What the brown Santa brought me.

smoke · May 26, 2021, 08:44:22 PM

I picked this....really been looking for a straight up LEC 1 or Lee Metford Carbine but those are tough to find. This one came up so I grabbed it.

smoke · May 26, 2021, 08:47:09 PM

Well...those pics are not the best. Sorry. Probably need to shoot some more tomorrow.

Major 2 · May 27, 2021, 12:08:41 AM

It has some well earned history scuffs & nice cartouche...I like it

Baltimore Ed · May 27, 2021, 08:01:00 AM

You know that Santa's sleigh is actually Brown with yellow trim. Is your rifle a Royal Irish Constabulary? Trying to learn something about these British critters, they're as complicated as figuring out a Krag. But brilliant minds think alike smoke. I also have become interested in the CLLE rifle recently but have decided on a Range Pattern CLLE. The British civilian target shooters would cut or replace their surplus Long Lee bbls down to SMLE bbl length to compete against them in military matches. But when the war began they were returned to service to use as homeguard rifles. As the most recent Long Lee on GB sold for over $2000.00 I don't see one in my future but as I like building lookalikes the hunt is on for a donor and bits and pieces.
The third or fourth from the top.

smoke · May 27, 2021, 04:22:06 PM

Ed, that is cool! I did not realize that NZ shortened them but still left it in MLE configuration. That makes for an easier CLLE/MLE clone project.

I was thinking along the same lines but doing an "officer's carbine." These were not built Enfield but by BSA, etc. They were sold through the Army and Navy store among others. Some were as nicely done as a Lee Speed/Rigby but others were pretty basic clones of a Lee Carbine.

Some info. When I get time, I will dig out more info.

https://www.rifleman.org.uk/Lee-Speed.html

Major 2 · May 27, 2021, 06:16:17 PM

The carbine is some tasty looker

drool

smoke · May 29, 2021, 10:01:07 PM

Thanks Major!

smoke · May 29, 2021, 10:03:57 PM

Ed, you should be recieving a message on Gunboards about some MLE receivers/barreled actions being imported. I pasted you name along as a guy looking for a project. If you did not get a message, let me know. I may not have had your Gunboards handle correct. I was going by memory from your when you posted your RCMP Colt NS.

Baltimore Ed · May 30, 2021, 07:08:56 AM

Thanks smoke for giving him my contact info, the gentleman pm'ed me about old enfield parts. Guess he's going on a scavenger hunt. Hopefully he can help us out with our builds.