{"product_id":"original-british-lee-metford-mkii-dated-1894-converted-to-s-m-l-e-in-1904-and-then-to-22-trainer-serial-6369","title":"Original British Lee-Metford MkII Dated 1894 Converted to S.M.L.E. in 1904 and then to .22 Trainer - Serial 6369","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: One Only. This is one rare bird! This rifle started life as an 1894 dated Lee Metford MkII .303 caliber rifle, then was converted into an extremely early S.M.L.E. configuration, and later to a .22 Training rifle.. It may well have passed through being modified to an 1895 Long Lee Enfield as well, though the markings do not indicate this. The action is also marked with serial \u003cstrong\u003e# 6369\u003c\/strong\u003e over struck through number \u003cstrong\u003e30216\u003c\/strong\u003e, and also the various dates of conversions, and where they were performed. These markings on this rifle help trace the history of the various refits it has gone through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the top right of the stock cup it is marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eV.R.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eB.S.A. \u0026amp; M.Co\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1894\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eII\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, the royal cypher Crown over \u003cstrong\u003eV.R.\u003c\/strong\u003e, for \u003cstrong\u003eVictoria Regina\u003c\/strong\u003e. Well, this Queen, longest lived of all British monarchs, had an influence far beyond the British Isles and the British Empire during the Nineteenth Century. Victorian morals dominated the cultured classes of Great Britain and the new United States, and even now, in the Twenty-First Century, nostalgic organizations such as the Victorian Riflemen thrive in the former Colonies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecond, “\u003cstrong\u003eB.S.A \u0026amp; M.Co\u003c\/strong\u003e” indicates that the first incarnation of this piece was produced at “Birmingham Small Arms \u0026amp; Metal Company,” and “\u003cstrong\u003e1894\u003c\/strong\u003e” was the year of manufacture. Lastly, for its first incarnation, “\u003cstrong\u003eII\u003c\/strong\u003e.” tells us that it was manufactured as a “Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Metford Mark II”. In other words, this piece originated as a Lee-Metford MkII rifle. How can one measure how much history this rifle has seen? Think Second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThird, the lower left of the butt socket is very clearly stamped:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eENFIELD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1904\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHT L.E.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOND II\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich indicates it was modified at Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield in 1904 to the “Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, Converted Mark II”. Think of the very first S.M.L.E. Mk I with its exotic rear sight, rear sight protectors, and lumpy nose cap. The British, ever thrifty, began to convert long Lee-Metfords and long Lee-Enfields to S.M.L.E.s soon after sealing the pattern. All the converted rifles were called the Mark II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFourth and lastly, the lower right side of the butt cup is marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHT. 22\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIII\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eB.S.A. Co.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis indicates that the rifles last incarnation was a “.22 Short Rifle Mk III,” and this transformation was carried out at the Birmingham Small Arms Company, which had dropped the \"Metal\" from the name by this time, circa 1913.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThink of British Tommies training to be the most accurate riflemen of any European army in the impending Great War, which began over 100 years ago now. Many of those remarkable riflemen were dead by the end of the year. This “little .22” is now 126 years old, and is in very, very nice condition for its age. Christian has said he hopes to be in comparable condition at that age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the rarest of the rare, this rifle is the first .22 caliber trainer based on the Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, or S.M.L.E. for short. Before this there were a Mk I, Mk I*, and Mk II, but all were direct conversions of Lee-Metfords or long Lee-Enfields, and did not resemble the S.M.L.E. The “Mk III” designation for this rifle is not related to the .303 caliber S.M.L.E. Mk III; it refers only to this rifle’s place in the sequence of .22 short training rifles. The model was approved on 9 August 1912, and was built on Converted Mk II and II* SMLE rifles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe .22 Mk III rifles have some unique features. The nose cap, for instance, in side view resembles the S.M.L.E. Mk I, but on viewing it from the front it is seen that the protective sight ears do not curve in as they do on a the S.M.L.E. Mk I. The lower hand guard is of the S.M.L.E. Mk I design, but the rear sight leaf is the S.M.L.E. Mk III leaf, with windage adjustment. The butt swivel is the S.M.L.E. Mk I pattern. The front and rear volley sights are present; obviously, even though the designated ranges did not relate to the .22 caliber cartridge, they were still very useful for training in manipulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe magazine is present, but is empty inside, which allows the extracted cartridges to be collected. The bolt head is marked “.\u003cstrong\u003e22 No 2\u003c\/strong\u003e”. There is also a butt stock marking disc with \u003cstrong\u003eR.F 5.15\u003c\/strong\u003e stamped on it. Additionally, this rifle retains the original lightened butt stock, which as three large longitudinal holes drilled under the butt plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe .22 Short Rifle Mk III had a short production life, from 1912 through 1914. A new .22 trainer was introduced in 1915, the “.22 RF Pattern 1914 Short Rifle No. 1”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYear of Manufacture: 1894. Converted 1904 and later c. 1913\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCaliber:  .22 cal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCartridge Type: Rimfire Cartridge\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 25 Inches\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOverall Length: 44 Inches\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAction type: Bolt-Action\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFeed System: Single Shot\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31385112150085,"sku":"ON11079","price":2295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/products\/ON11079__01.jpg?v=1594531990","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-british-lee-metford-mkii-dated-1894-converted-to-s-m-l-e-in-1904-and-then-to-22-trainer-serial-6369","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}