Much like the relocation of the rear sight on the U.S. M1903 and M1903A3 rifles.) Everyone should have one! Maybe more than one..... I first saw one of these in 1960, in a barrel of .303 rifles at the John Wanamaker store in suburban Philadelphia, all priced at $9.95. My Mom wouldn't buy it for me. :-(
 
By jim b on July 7, 2006 10:02 AM
Fortunately I watch Monte Python, so I know it is a beer bottle opener cleverly affixed to a WWI era Brit Enfield. Unfortunately, no shipments of bottled beer made it to France. They did howeve make it to Australia, where little Bushmen devised Brit Enfields out of them and overthrew the Australian Women's Temperance League. Up the British!!!
 
By AFSister on July 7, 2006 10:12 AM
John, your "mouse over" clue sucks a$$. meanie.
 
By AFSister on July 7, 2006 10:15 AM
.... and I mean that in the best possible way. You're collection is indeed very interesting. (mouse over the picture to see if you can figger out why I misused "you're") yeah. I'm being a smarta$$.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 10:27 AM
John S, (I shoulda disqualified *you*) gets it right. Lee Enfield SMLE No. 1 Mk. V - the interim rifle that led to the No. 4. In fact, I think I *bought* this one from John. (shakes head sadly) No *wonder* he recognized it - it's in his Bound Book! BTW, John - didja write this, channel this, or plagiarize this?
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 10:28 AM
AFSis - *whatever* do you mean, dear?
 
By AFSister on July 7, 2006 10:34 AM
heheh....... nice fix, John. But at least I got you to giggle... cuz I know you did. Right after you let out a big sigh and a "JEEEZ! Denizennes...."
 
By Trias on July 7, 2006 10:39 AM
I didn't do too bad considering I've never seen a gun. Is the grippy thing a sight?
 
By Neffi on July 7, 2006 10:42 AM
Sis, you weren't the first to call John on it- note my comment above, eh? Perhaps I wuz too subtle... ;)
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 10:42 AM
Trias - the "grippy thing" if I'm guessing correctly, is the sliding rear sight. For long range shooting (vice "battle sight") you flipped up the ladder and then moved the slide to the appropriate range marking and started blazing away.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 7, 2006 10:45 AM
Neffi - I ignore grungy old men in favor of cute chix. Really, like I should have to say that. This is just a pathetic cry for attention on your part... 8^)
 
By AFSister on July 7, 2006 11:19 AM
hahaha! Neffi... I totally missed that. Good call! Next time, perhaps you should flounce about with a bikini clad gurl to get John's attention.
 
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