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Help! What gun is this?

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frakchered View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 13 2013 at 12:18am
Hey guys, new to the forum. My father inlaw has this gun. I am not sure about this gun, it is currently not in my possession or in the same state as me and it has been awhile since I have physically seen it. I am looking to get it from him for my starter collection to maybe replace some stuff and use a targeting rifle. Please any info provided is greatly
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Eggy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Eggy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 5:25am
Welcome to the board, you have a SMLE ( Short Magazine Lee Enfield ) made by the Birmingham Small Arms Co (BSA) in 1916 chambered in .303 British . Looks like a real old warrior . Some of the other guys will be along in a while to give you some more info Thumbs Up
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Homer View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Homer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 5:39am
Can't tell too much from those photos but it does appear to have a coachwood forend. Aussie service perhaps?
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frakchered View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote frakchered Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 9:12am
Thanks for the comments guys. 

Eggy, I was able to get that much info from spending about and hour on google. Like I did say, I don't have the gun yet. I figured the lower half of the stock has to be a replacement of some kind since the top piece do not match. I also am not able to tell how much of the serials match up as I have only laid eyes on it once. Father inlaw is asking $300 for it, but from what I have seen poking around the internet it looks to be for of a $100 gun.

Homer, do you know of any marks or ways to tell if it is an aussie gun? I will have to find out in my father inlaw knows any more about the gun.

Either one of you or anyone else wanna chime in on what I should tell the father inlaw what I should pay for it? (Oh, I have a good relationship with him so it should be to hard to get him down on the price)
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frakchered View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote frakchered Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 9:22am
http://www.303british.com/id49.html

Homer just wanted to add, i did find this about the wood. Being my gun is a 1916 it should have had Queensland Maple. You mention coachwood but it is stated that it was experimented with from 1917-1924. Course we all know being this info was from a forum, and I have no proof of what is and isn't. And as I have stated before, I cannot confirm how much of this rifle's serials match up, and it already looks like the lower, or maybe even the uppers have been replaced. No one will really be able to tell the history of this gun, but it would be amazing to know what it has been there, and it if any of the previous owners used it to defend there country, or another.
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hoadie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 10:35am
First off...its a RIFLE-not a "gun". I don't understand why you think it has an Aussie connection. (Did I miss something?)
Does the serial # on the BOLT match the one on the barrel?
Lets start there
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Homer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 11:45am
Hoadie I suggested it may have had Aussie service because it appears to have a coachwood forend. There are other possibilities of course.

Frakchered don't read too much into all the stuff about wood types, none of it applies here. Your rifle would have been originally stocked in walnut and now appears to have a coachwood forend which means it's been replaced at some time. Without any more details it's too hard to say when and by who.
If it has been in Australian service it will have a D^D or something similar stamped on the action knox form and a second number that may appear as a serial number. That number may also be crossed out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 9:33pm
to further elaborate the rifle was procuced in england , thus homers statement about originaly wearing walnut , his coment about coachwood was an observation of appearance without seeing the total details of the rifle , if in fact it is a coachwood stock peice that would have been a replacement installed in austrailia and would indicate ausie service ,
 
many rifles served inaustrailia and its a reasonable thing to sugest [ my 1915 BSA mkIII also served in austrailia] but his point about the markings would be something to look for in confirmation ,
one must always be careful not to draw too many conclusions on too little suporting data , but these were helpful folks giving you their honest observations without the benefit of actually handling the rifle ,
 
as to price , im not certain about the values in your location , but $300 for a complete mkIII* is not totaly out of line , it does appear to need some TLC , but if its not been butchered by bubba [and we can not see that] which would render it a $100 rifle , i think somewhere between in negotiations might be realistic but its worth the upper end not the lower of that spread if its all there ,
 
i supose it depends some on how you get along with your FIL
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hoadie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2013 at 10:22pm
Matching #'s, bore condition, etc all play major parts
(I have 2 rifles of the same manufacture & date)
Hoadie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 5thBatt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2013 at 2:36am
I doubt its a Coachwood forend as it's not cut for the cutoff.
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Homer View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Homer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2013 at 9:56am
Yes your right mate. Look harder next time.

Geez it looks like coachwood though doesn't it?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 5thBatt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2013 at 12:31pm
Originally posted by Homer Homer wrote:

Yes your right mate. Look harder next time.

Geez it looks like coachwood though doesn't it?
Yep, would have to agree, first time i read your reply i was thinking the same.
The squashed up photos don't help any.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Target Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2013 at 1:58pm
You have a wonderful rifle that needs  a bit of cleaning. Thumbs Up

The forearm does looks like coachwood but the rest looks like the walnut on my No.1 MkIII*. The Forearm is probably just a really light walnut replacement.

Looks like a  great rifle. Very cool and thanks for sharing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2013 at 9:53pm
i had to go back and study the squashed up photo again to see what you saw homer , the cutoff releif cut would have been  one of those "details" i was mentioning that the real experts like you and 5th ick up on , i was thinking a possible refinish that gave her that coachwood look ,  
 
too bad we dont know if her forearm goes all the way to the muzzle huh ???? and some peaks at the sides and such would be fun , theres a l;ot more to learn here
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote muffett.2008 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2013 at 4:26am
Only if you want to get eyestrain from squinting at distorted pic's.

     PLEASE RESIZE.
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hoadie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2013 at 5:23am
Geez-the pics are ok for me
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