1917 BSA Co. MkIII* on Gunbroker

[tklawrence]

"This is a beautiful 1917 SMLE(Short Magazine Lee Enfield) MKIII in .303 British with a ten round magazine. The rifle has crisp clean rifleing and the bolt cycles smoothe and easy, I checked all the stamps and this was a WWI service rifle and has not been back through the factory for repairs, it was imported by the Navy Arms company in New Jersey. It does have the magazine interuptor fully intact which is quite uncommon as a lot were either damaged or broken off in the trenches and they stopped putting it on the rifles shortly after its introduction which further limits the number that still have them in working condition. I have only fired a few rounds through it to make sure it functions properly."

(Bold/underlining are my adddition.)

Aussie MkIII Butt 2.jpgAussie MkIII Butt 3.jpgAussie MkIII Butt 4.jpgLT Receiver 1917 MkIII.jpgRT Receiver 1917 MkIII.jpg

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=483893535


What are your thoughts?


(I am not promoting the Gunbroker site, just pointing out the obvious errors of the description of this rifle. If this violates forum rules I will delete it.)

[tklawrence]

I should add, it's a very nice looking rifle, it's just not fully what he says it is. If I could afford to bid, I would.

[Garden Valley]

It appears the seller either added to his description or you did not read far enough because he addresses the FTR.

[robh5]

Would a 1917 original rifle have a beech wood stock as this does, or should it be walnut?

[Art]

Would a 1917 original rifle have a beech wood stock as this does, or should it be walnut?

With the disclaimer that anything is possible - Before WWI the stocks were naturally dried walnut. I understand that by 1917 the Brits had gone to kiln dried walnut and continued to use that wood until the end of the war. I had a rifle of the same vintage ant the stock was walnut.

[tklawrence]

It appears the seller either added to his description or you did not read far enough because he addresses the FTR.

Actually, I did some digging to confirm what I thought and then I sent him a message and pointed out the fact that it had indeed been FTR'd and why I thought so. I would be curious to know when and how Navy Arms acquired it to import it into the States.

[Garden Valley]

I understand now.

My guess would be it came in with the large quantity of Australian rifles imported some twenty-five years or so ago. Several importers brought them in. John Jovino brought in rifles and a sizeable quantity of spare parts that they assembled into complete Australian No. 1 Mk III* rifles in Brooklyn.

[JB White]

That's not a beech stock. After having a couple of workovers it's been restocked. Looks to be older coachwood but...it could also be Queensland Maple since it's carrying the Lithgow shield. I have a hard time telling the two apart sometimes.