SMLE MkIII: The Iconic Smelly of World War One
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- / forgottenweapons
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In 1907, the British adopted the final major pattern in the evolution of the Short, Magazine, Lee Enfield. Designated the ShtLE MkIII (Short Lee Enfield) at the time, it would be retroactively renamed Rifle No1 MkIII in the 1920s. This new design was simpler and more durable than its predecessors while actually improving the practical accuracy of the rifle. The rear sight protector wings were substantially strengthened, the front sight became a square post, the front sight protectors were opened up to allow more light in, and the rear sight windage adjustment was simplified - while retailing 1 MOA adjustment clicks and 25m elevation adjustments. A new bayonet was also adopted in 1907 for the MkIII. The previous 1903 pattern bayonet was deemed too short, and the British essentially copied the Japanese Type 30 Arisaka bayonet as its new Pattern 1907 - hooked quillion and all.
The example we are looking at in today's video is a fantastic specimen, as it was sold out of service to an Australian reservist in 1912 having not received any post-production modifications or updates. It is still sighted for the early MkVI round-nose ammunition, for example, and its bayonet retains the hooked quillion. The rifle's owner died prior to World War One, and the gun remained stored away and forgotten through both World Wars, where virtually all existing service rifles were taken back into service and updated. Only in the 1960s was this one found, making it a pristine collector's example to show how the MkIII was originally produced.
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The old forgotten under the bed excuse, precursor to I lost them in a boating accident
Nah us Aussies weren't that paranoid and it probably just sat on top of the wardrobe gathering dust. When I was a primary school kid, my guns were just leaning up against back of the wardrobe, beside where my pants were hung up. Nowadays life is different because idiots with guns kill people but back then it was no big deal.
lol trying to come up with excuses when the police are looking for your weapon that was involved in a crime! ha! good times! /s
The dog ate it.
@@AndrewDeme You weren't paranoid enough, look what happened.
@@bannedmann4469 as long as we have singlets, shorts, thongs and a cold beer we will be fine. Given every animal in Australia can kill you, it’s hard to be fazed by too much else.
From this we can establish that Aussies only vacuum under their bed every 45 years.
Considering under the bed is the domain of spiders and snakes and scorpions, you would think they would want to clean it more often.
@@ArifRWinandar Or like NEVER!!!!! If they are TOO afraid.
@@ArifRWinandar As an Aussie I can say that sticking your hand in dimly lit places under things is just asking for a screaming painful death.
Not only are there spiders under the bed but they tend to be quite well armed
Waiting on the Vacuum Cleaner to be invented...
'....before they all got slaughtered by artillery.' Unfortunately true.
What was the percentage of death by artillery in WW1? 70?
@@MausOfTheHousearound that figure, yes.
@@billbolton Absolutely horrifying
One of the Biggest mistakes of WW1 was The Pals Regiments.
The idea was that because the whole town was in the same regiment, they will for closer bonds and fight harder looking out for each other.
In reality, all the men from a town were blown apart by a well aimed artillery barrage.
This is why the armed forces now deliberately spread people around, and are posted in different units, and different fronts.
I was waiting for that line - I expected it to be 'until they all got killed by machine guns' or similar.
"before they all got slaughtered by artillery" gallows humour at it's best.
That's the short introduction to modern warfare for rifle enthusiasts.
Unfortunately it's true... most of the very best soldiers on all sides died in the first months of the war.
I mean its really more of a cavalcade of shells that did them in. Using slaughter is just so unrefined.
@@blakexu4943 but thats what happened. I associate getting shredded by shrapnell as slaughtered
@@comradeurod9805 its a lot less personal when it comes to artillery i guess. Of course that's the gallows humor talking.
This is literally a forgotten weapon
Not anymore
I never forgot it, well it’s also my fav ww1 weapon
Not by me.I own two of them
@@achillebelanger9866 plllzzzzzzz give me one😩😩😩😩😩😩
I have a modified Pak version in 7.62/51.... I kinda bubbed it up but it's still one of the most accurate rifles I've ever had the pleasure of squeezing a round off of.... The.303 just doesn't have the power the 7.62 has...
The whole idea of a draft-dodging SMLE rifle amuses me.
Same as saying Smelly to say S.M.L.E. Really fast is easier to say than Each letter or the full name
It was in Australia so it was safe from being drafted in WW1 and until mid-1942 in WW2 and then only for service within Australia and it's territories which unfortunately for some conscripts included the just invaded PNG whilst most of the regular Army forces were stuck in North Africa.
@@IceWolfLoki conscripts? That doesn’t sound right, the PNG soldiers were the reserves, I don’t believe Australia has ever had conscription unless I’m mistaken
@@deathbyastonishment7930 the soldiers sent to PNG were AIF (Regular Army) and CMF (Reserves) from 1942 you could be conscripted into the CMF but the CMF could initially only serve within Australian Territory (like the UK's Home Guard) but as stated Australian Territory included PNG at the time and they had no other soldiers available in the emergency.
@@deathbyastonishment7930 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Australia
Ask anyone who remembers the Vietnam War.
Australia had conscription for WW1, WW2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
"Forgotten Weapons" - well, look in the attic!
And plastered into walls.
Often happens in Britain, someone is renovating a house and finds their great grandfathers old service revolver or similar.
@@thomas316 My uncle - he was in the resistance - had two of the large black plastic sacks removed after his death. The police was glad to get them out of the way - they knew he had something; but my uncle most certainly would not again be taken without a fight.
@@thomasborgsmidt9801 what resistance? There has been a lot of "resistance" in the last century.
That's where my dad kept his rifle for years.
What a beautiful piece of engineering. Full length stock and handguard, a chunk of steel at one end, and a chunk of brass at the other. One of the best looking bolt guns ever.
THE best looking bolt action - ever.
@@balham456 I agree but didn't want to start controversy.
@@balham456 The best bolt action battle rifle ever. (and the No4)
@@baobo67
As a commonwealther, I agree.
Add the FN hi power to that list too.
@@tays8306 Right and the Owen Gun. See Ian's take on it. Makes me proud to be an Aussie.
Who's the bestist cutest bolt action rifle ever made, yes you are yes you are. Who gets all the kibble and gun oil that's right you. Such a good boy.
Yes you are yes you are (until your brother n4 comes home)
@@PapaSchultz74 ah shit
Perfect!😝
couldn't have been great it would have replaced after 5 years of bing in service if not for ww1. It would have been replaced by the p-13-14 with 276 rimless round so the M-1917 is basically what the rifle was going to be with 276 being similar to 30-06
Under the bed ?, a neighbour passed away in our street in the early 70’s, they found a small cardboard suitcase under his bed with a Webley 38, plus ammo, and 4 mills hand grenades , glad we never hassled him on Halloween 🎃 😂
dude could've taken on the local police and become the defacto leader of your town with that kinda firepower!
@@thecommissaruk What was her name?
I don't know if that is true because i did not see it but my stepmother family had picked up a german pistol in ww2 and kept it for a long time,at some point someone trewh it in the trash because they didn't want any gun in the house.
@@krisskringle920 he could, he was a kind of gentleman type of character , and 5 minutes drive away was 21 SAS special forces 😆
You throw eggs at his house, he throws a grenade back
Thank you Australian reservist for “forgetting” where your gun was
He didn't forget, he died before the out break of WW1, as Ian said in his first line of speach
We'd like it back......thanks.🤓
I'm picturing the Bloke and the Chap just drooling over that rifle.
They & any collector or shooter in Australia with any interest in the 303..😮
"Roight, propah Firearm."
They are not the only ones drooling over that lovely specimen.
Ian has sold me on something I dare not handle.
Just saw one of these in my local gun store for only 675! its dated 1916 and in really solid condition. Such an impulse buy and I do not regret my purchase one bit even if finding ammo for it will be tough.
I reload mine, it's the same year as yours. I use H 4350 awesome groups, use heavier bullets, like 180s.
My local gun shop has one for $300 and condition is fine. Not perfect and kind of clunky but I think more than a good deal. Probably buy it today assuming it's still there
Impulse buy here too. Just bought a No. 1 MK 3 from Royal Tiger Imports.
@@russwoodward8251 How does that rifle seem? I've been looking at buying one from that site
"I had a boating accident under my bed."
Thanks very much to the owner that let Ian get his greedy little mitts on this beauty. You are a champion of history, sir.
Ian owns this.
The British: "We have the most elite, most sophisticated sense of humour."
Also the British: "This abbreviation almost spells smelly, HAHA!"
Must be why they changed from ShtLE.
'Ah, this must be the famous Ankh-Morpork sense of humour, yes?’
‘No, that was just irony,’ Vimes shouted, still looking for an arboreal escape route. ‘You’ll know when we’ve got on to the famous Ankh-Morpork sense of humour when I start talking about breasts and farting, you smug bastard!' -- Pterry
@@thecommissaruk - Same here, I come from a British army family and have only recently heard it referred to as such. It’s always been the ‘letters’ as you describe.
@@JohnHughesChampigny nice reference
@@thecommissaruk Even worse I heard somebody trying to explain it was because of the smell of the gun oil. Oh deary me!
Great video, I learned to spell it SMeLEe as a training aid to remember Short Magazine Lee Enfield for testing.
For me the smellee is sentimental and I remember when I was a kid in Army Cadets and the first time I was on the rifle party for the Remembrance Day ceremony. We usually trained with air rifles, the Lee-Enfield C#7 (.22 cal) and the FN so the only time the SMLEs came out was for rifle party drill training. It was a real treat marching through town in our battledress with that rifle on our shoulder, until we halted at the cenotaph to see the serious faces of the veterans. They were in that other world as the Last Post was played and we fired the Salute. The many Names of the Fallen from our small town were spoken again, wreaths laid, speeches read, the poem recited, they were led in prayer and sang the Anthem and then they were dismissed until the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Afterwards we returned the rifles to a vault in a storage room in the Legion Hall, that was accessed via the bar room. When we were done we entered the bar to see the veterans gathered. Our adult officers went to speak with them and we were told to sit at a table and behave ourselves. The older cadets that had been on the rifle party before relaxed but the rest of us fidgeted like the kids in a bar that we were, when to our surprise the bartender approached carrying a tray with beer glasses and two pitchers of beer. "Compliments of the Members for a job well done" he said as he emptied the tray. The older Cadets thanked him and the Members and filled the glasses as us kids scanned the room for our adult officers, to see that they had humanely departed. This is great I thought as I raised my glass, only to meet the stern gaze of Mr. Harrison, my Science teacher, sitting at the bar. Very British, he ran a strict but fair classroom in a no nonsense manner that would never tolerate mixing beer and students. He must have seen my panic because instead of pulling me by the ear from my chair as I half expected he simply raised his glass. Surprised, I raised mine to him, he smiled, we drank and then he turned to his friends at the bar. Most of the veterans were in small groups quietly talking or just thinking and after our drinks were finished we quietly left to walk into a chill November day.
Call me sentimental but the SMLE will always remind me of the first time I drank amongst men.
This rifle remained in Australian service through the Korean War and early in the Malayan Emergency also, until replaced by the L1A1 SLR (FN FAL) in the late 1950's.
I'm surprised gun jesus missed that!
I've read stories about Canadians in Korea kicking some serious commie ass with SHTLE's.
SMLE’s were manufactured at Lithgow until 1955.
And in India until they changed to the 2A and in South Africa ( made in both places ) .
used those in the school boy army cadets. at 13 years of age it kicked like a mule. Great rifle and fairly accurate with little trigger time.
I remember using it in the air cadets and, as a bony 14 year old, it kicked painfully hard. I was enjoying myself so much i didn't feel a thing.
@@dp-sr1fd Then they converted them to .22 for some reason.
@@h.walker1332 I also used the no 8 .22 trainer. I would love to have one of those now. There are thousands still in storage and I think the plan is to scrap them. I wish they could be saved somehow.
@@dp-sr1fd I mean they are definitely the heaviest most oversized .22 rifles in the world.
A guy I worked with said he used to take his rifle home with him on the train when he was a cadet. It was definitely a different time. I don't even think they let cadets handle real firearms these days.
British soldier draws his bayonet and yells to Japanese soldier "Mine's bigger than yours!"
The Australian: "That's not a bayonet. THAT'S a bayonet."
" They don't like it up'um "
Any bigger and it's a bayonet with a rifle attachment.
@@callumwilliams1449 A little understood factoid about the bayonet choice was that at that time cavalry was still a big part of the military and those buggers had a tendency to ride through infantrymen whilst hacking them to pieces with their sabers. The rifle and bayonet needed to be long enough to reach, stick and unseat these fellows from their mounts and when they went to the shorter rifle they needed the longer bayonet to equal the old rifle which was just long enough to do the job. When cavalry units became a thing of the past the need for such a long bayonet was eliminated and many went to something shorter being more maneuverable and easier to use.
The Japanese would've stuck a bayonet on the yamato's 18" guns if they could .
If ever my grandmother took you to the fair, the best part of the trip was getting her to have a go on the shooting gallery, because she was an amazing shot. Why? Because her father had been in the BEF during the first world war and had taught her how to shoot. He'd actually been an artilleryman, but that didn't get you out of rifle practice in the BEF.
She also learned to drive during the second world war when she served as an engine driver in the fire service during the Manchester Blitz. Amazing person and I miss her very much, even if her driving skills were slightly terrifying.
"Drive like you are being bombed!"
Didn't the queen have much the same driving history? And a penchant for terrifying guests with it?
That is one beautiful conditioned Smelly! I have a 1914 LSA No1 MkIII, sadly deactivated. She was in her 'through two world wars and more' state when I purchased her having gone through 'EY' (only to be fired in an emergency, ie, some Nazi is kicking down your front door) to the full 'DP' (stamped over the EY for Drill Purpose only) I spent years sourcing the bits she'd lost over the decades to re-build her back to 1914 - windage sights, correct front nose cap and piling swivel and front and rear volley sights. A full de-rust and re-bluing so now she looks almost as good as your example. She may never fire again to defend the home, but the old bayonet still works! Great video and thanks for it!
When I was a child thought than the bayonet plug was the barrel... what a beautiful weapon!!!
You’ve made so many videos on the different types of enfields and the variances between them that I’m mentally checking off the differences between them as the video continues now.
Doug Demuro has "THISSS"
Ian McCullom has "and today we are looking at...."
Ian is the kind of guy to have two identical SMLE rifles but still know many quirks and features between them. Maybe he should do an Ian score at the end if each video...
Hello from Australia! What an interesting story behind this rifle! I'm a bit sad it's not in a museum here, but glad to see it's being looked after.
I love those lee enfield's, my dad used one of those enfield jungle carabines in Indonesia ( the Brits aperantly sold a bunch of them to the Netherlands after the second world war)
It really is a remarkable ability to make a video about the umptienth iteration/variant of a well-known rifle interesting for people who are not hardcore collectors or enthusiasts. Mr. McCollum could certainly explain snow to eskimos, and still find a happy audience.
In Australia, the hook quillon bayonet is usually worth far more than the SMLE rifle itself as they are so rare.
Should we nuke Australia?
True, very rare. That bayonet is the most expensive thing on the table
This has got to be my favourite weapon of all time.
My Great Grandfather served over in Egypt during WW1. Was issued a SMLE and in his war time diary he even mentions the rifle number, Though I dont think it is the serial number, probably a rack or ID number (WL70 (there is then the number 105 but I dont know if that is crossed out or underlined so it could be WL70 or WL70105). He also listed his bayonet number which was 184, again probably just some ID or rack number for the regiment he was in (Essex Regiment). Though I still think it would be amazing to actually find his service rifle but I know that this is unlikely.
The smoothest rifle I've ever shot. Beautiful
I have a 1943 mark 3 series 4 star , sporterized beautiful gun was my dads 😪 shoots great 👍
@@supertom8552 >sporterised
visible disgust.jpg
Interesting to see the Wilkinson marking on the bayonet and that the company who excelled in swords and bayonets still is a thriving today - they've just added more blades!
Thank you, Ian, for finally doing a segment on my favorite rifle of all time. My three are treasured possessions.
Christmas is over and yet Ian is still giving Old Soldiers of the Queen gifts. Huzza!!!
Ian, you're the best. Thank you.
When I was a kid (1960s) our family vacationed in Ontario. In sporting goods stores, these were stuffed in garbage cans with sign: "Your choice $7". "Bayonets: $1.50".
I have a sporterized mk. III*, dated 1918 with matching, 4-digit serial numbers, bolt and rifle.. I inherited it from my grandfather. I love firing it. Dead accurate to 250 yards and the action is as smooth as the day it came off the line. I would love to discuss it's stamps with you some time...
And gun-jesus preached to the masses of the holy SMLE and the masses cheered and gave a mass salute with their assorted blessed weapons! :D - Seriously, always great to watch someone who knows something I am interested in talk - especially the little anecdotes and side-stories! Good investment of a little money on Patreon :)
I was an army cadet while at high school in Brisbane Australia 1069-71. Our armoury had 300 MKIII rifles and several Bren guns. I remember the MKIII well and all were made 1914-18. This brings back memories.
I was lucky enough to have several SMLE in my hands while I was an (Australian) Army Cadet in the first half of the 1970's. Oldest was stamped 1918 and the youngest 1943 (IIRC). We got to fire them sometimes and depending on weather and ammunition, one could watch the slow rounds spin through the damp morning air on its way to the target.
Stories are told of how the SMLE were cut up and dumped offshore (5 Military District in Western Australia) when the government closed down Army Cadets in 1975/76..
I have one (no 1 markIII) my grandfather bout it in the '50s and use it to hunt Kudu then my father took it over and fit a scope and use it as his bushveld rifle, I got it from him in the 2000s and took of the scope and used it on kudu once... and worthogs a couple of times (with open sites)
Great piece of history
One of the cleanest time capsules I have ever seen, amazing
awesome video of my favourite rifle
I can't be the only one confused by SMLE nomenclature. Marks and numbers and stars oh my, makes my head spin.
Welcome to the British armament system. Be sure to carry a reference book and take lots of notes.
It's really simple: mk xx it's a major change on the previous version, star it's a small change that does not deserve a new number.
@@Hybris51129 I'm curious to see his reaction to the US Army's different armament designation systems for LITERALLY everything. And then introduce him to the largely overlapping NAVAL Designation system. And then the National Stock Numbering System (NSN)... I'll wait.
@@TheCoyote808 What M1.... that cover most thing right?
Imho this is the best looking Enfield. Just something about that muzzle look. So badass!
Somewhere a Bloke smiles and an Othais goes "meh."
I was walking around town today and found myself at the war museum we have. After just muttering to myself "oh it's a bullpup" about one of the rifles one of the custodians asked if I'd like to hold them.
Next thing I know I'm holding one of these rifles. Over 100 years old and apparently used in wartime. I'm amazed at how heavy they are. Soldiers held them all day back then and my shoulder starts hurting after half a minute.
Then they handed me a bren gun. I could barely shoulder it more than a few seconds.
Really opened my eyes.
I own a 1908 built Australian Mk3 SMLE .303 Lee Enfield that was used by my great uncle in Gallipoli and later in France during WW1.
I still fire this gun regularly (with surplus 1942 ammo) and is still the most accurate long distance rifle I've fired.
My best shot was a wild pig at 950 yards using only the adjustable ramp sights (at its elevation limit)...and I have witnesses! ☺️
There's something very special about using something with so much history attached. 🇦🇺
"Wild? He was livid!"
Crikey a Lee Enfield!! We had these as Cadets at school (Scoltand) in the 80s. Bored for 7.62 NATO for full bore shooting and the Nr8 for 22LR shooting on the school range. Gave me a lifelong love of shooting! Beautiful rifle.
I have one of these from 1918. It's a gorgeous rifle. Not nearly as well kept as this one, but good enough for me.
I inherited a No.4-Mk.1* Longbranch and one of the markings (I think, most are half worn through) is an S with what looked like two arrows pointing towards it. I now think it may have been "officially" sold out of service instead of just surplussed. It has also, sadly, been mechanically sporterized, with the barrel cut back an inch or so which removed the bayonet lugs. I think the >S< may indicate that it was not just sold of of service but was armoury sporterized before the sale.
This gun played a massive part in the shaping of the modern world. Even back in the early Call of Duty days, i always loved the look of the Lee Enfield Rifle.
All eight pixels
still used in some forces i think
Both the gun and its story are beautiful
Got into an argument when I was trying to look for a second hand Lee with a dude who said the crown was for sold out of service. Wasn't certain till this one as I've never seen an Australian Lee so thank you greatly mate!
The 1st Australian made SMLE wasnt until June 1913 at the Lithgow NSW factory, the arrows mean sold to public but not guaranteed to be serviceable.
@@nevillewebb6259 True God, thank you for the tid bit of info!
My first deer rifle that got as a teen I inherited from my grandpa, he bought it in 1958 from the local Army and Navy store. It’s a mildly sporterized (unfortunately) 1942 Lithgow build No 1 Mk III, I still have it and still shoot it. They’re an absolutely beautiful rifle to handle, the action is smooth as silk. I only upgraded later due to the weight, even cut down it’s a hefty rifle to carry all day.
I inherited it with the only box of ammo that my grandpa got for it, and it only had 5 rounds put through it before me (plus service use). The bore still looks and feels like new, and it’s still extremely accurate. The barrel appears to be intact as it still retains the bayonet lug, but they cut the front wood hand guard down a bit to look more ‘modern’. We own several No 4 Mk I’s as well, and to be honest I prefer the feel of the No 1 Mk III much better.
The stock has "CMF" also stamped which means "Citizens Military Forces".
I’m drooling.......I just obtained a sporterized one, but that rifle is a dream
I really love this rifle, it was the first rifle I ever bought. 1916 mkiii*
Back in the mid-1970s, we shot SMLE No.4 fitted with Parker-Hale vernier sights, in my high school shooting team. Did you know the rifles came in three different butt lengths? At the end of the summer term we shot against other schools in the Ashburton Cup at Bisley. The vee-bull was five inches across, and one could hit it reliably at 400 yards. As a sport, it sure beat cricket!
I recently found the "C&rsenal" channel, so this is a great refresher on the knowledge I'm starting to gain. 👍
The first time I saw a WW1 mk3 Enfield was as a teenager about 1980 or so when I was into old cars and hotrodding. The owner of a local auto scrap yard I frequented kept one loaded behind his counter - he lived in the back and would use it to shoot at thieves trying to steal parts at night.
I think I love this rifle too much...
My grandpa left me a Jungle Carbine when he died, and it's my favorite gun that I've used. Kicks like a mule though. Last time I took it to the range, I woke up the next morning with a purple shoulder.
Dont forget the kiwis. And the maori battalion used the long bayonet to great effect on Crete.
Love this gun so much
In a West Virginia hardware store in 1960 you could buy one of these rifles for $10 ! They had Russian bolt action rifle too for the same money.
My grandfather had one of these before WWII which was requisitioned for the war effort. He said he got it back after the war and after his demobilisation from the AIF, but said it never was the same. His language was more colourful…
And the Design would be so successful that it would continue to see service even to this day.
And Best Hiding spot ever for a gun, just casually stuck under the bed XD
I think the Indians were the last to drop it from regular service, until 2018.
Nono- Under an Aussie's bed. Dangerous place that.
@@Stevarooni I think there was a unit in Canada that used them until last year - for bears. Some kind of arctic patrol unit. They were using .303 MkIVs though.
@@AshleyPomeroy The unit you're talking about is the Canadian Rangers. They're a Reserve Force tasked with sovereignty patrols and inspections of NWS sites ( North Warning Systems ) .
And you are correct . They were issued the No 4 Lee Enfield from 1947 to 2015 were it was replaced with the C19. All currently serving Canadian Rangers were than officially gifted their No 4s.
@@AshleyPomeroy Using the early nomenclature that Ian was using, those Enfields would be called Mk1s. But now they're known as No. 4 Mk. 1. Confusing for sure but easy to learn...
The Lithgow Smelly remained Australia’s battle rifle through the Korean War up until the adoption of the FN FAL or as we Aussies knew it the Lithgow SLR. A majority of Australian shooters up until the 90’s have owned, or still own a.303 in full battle dress or cut down sporterised versions, and it was very common into the 80’s to find conversions of these into .303-22’s, .303-25’s or .303-27’s because there were plenty of them and they were cheap. The same things that made them a great battle rifle made them a great bush rifle for all game in Australia, with exception maybe of a water buffalo.
Swear to god, I was looking up stuff about the SMLE mkIII earlier today, specifically because it’s what Australia was using through WW1 & 2, and now only a few hours later Ian publishes this. How did he know? Is Ian some kind of wizard?
Considering how many times I've seen the same thing happen to other people my response would be yes, yes he is mate! A damn good one too!
Definitely a wizard! Dress Ian in medieval clothes with his hair style and beard he would look like Merlin.
He did it to me but on the darker side. He did a video on an antique S&W revolver just like one I was bidding for on Gun Broker. The bids suddenly spiked after the video posted. Fotunately the market calmed down for the next one and I was able to get that one...
Australia also used it in the Korean war.
I've got a No 1 mkIII 2a3 made in 1968 in Rifle Factory Ishapore. Chambered in 308 with a 12 round magazine. The action is butter smooth. The bore is nice and shiny,
leading me to conclude that marching about was its principal use. Paid $110 for it.
Marketing team. " we need a cool abbreviation for our product"
The british- "snigger"
I had to read your post twice. I thought you said something else
@@jeffslote9671 yep, i had to triple check my auto correct made numerous questionable suggestions to me lol
Had to do a retake on that lmao
My friend had a dog named "Snickers" every time they called for him it sounded racist
Look if we can call a ship" boaty mcboatface" we can call a rifle a smelly . bleedin politicians spoiling our fun.
Literally, a forgotten weapon!
That particular piece may hay been forgotten, but the generic SMLE III must be the LEAST "forgotte" weapon Ian's ever shown, with the possible exception of 1911s and Thompsons
I mean this particular rifle was forgotten under the bed sooo
What an absolute gem! Big ups to the collector for allowing Ian to show it off.
I give thanks for being so early to today's gospel
Open your books to SMLE, MkIII
Amen
Gun Jesus saves
Gunspel
The Gunperor protects.
I did rifle drill with this, Slope arms, present arms, Sope arms, quick march etc. I also got marksman badge with shooting this. I use the leaf sight to get this rather than the battle sight.
Love the SMLE documentary.
Fore real exotica, try finding a first year of Lithgow production SMLE and bayonet in original condition.
Better yet the rifles made by Pratt and Whitney on the factory machinery they were about to send to Lithgow. P&W built the entire shebang, machinery, jigs, tooling and gauges whilst the big sheds, including the original steam-powered drive plant, were being assembled in the hills near the little mining town of Lithgow, in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Sadly, many of the documents i saw in the Lithgow archives in the late 1990s appear to have "disappeared". This includes the chart explaining the differences between the two "inches".
Hence, the interesting story of the "Enfield Inch", vs the "Pratt and Whitney inch" that caused some consternation before WW1.
The Lithgow SMLE was the FIRST fully interchangeable production model of the SMLE; thanks to P&W 's fetish about precision. Not fully interchangeable with Brit SMLEs, which were still made the "old-fashioned way". (To a different inch).
It's a great luck, that this rifle has been found by one, who actually knew what it is. And it has not been destroyed or sporterised instead. Thank you, goodman.
My goodness--What a wealth of interesting information! Well done and very much appreciated.
It's in beautiful condition.
100 years before this was adobted the common english infantryman used a smoothbore muzzle loading flintlock musket, which was nearly identical to what they used 100 years prior
Pretty sure this is why my grandpa had his Enfield from National Serviced in the fifties... he lost it under his bed
Great Video Ian, as an Aussie, this was great to watch. Thanks..
Last time I was this early, the Germans were marching into Belgium
Which time?
... the German high command was intently studying train timetables.
I have an SMLE Mk.III* built in 1918 and it is a GEM!
He was saving it under the bed for WW3
When the emu’s rise up
"... Before they all got slaughtered by artillery."
Oh those poor devils.
the Mounties in Canada used SMLE rifles for bear protection until recently
Canadian Rangers also used them.
Surely a grizzly bear can protect itself just fine.
Great information and I really like this superb weapon !!
I will never forget the look my wife gave me when I announced we were going to a gun show to look for "smelly strippers"...
The knurling on the front sight guards helps reduce reflected light/glare and makes the target easier to see.
Those hook bayonets are worth a mint
Both rifle and bayonet with that provenance I would think would be worth about £2000 in the UK. Maybe more, who knows.
@@dp-sr1fd that bayonet alone is worth 4 grand
@@stevejones1488 Wow. Mind you thinking about it, where would you get another stand of arms with that provenance.
@@dp-sr1fd they are rare, especially Australian ones.
Great video, thank you Sir.
Pro tip: 4 hole chargers work much better than 5 hole chargers.
Outstanding video........as usual.
Also, try to avoid chargers of Italian manufacture. They generally have much more resistance and are harder to use.
If you're in the US, the only commonly available Enfield clips are Italian-produced copies (marked "GM" + some roman numeral) that simply do not work at all. Try to source some actual UK-produced clips if you want them to work properly.
@@lukehavard7081 Yes, those have 5 holes.
4 hole chargers with 3 round and 1 elongated hole aka mk IV* contrary to the first mk4 with all 4 round holes that are very stiff.
During the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, Indian, there were several Indian police armed with the SMLE. According to a documentary I saw on the Mumbai attacks, many of the local police officers had never fired their weapon before - not even in training.
One arrow means department of defense in Auatralia mate.
I see a CMF stamp on the buttstock. I know the Citizens Military Forces was an old name for the Army Reserves, but I didn't know that was in use pre- WW1. I thought it was called the Militia. You said the original owner was in the service, so it must have been called CMF then. Yet another interesting gem from Ian! Thanks, love your work!
It may stand for commonwealth military forces. Skennerton has this in one of his publications but in another he says civilian. Commonwealth certainly seems more likely.
That should be citizen.--auto correct.