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Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:01 pm
by englishman_ca
Thanks, I am lucky to be their custodian for a while.
They didn't look like that when I got them. They have been repaired and refreshed.
All three are live and capable of firing ball rounds.
I have gauged them and they seem to have very little wear.
Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:43 pm
by deadin
All three are live and capable of firing ball rounds.
Wouldn't this remove them from "Drill Rifle" status??
Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:40 pm
by englishman_ca
A very good point.
Current Canadian drill rifle specs are to weld the breech up and weld the muzzle closed. White paint band on butt and muzzle.
Other countries' specs range from completely deactivated to completely live.
Status is that DP marking I guess and maybe some form of paint band.
These ones have DP stamped on them in several places. Hard to miss.
Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:17 am
by deadin
Are you sure that is all that was done to deactivate them? My L59A1 has also had the bolt lugs and the internal lug seats slighted (weakened) to the point that if a round was to be fired they would probably fail and you would be wearing the bolt in your face.
Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:43 am
by englishman_ca
Nope, all that was done to these early Metfords was the stamping of DP on receiver ring, barrel nocks, in front of trigger guard and on the butt stock either side of the class of arm markings. They are 100% functional and would pass morning inspection by the RSM.
As I understand, they were used as DP without bolt or mag.
No appreciable wear to the blue on the bolt head rail. The butt plates suggest that they were used for square bashing. Negligible wear on the bore, zero erosion in the throat, which tells me that they were never shot when in service,
Usually when found, Mk.I DPs are missing the bolt and mag, but that could be due to civilian hands.
Every MLM Mk.I that I encounter here in Canada is invariably DP marked.
Canada did buy 1400 Lee Metfords, a mix of Mk.I and Mk.II. I have one of the ex Canadian service Mk.II rifles M&D marked.
My holy grail is a Canadian marked Mk.I.
And.......... since I tell EVERYBODY, I am on the hunt for an eight round single stack magazine, or just mag body.
Re: Drill Rifles??
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:46 pm
by Aughnanure
I have the nose cap and other fittings from a DP No3 rifle that was set up for target use and the owner didn't want DP bits on his rifle.
The barrel was as new.
As I remember DP No 1 rifles in Australian service were fireable, I remember re-blackening some and they were rebuilt as normal.