Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

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DuncaninFrance
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by DuncaninFrance » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:00 am

Words used for rifle..............
Bundook
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary


From Hindi बन्दूक (bandūk, “gun”), from Arabic بندقية (bunduqíiya, “rifle, gun”). The original Arabic was بندق (búnduq) and denoted filberts, nuts shaped like the projectiles thrown from stone bows. That usage was eventually transferred to the bows themselves and eventually to firearms.
[edit] Noun

bundook (plural bundooks)

1. (slang, UK) A service issue rifle.

A term widely adopted by British regular soldiers serving in India or having contact with Indian troops.

It was still used when I was in 1985/92
Duncan

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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by Aughnanure » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:58 pm

Just a point, all No 1 rifles without cutoffs and volley sights are officially ' Rifles, No1 Mk 3* ' whether they have provision for the cutoff or not and have the ' * ' or not, but if a cutoff is fitted then they are No1 Mk 3 rifles. Sometimes a rifle with provision for the cutoff will be seen that has the ' * ' stamped on the socket.
There were Lithgow rifles made in the late 1930s that had cutoffs but no provision for volley sights.
In conversation the asterisk is called a Star.
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by HK_USP_45 » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:52 am

Aughnanure wrote:Just a point, all No 1 rifles without cutoffs and volley sights are officially ' Rifles, No1 Mk 3* ' whether they have provision for the cutoff or not and have the ' * ' or not, but if a cutoff is fitted then they are No1 Mk 3 rifles. Sometimes a rifle with provision for the cutoff will be seen that has the ' * ' stamped on the socket.
There were Lithgow rifles made in the late 1930s that had cutoffs but no provision for volley sights.
In conversation the asterisk is called a Star.
calling it a "star" is good to know. That's far better than saying asterisks. Still, that's a very interesting numbering system. Have there been other military items the British government has used asterisks on, or is this the only one? I think it's the only one I have heard, though I'm not an expert.
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by m3bobby » Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:02 pm

In conversation they were refered to as 'number one mark three star' or SMLE or mark threee etc. No.I MkIII is just the official designation for official paperwork etc. I doubt many people would use the whole designation in conversation unless differentiating between models. I believe the designation changed to No1.Mk3 from No.I MkIIIin 1944 which is why the later Indian made SMLEs are marked as such. On some indian guns, you can see markings such as Mk3/1 which is the newer designation for Mk3*
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by HK_USP_45 » Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:20 pm

m3bobby wrote:In conversation they were refered to as 'number one mark three star' or SMLE or mark threee etc. No.I MkIII is just the official designation for official paperwork etc. I doubt many people would use the whole designation in conversation unless differentiating between models. I believe the designation changed to No1.Mk3 from No.I MkIIIin 1944 which is why the later Indian made SMLEs are marked as such. On some indian guns, you can see markings such as Mk3/1 which is the newer designation for Mk3*
So, did the English gov't just choose random punctuation marks to name their firearms? haha. I can't help but think if they were naming their Enfields today, it would be the No.6 Mk3:) or Mk5%. Haha, just kidding.

:salute:
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by DuncaninFrance » Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:40 am

Rifle 7.62 mm L1A1 (SLR / FAL)
Sub-Machine-Gun 9 mm L2A3 (Sterling SMG)
9 mm Pistol Automatic L9A1 (Browning HP)
Rifle 7.62 mm L42A1 (No:4(T) in 7.62 mm and modified forend)
7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun L7A2 ( Comes as: L8A1;L20A1;L37A1;L41A1;L43A1;L46A1)
Gun, 84 mm Infantry L14A1 (Carl Gustav)
Howitzer, 155 mm L121 (FH70) (A Big Gun!)

Hope that helps clear up the matter HK :loco:
Duncan

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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by HK_USP_45 » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:44 am

DuncaninFrance wrote:Rifle 7.62 mm L1A1 (SLR / FAL)
Sub-Machine-Gun 9 mm L2A3 (Sterling SMG)
9 mm Pistol Automatic L9A1 (Browning HP)
Rifle 7.62 mm L42A1 (No:4(T) in 7.62 mm and modified forend)
7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun L7A2 ( Comes as: L8A1;L20A1;L37A1;L41A1;L43A1;L46A1)
Gun, 84 mm Infantry L14A1 (Carl Gustav)
Howitzer, 155 mm L121 (FH70) (A Big Gun!)

Hope that helps clear up the matter HK :loco:
Outstanding! I'm glad they sorted out that random punctuation problem. haha
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by Woftam » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:50 am

Have there been other military items the British government has used asterisks on, or is this the only one?
Many other military items were designated MkI or MkII, and yes the asterix was also common .
That's why it was designated the Rifle, No 1 MkIII*.
For example -
No 4 MkI, MkII, MkII* - bayonets.
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by Tom-May » Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:57 am

Just to add to Duncan's post; For many years the Otto,mans referred to Venice as 'Bundookia' - the place of the guns - in reference to the Venitian Arsenal where so many of the cannon used against them (during the renaissence) were cast [names tend to stick].
Tom
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Re: Need help with ID'ing possible first SMLE

Post by HK_USP_45 » Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:29 am

I am going to brave the winter blizzard we're having today, and head out to Cabelas to get the rifle. I'm going to take one final look at it before I make my decision. I'll try to get better pics.

I'll probably just put 25% down and put it on layaway, that will give me 90 days to think about it more and could still get my money back if I find a better deal. I can be patient. It's hard, but I'm going to try.

Thanks for all your help so far.
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