The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

It was an interesting weekend at the gun show down in Puyallup Washington. With the Washington Initiative 594 going into effect on December 4th, this is the last major show before the requirement of background checks for all firearm transfers. (Yeah, ambiguously defined "transfers"). I figured that with that happening, there'd be a lot of activity at the show with lots of private sellers walking around with rifles as well as many of the normal folks with tables really bringing out the good stuff. While there was a very large crowd at the show, there weren't anywhere near as many rifles walking around as I had hoped. Saw a couple of interesting rifles at the tables as well, some priced ok, some just ridiculously priced. Came close to getting a Hungarian m44 for $175 but with a non-matching bolt, just couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger. Saw an all matching 1954 Romainian m44 but at $280, just wasn't quite feeling that one either. Also saw a 1944 Tikka M91\30 with a round receiver for $400, nicest Mosin of the show. I got my hex receiver one for $140 last year and don't really need a round receiver all that much! Was tempted by two m96's as well, especially after all the gorgeous ones that have shown up here over the past couple of weeks! I don't know why but I just couldn't pull the trigger on either of those mostly because I want one in a walnut stock and not the beech.

We were walking out of the show when we saw an Enfield No 1 Mark III leaning up against the wall with a for sale sign sticking out of it. I've been wanting to add one to my collection for a while but all of the ones at the tables were way too expensive ($400 and up). I wasn't really looking for one that's terribly collectible, just one that would hopefully be a good shooter. This one really had that "been there done that" look to it that I like in my rifles. Honestly it probably went there and did it a few times! I did a once over on the rifle and all of the metal seemed to be in pretty good shape. The bore was shiny and had decent rifling, so I figured it would have a good chance of being a decent shooter. The rifle came with 50 rounds of South African ammo on stripper clips and a bayonet. I went ahead and bought the rifle.

I'll be honest here, this was a gamble for me and I'm wondering whether I should have simply passed on this one or not. I'm conflicted about how I feel now that I've brought it home, torn it down and got a chance to really look closer at everything. I'm hoping that some of you guy's with more experience with the Enfields might be able to comment and let me know how much of an idiot I was for buying this one.

So here are some photos along with some pieces of information that I know about the rifle. I'll admit, there's much more that I don't know than what I do..

1917 SSA "Peddle Scheme" Lee Enfield No 1 Mark III*


The wood on the rifle appears to be three different colors. The butt and foreend appear to be basically the same color. The rear handguard is more of the "red" color and the front handguard is very dark and obviously different from the rest of the wood.


As mentioned above, the rifle came with a bayonet (not in great shape) as well as 50 rounds of South African ammo on stripper clips.


The manufacturer of the "Peddle Scheme" rifles is stamped on the back of the receiver. This one is from SSA (Standard Small Arms).


The EFD stamp is an inspector mark for RSAF Enfield.


The serial numbers on the barrel, receiver, nose cap and rear sight all match. The serial number of the bolt (not shown) has been scrubbed off. (One thing that I kick myself for having missed when I was looking at the rifle at the show.)






The HV stamp behind the rear sight base, for the High Velocity round.


The rifle appears to have been painted green during a refurbishment at some point. This was done in the sub-tropic climates as an anti-corrosive measure. Based on the S^A stamp on the stock, this rifle was in India post-Independence. Likely it was refurbished there and may have acquired the current stock, which I don't believe was original to this rifle, though I could also be wrong on that. At some point the paint on this rifle was removed. I've read that this was done at other refurbishment facilities but could also have been done by an owner state side. I will likely never know for sure. Maybe the older gentleman who sold me the rifle did it to make it more "presentable". Part of the reason why I wonder about this rifle.


There are some additional stamps on the underside of the barrel which I'm not yet familiar with.


Lots of stamps on the barrel and receiver area. There is a lot of history with these stamps and they probably tell me a lot about this rifle but I have not yet found out what most of them mean.






The stock has many stamps on it, most of which I can't quite make out.








So what do you guy's think about this one? Should I have passed and waited for a better example to come along? Any idea's on some of those stamps or are many of them simply like the Mosin stamps where most are simply unknown?

I really want to like this rifle but there's just some things that keep nagging at me. Can't really say what. or why though. Maybe I'm just over thinking things here and just need to shut up and go shoot some more! I did shoot it yesterday and it does shoot. I need some more time with it though, shot about 6-7" left @ 50 yards, though the elevation was good. I was hoping it would have been dead on and stacked shot after shot into the same hole. I would have forgiven some of the other questions I have about it. Well, time will tell on this one I guess...

That one has a lot of stories to tell. The overall appearance gives it a great patina/history.

I can't help you with any info, but I think she's a beauty!

I think the rifle and the bayonet are very nice. The stocks are Indian with the circle ISA and the Ishapore screw in the forestock. Good looking No 1 Mk III. Congrats.

I like it too! I agree there's a heck of a lot of history in that one, and finding a bolt matching No 1 Mk III now would be like finding a needle in the haystack IMHO. My Enfields all shoot high at 100 yards. If I remember right the battle zero for the SMLE was 300 yards or meters (I forget which). Drift the front sight and enjoy it!

I don't think you stated what you paid but around here #1Mk3's are $350.00USD ish and up. I can't remember where but recently saw some 1907 bayonet scabbards on the loose for sale. Soooo, rifle, bayonet sans scabbard, 50 rounds of good Sud Afrika ammo, I think you did pretty well if under $350.00.

I managed to grab this one for $275. Figured that at that price, I wasn't going to be taking too much of a gamble! $350 to $400 seems to be common up here with the occasional one going as low as $300.

It looks like a great milsurp rifle. A fair price on a great piece of history. Congrats!

Very nice and a good price. Doesn't every one at the Puyallup show that buys or sells have to go through a background check anyway to get the card? It shouldn't have any effect on that show but then it is inside enemy territory

Nice SSA, if memory serves mine is a 1918, I think, too lazy to look it up just now. I has a few from the Turkish haul with the green paint still in place. Missmatch color stock not that uncommon, looks like one of my Long Branch's, justthe result of stock repair using a spare part. Nice find,

Can you see an FTR stamp anywhere? That is a late cocking piece, the early one is round and knurled. Excellent enfield though! I a 1917 Enfield No.1 Mk.3 that is a fantastic shooter, yours has WAY more stampings than mine.

81turbota wrote:Can you see an FTR stamp anywhere? That is a late cocking piece, the early one is round and knurled. Excellent enfield though! I a 1917 Enfield No.1 Mk.3 that is a fantastic shooter, yours has WAY more stampings than mine.

Nope, no FTR stamp on the metal and I don't believe there to be one on the stock either. The stock has tons of stamps but.most are not legible anymore. The lack of stamps like the FTR or government ownership like the S^A on the stock was actually one of the reasons I had some doubts about the rifle. Just don't have enough experience with these to know whether that's an issue or not.

First it's a Mk3*, so no volley sights from the factory.

Some FTR's don't display the bold FTR stamping, some only have a two letter and two number code. Mine has MA55 stamped on the left side of the butt socket, indicating it was FTR'd at Lithgow in 1955.

Yours is a billboard of stamps.

What letter is on your bolt head? The No4 and No5 rifles used numbers, the No1's used letters.
The front barrel band, is it steel or painted brass?

It looks like it has it's original barrel, one difference I note is you have an additional screw behind the bayonet lug. I'm not sure if that's original 1918 manufacture, as mine has mostly late Lithgow parts with a 1917 UK receiver.

About the bayonet, that's really cool you got one in the deal. I paid $50 for my P1907 Wilkinson "Pall Mall", can you see a makers mark on it? Some are $50, some are $500. The Wilkinson bayonets are the most common, but some makers like Vickers are pretty scarce. I saw an original non refurbished Lithgow bayonet with a hooked quillon bring $1000+

Yup, no volley sights and no magazine cut-off for this one. I'll just have to work on getting another enfield that has both of those!

I don't see any marks that could be a FTR type stamp on the metal anywhere. The left side of the butt socket is clean, no marks. Nothing on the top flat of the barrel either, which I've seen occasionally marked. But there's enough little stamps on there, something may be hiding and I just can't see it because of all the other hundred stamps obscuring it.

I was thinking too that it was likely the original barrel, so happy to hear that others agree with that as well. The extra screw on the nose cap, behind the bayo lug, seems to be for a sling swivel. I'm not sure whether that was original or if it was added later in the India refurb of this one. I believe that the front band is steel. I'll have to take a closer look in the morning. Is the number on the bolt head on the top rear? If so, it appears to be a number 1.

I've added pictures of the bayonet markings, or at least what's left of them. The bayo metal is pretty rough but for having it tossed into the package, I'm not going to complain!

Thanks again to everyone for their feedback, certainly am feeling better about this rifle. I've continued doing some additional research to help myself understand what I have and am actually feeling a bit better about the bayonet as well. I had thought that someone had screwed up the metal but apparently it's just been parkerized. I read that this happened when the bayonets went in for refurbishment etc, so very likely not "bubba" screwed with. Also got a better picture of the bayonet to try to identify it. In this pic, what I believe I read is Crown over GR / 1907 / S 294 / W S / 5 43.

If that's correct then this was a 1907 pattern bayonet / made by Wilkinson Sword Company / W S (missing c?) Wilkinson Sword Company / Issued in May of 1943.



Gonna take this one back to the range tomorrow and see if I can get it shooting on target. I've pushed the front sight over, so hopefully it's closer than the 7" off to the left it was over the weekend!

Thanks again everyone for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

Very cool! Wish I got a bayonet with mine.

Very Nice Watch out tho, Them Enfields get addicting

Lotema wrote:Thanks again to everyone for their feedback, certainly am feeling better about this rifle. I've continued doing some additional research to help myself understand what I have and am actually feeling a bit better about the bayonet as well. I had thought that someone had screwed up the metal but apparently it's just been parkerized. I read that this happened when the bayonets went in for refurbishment etc, so very likely not "bubba" screwed with. Also got a better picture of the bayonet to try to identify it. In this pic, what I believe I read is Crown over GR / 1907 / S 294 / W S / 5 43.

If that's correct then this was a 1907 pattern bayonet / made by Wilkinson Sword Company / W S (missing c?) Wilkinson Sword Company / Issued in May of 1943.



Gonna take this one back to the range tomorrow and see if I can get it shooting on target. I've pushed the front sight over, so hopefully it's closer than the 7" off to the left it was over the weekend!

Thanks again everyone for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

The bayonet is a Model 1907 made/refurbished (for lack of any other date) in May (5), 1943 (43). I has always puzzled me as to why they had to stamp the bayonets as a Model 1907 as this is the only model bayonet they ever made for the NoI MK III, the month and year change though.

Lotema, I gotta say, you got me tickled on this one. Your OCD is showing a little bit. First of all, you got a very nice rifle. This has been a battle rifle, and looks to have been used for the task. 275.00? Seriously? And your concern was a scrubbed serial on the bolt? I know matching numbers is important to you, as stated on the Finns you first mentioned. But I would have not hesitated on this one even without the bayonet or ammo, but just think. The bayonet and ammo could conservatively be 100.00 but maybe 150.00 and in my opinion I would lean toward 150.00 so you could say you got this awesome SMLE for 125.00! I can almost promise you, the longer you own this and handle it more, the more you are going to like it if not totally love it. You should feel no remorse on this one. The Enfields are increasing in value even still and you will never be hurt on this deal. All I can say is congratulations. You did GREAT! :P:P8-)