Milsurp After Hours

I have just arranged an exchange with blackisler - a Martini-Henry Mk.IV for a Lee Speed in .303.
His is in the post........ along with a separate box of 6 cases and bullets. Not sure just how we are going to get the Lee over to me but some images from Robert to get me going!

Been doing the usual - trying to find out a bit more and BINGO!!!!!!!!
What I appear to have is a Royal Navy Marked Lee-Speed No.4 Sporting Carbine in .303.
It appears identical to this one at auction in 2018.
https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/extre ... ne-3214585

The thing that caught my eye first was the Enfield angled foot magazine. A second glance showed the Lee aspect of the bolt and breech over the Enfields of the war patterns I own. The third glance was the checkering on the stock and obviously a intended from manufacture sporting gun design and not a bubba made it thing.

Looks like there is a stock extension in the photo of yours. What's with that? I know the Lee Enfields could be had with different lengths of buttstock to suit the shooter but would imagine no seams.

So... did the Navy order these as sporting arms? I'm a little dense and don't grasp the significance of why this firearm was constructed.

So... did the Navy order these as sporting arms? I'm a little dense and don't grasp the significance of why this firearm was constructed.

I don't have the answer to this one - yet - but I am working on it.
Yes, it has a butt extension and again. I don't know why or how long it is. Will ask Robert to take some better pics of it.

A bit more information that I found.

WWI British Admiralty contract Lee Speed No. 4 rifle. The stock band is marked N over NO.4.S.R./I\. meaning Navy, No. 4 Sporting Rifle with the British military broad arrow acceptance stamp.

At the outbreak of WWI due to a dire shortage of arms, the War Office made an urgent request to the Admiralty for their rifle inventory, to fulfill the rapidly growing requirements of the Army.

Small quantities of the standard Lee-Metford military pattern rifles could be found in the armory of all ships in service with the Royal Navy, and these were soon gathered up and handed over to the Army for re-issue. As a means to re-supply naval vessels the Admiralty embarked on a program to purchase all manner of rifles for this purpose, both military and civilian.

As part of this process a small order of 970 .303 calibre sporting rifles were purchased in March of 1915 from both B.S.A. and L.S.A.

This is one of those rifles. Due to the huge losses at sea very few are now known to exist.

Interesting history. If there were only 970 of them to begin with....even if only a few had gone to the bottom of the sea in sunken ship adventures, that's pretty rare. At what point the Navy rid themselves of them and how they did it would be interesting to know. The only question that would be in my mind is the butt extension and what that does to the value. Of course you got it for the fun of having it and shooting it and that's what matters most.

This is awesome!

Much of the fun about milsurps is learning the history. This has such an amazing story.

Excellent!

-ArchFluffy

Second that Arch.

Aughnanure wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 5:42 am Second that Arch.

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Things are starting to move.
Collection now arranged from Scotland and delivery to an agent in Gatwick for on shipping to my local gun shop - I HOPE!