mydeacs - Long Lee Enfield 303

Cost:

£150 + £18 p&p

Source:

UK Militaria.

Deac Type:

Old Spec

Details:

DEACT BOER WAR PERIOD L.L.E. 303 CAVALRY. CARBINE. A RARE CARBINE VERSION OF THE LONG LEE ENFIELD 303 RIFLE. FROM A SMALL BATCH RECENTLY PURCHASED OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA. BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAPTURED DURING THR BOER WAR, AND EACH DISPLAY INIDIVIDUAL CUSTOMISATION, AS IS TYPICAL OF THE WEAPONS CAPTURED BY THE BOER ARMY.

STILL WITH ITS FLAT SIDED CARBINE TYPE BOLTMILITARY PROOFS TO THE BREECH. STOCK CARVED OUT TO PISTOL GRIP FORM, BUT STILL HAS ITS LLE VERSION BUTT PLATE. EXCELLENT CONDITION. DRY FIRING BOLT ACTION.

This is interesting as its from the Boer Wars apparently. Its sold as a Long Lee Enfield carbine but I think its been chopped down even further as its missing its front sites and front top wooden furniture and has otherwise been whittled to a much shorter item. I took a few photos of the muzzle to show how its just been chopped off.

Apparently the Enfield part is the barrel and the Lee part is the bolt mechanism.

The most interesting feature is the sight which is the old style flip up leaf which impressed me. It also has a cleaning kit in the but. I photoed that but didnt unroll it.

I did actually take this gun to bits. Theres a bolt near the trigger guard and a larger one further up and that allows the bottom furniture to be removed and the trigger mechanism to be removed. But I didnt do it agiain as I had oiled it and it would be messy. A nice feature is that you can have a round in the magazine AND cock it without the bolt trying to chamber a round. On my K98 it tries to chamber a round which is a pain.

Not sure about the markings but theres one that says LSA Col LE 1 ? Which I think means London Small Arms Company Ltd. I looked that up on the internet and Wiki says:

The London Small Arms Company Ltd was a British Arms Manufacturer from the years 1866-1935.

Based in Tower Hamlets, London, London Small Arms Co. Ltd (LSA Co) was formed in an effort to compete against the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield by the gunsmiths who made up the London Armoury Company, which had gone out of business as a result of the end of the US Civil War.

Like their counterparts at BSA Co, LSA Co were contractors to the British Armed forces and produced many British Service Rifles- notably the Martini-Henry, Martini-Enfield, and Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifles. They also produced a number of sporting arms and shotguns for the civilian market.

Unlike BSA and RSAF Enfield, however, LSA Co never managed to achieve high levels of production, preferring to focus on maintaining a greater level of workmanship on their firearms. Indeed, LSA Co guns are highly regarded by modern collectors of British military firearms because of their higher quality workmanship, which has led most of the existing and surviving LSA Co guns to be in (generally) better condition than their contemporaries from other manufacturers.

The market for military and civilian arms dropped markedly in the inter-war years, and London Small Arms Co. Ltd finally closed down in 1935, unable to compete with the more efficient factories of BSA Co and RSAF Enfield.

It does look quite well made, BUT its obviously been hacked up a bit. Its got a little crack to the woodwork above the magazine but its nothing major.

Overall its quite a nice little gun but im not sure if the customising is a bonus or not really.



Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303
Long Lee Enfield 303