The same serial number sequences were often used by different makers, and on different series of firearms, so a serial number, e.g. A2785, may have been applied to a Lee-Metford rifle, Lee-Enfield cavalry carbine and Lee-Enfield rifle, all produced at the same factory, Enfield. Bayonet serial numbers are usually those of the rifle with which it. Rifle & Carbine Serial Number Log. MAGAZINE LEE RIFLES & CARBINES Lee-Metford Lee-Enfield Note: Charger loaders and conversions are family. Please record original details from right side of butt socket (left side for carbines) below the royal cypher (crown, V.R. 303 british identification, 303 british rifle identification, 303 british serial. The “Y” suffix on the serial number occurs on Ishapore Rifle Factory Mk III. Rifles manufactured between 1946-1980+ (Skennerton’s The Lee-Enfield, pp. The crown and GRI marks narrow the manufacture date to between 1946 and roughly 1951. Aug 17, 2008 Lee Enfield - Serial Numbers. Post Aug 17, 2008 #1 2008-08-17T19:19. Over the past several months, Enfield Rifle Research has received dozens of questions about the spate of 'new' and 'rare' Lee-Enfields that have been showing up lately at gun shows and in pawn shops. When reference is made to an all matching SMLE the serial numbers must all be the same.No4 rifles were given a starting number that may be used to.

SERIAL NUMBERS..

Earlier SMLE and previous MLM & MLE rifles & carbines initially had the action body batches allocated a letter, before the serial numbers were stamped (to 9999 in each series). These commenced with no letter, then progressed A thru' Z, often nominated for different contractors, RSAF Enfield, RSAF Sparkbrook, BSA Co., LSA Co., and the peddled scheme during WW1. It is interesting that different rifle and carbine Marks recommenced with the no letter and A-Z series with each new model, so it is possible to find carbines/rifles of different Mark designations with the same serial number. This is a reason that upon unit issue, serial nos. were not recorded, rather that rack numbers were assigned and stamped on the butt or butt-plate tang. On some rifles, particularly the SMLE, these unit or rack issue numbers were stamped on the top of the action body as well, e.g. in Aussie service '3.M.D.' (3rd Military District) '10381' (the Military District or unit rack no.)
On MLM, MLE and earlier SMLE rifles, the batch letter will be noted sometimes above or below the serial no. because the serial number was stamped later in production and stamped on the body and breech bolt too. Serial nos. stamped on the nosecap boss, fore-end, underside of the rearsight leaf, &c. was done at Base Ordnance Depots and by armourers to keep together components original to particular rifles during maintenenace and repair. This also applied, to a certain degree, to No.4 and No.5 rifles, particularly to the fore-end and later extended to the magazine case as well. For the SMLE, we usually find serial nos. stamped on magazine cases only on Indian issue rifles.

Recording of serial numbers for Enfield muskets, .577 Sniders and .450 & .303 Martini rifles & carbines is essential for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) however the numbers stamped on the butt or even on action bodies are rarely the firearm's serial number. Rack or issue numbers were stamped on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the butt-plate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number.
Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible and removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body can damage wood furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M. & M.E. too) has rust on it. M.H. serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while .303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm. serial nos. for .577 Sniders and .450 & .303 Martini rifles & carbines is required for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) but numbers stamped on the butt or even action bodies are rarely a firearm's serial number. Rack or issue numbers were marked on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the buttplate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number.
Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible; removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body may damage furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M. & M.E. too) has rust on it. M.H. serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while .303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm.

No.4 and No.5 rifle serial numbers can readily identify manufacturers. British No.4 rifles have five numbers, usually after one or two letter prefixes. The same letter prefix(es) were used by Maltby, Fazakerley & BSA Shirley, A to Z then AA, AB to AZ, then BA to BZ, CA to CZ &c. Maltby rifle serial numbers commence with a number '1', Fazakerley with a '2' and Shirley with a '3', e.g. 1xxxx for Maltby, 2xxxx for Fazakerley and for Shirley, 3xxxx, after the letter prefix. Late Shirley numbers then supposedly ran A4000 to A7999 and with PS prefixes at the very end of production. Post-war Fazakerley No.4 rifles had PF letter prefixes. The only exception to the 5-number sequence for No.4 rifles was the initial BSA Shirley production which ran from 0001 to 9999 then went with A to Z prefixes (A0001 to A9999 to the Z prefix) and some early dual letter prefixes (e.g. AT 0303), but then went over to A30001, &c. So early M47C No.4 rifle numbers could be confused with the Jungle carbine in having four rather than five numbers.
Long Branch (Canada) serial numbers incorporate an 'L' in the serial number while US Savage numbers include an 'C' in a similar relative position amongst the numbers. Both of these No.4 rifle series commenced with 0L1 and 0C1 respectively.
No.5 Jungle Carbines only have 4 numbers, the Shirley carbines have BB to C? prefixes, last production was post World War 2. The Fazakerley jungle carbines ran from FE1 to FE1000 initial production, then with no letter prefix, followed by A1 to A9999 through Z9999.

Serial numbers of certain Lee-Enfields can serve as indicators of the model and help with initial authentication. The 'BS' prefix was used for the .22 British No.7 rifles, 'T1' for the .22 No.5 trials small-bore target rifles in 1945 and 'DA' for the .22 No.8 N.Z. contract rifles by BSA Shirley. 'SKN' was applied to factory sectionized models, an 'XP' prefix was used for Lithgow Shortened & Lightened SMLE and No. 6 jungle carbines, 'X' was used for a small number of Lithgow No.1 rifles with stainless steel barrels and 'FE' was used for early production Fazakerley No. 5 jungle carbines. Trials No. 1 Mk VI and No. 4 Mk 1 rifles made in the early 1930s have an 'A' prefix to their original serial numbers although many were later upgraded to No. 4 specs and the 'A' became a suffix to indicate the fitting of some non-interchangeable components. On No. 4 rifles, an 'A' suffix was stamped by a repair depot or armou

Lee Enfield Rifle Serial Number Lookup