Thread: 303 markings

Originally Posted by gundoc

It is a contract MLE from about 1900 (probably BSA but I can't make it out clearly in the photo) and came into NZ service in 1901. It was sold out of service (denoted by the point to point Broad Arrow stamps), probably in the 20's or 30's, and has been roughly rebarreled with a second-hand MLE barrel at some stage (hence the non-matching numbers). NZ troops went to the Boer War with .303 Martini-Enfield carbines and were later issued with MLE's from British stores. Your rifle was a contract purchase from the UK gun trade by NZ, and was not issued in South Africa although the period is correct. British stores rifles were made by a few manufacturers in addition to Enfield but all such rifles would have been fully marked on the butt socket with the appropriate military designation (eg; MLE MkI* and the Royal cypher VR and date).

there is a bsa stamp on there, you are a wealth of knowledge @gundoc