Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. These are getting to be like Hen's Teeth, and this is in fact our VERY LAST British-made Lee-Metford that was received from the Royal Nepalese Arsenal, which was located at the palace of Lagan Silekhana in Katmandu, Nepal.
The Lee-Metord rifle was the first British Military rifle designed for the new .303 MkI catridge, as well as the first magazine repeating rifle in general issue, starting in 1888. This rifle saw service throughout the Empire in the final years of Queen Victoria's reign. Although superseded in 1895 by the Long Lee Enfield Rifle, they were in use at the famous Battle of Omdurman in 1898, which was Great Britain's revenge against the Mardists outside Khartoum in the Sudan.
The short service life was due mainly to a logistical problem involving the new .303 MkI Cartridge. It was originally to have used smokeless cordite as a propellant, but there was a major problem with supply, so the early .303 Cartridge MkI design used black powder. It was this cartridge that the Lee-Metford and Metford pattern rifling was designed to work with. When the .303 MkII came out with the cordite propellant as originally intended, the Metford barrel and rifling was found to be insufficient to deal with the increased power, so in 1895 a new barrel and deeper square-cut rifling was designed at RSAF Enfield, leading to the introduction of the Long Lee-Enfield rifle. Many Lee-Metfords were retrofitted, so finding one in the original configuration is rare.
This example is marked, as all were, on the cup for the butt stock:
(crown)
V.R.
ENFIELD
1891.
I. *
It also is marked with serial number 2046 / 0 on the front of the receiver. Having been long stored in Nepal, this example comes complete with dust cover to the bolt, which is often absent. The long distance volley sight is still present and functional, and many components are proof marked. Overall solid condition, though the rifle shows some pitting from long storage in less then ideal conditions. The bore is clear with good rifling.
Also included is an equally rare original P-1888 bayonet, complete with the original leather scabbard and belt frog. The ricasso of the blade is dated 4 / 93 and is maker marked SANDERSON SHEFFIELD. The bayonet like the rifle is well marked with British stampings, though the blade shows some old rust pits.
This is the very rare Mk.1* model, in fact Nepal was never issued any and what they had were captured from Tibet in the Nepal/Tibetan War of the early 1900s.
All in all an extremely rare and hard to find set! The last one we have!
Specifications (Rifle):
Year of Manufacture: 1891
Caliber: .303 British MkI
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 30.2 Inches
Overall Length: 49.5 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 8 round single stack magazine
Specifications (Bayonet):
Blade Length: 12"
Blade Style: Double Edged Spear Point
Overall length: 16 3/4“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 13 1/4"
- This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey
This product is not available for international shipping.
IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States.
These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.
Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon