A request for help: Stock and shank markings
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14080
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 7:42pm
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Topic: A request for help: Stock and shank markings
Posted By: BradicalT
Subject: A request for help: Stock and shank markings
Date Posted: July 22 2025 at 4:13pm
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he!!o, I've just acquired my first Lee Enfield and am trying to learn everything I can about the history of the rifle. I've been able to piece together that it is a 1942 produced Maltby No4 MK1, but unfortunately it was in quite rough condition and many of the marking are faded or outright absent. Located on the buttstock is a faded circular marking with what appears to be the number "300" at the top, a broad arrow in the middle, and the number "211" at the bottom. Was this a unit marking of some kind? Additionally the upper rear hand guard, which is a noticeably lighter colored wood than the rest, has the initials SL printed on the underside, which I thought may be a manufacturers mark but I've been unable to find references. Most of the shank markings are worn away and the only thing I can clearly make out is a * and a single letter T, though there is also some red paint or something similar located under the rear upper hand guard pictured with it serving an unknown purpose. Any information anyone could share here would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!      |
Replies:
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: July 22 2025 at 5:33pm
| need to see full left face of the receiver |
Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: July 22 2025 at 5:53pm
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One issue with Enfields is that they went as aid to many countries often being passed to several organizations and some added their own unique markings particularly on the stocks ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: BradicalT
Date Posted: July 22 2025 at 6:38pm
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My apologies, here's some more photos. I know it's a long shot,
especially with how faded the markings are, but was hoping maybe someone
might recognize something   |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: July 23 2025 at 2:59am
| I believe the * on top of the receiver ring is an armourer's stamp denoting rust or corrosion in the barrel. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: July 23 2025 at 8:43am
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Yes the star is (or was) it may have been replaced. Rust in bore or chamber ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: DisasterDog
Date Posted: July 23 2025 at 9:03am
| The star on the chamber is often found on Indian rifles, apparently a good environment for such things. The roundel on the butt is an Indian ordnance marking, and the forearm has dimples around the lower band (can’t see if the band has the corresponding holes in it though) for attaching the RFI-pattern rifle grenade projector. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: July 24 2025 at 10:20am
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I'd second it being in India at some point. It has the "Ishy Screw" through the forend. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: July 24 2025 at 6:17pm
| that explains some missing markings too , they scrubbed the ones they refurbed |
Posted By: BradicalT
Date Posted: July 24 2025 at 10:57pm
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Thank you everyone who has shared some insight so far. I'm immensely grateful for everyone sho has shared their expertise. I was previously unaware of the .303 caliber rifles history in India, and was under the impression that India almost exclusively used Indian produced Lee Enfield in 7.62 NATO. Please forgive my ignorance if I'm incorrect, but it appears that India was generally kept a generation or so behind Britain in terms of small arms so was this potentially sold/donated to India around the time of the adoptation of the Rifle No. 5 or even the FAL? i discovered the rifle was sadly in worse condition than originally anticipated after cleaning the bore and discovering most of the rifling is gone, so it seems peoples interpretation of the * marking may be right right
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Posted By: DisasterDog
Date Posted: July 24 2025 at 11:15pm
| What markings are “missing”, exactly? |