Scarce Irish Lee Enfield No. 1 Mk. I** SMLE Rifle 303 British

Serial #ER3268, .303 British, 25" barrel with a very good bore that has some minor freckling within the grooves. This is a 1905 dated rifle that retains about 85% plus of the original blue finish with gray fading and mild plum-brown freckling on the balance. The bolt has been armory renumbered to match the rifle and is equipped with the sliding charger guide with some silvering along the bearing surfaces as well. The walnut forend, buttstock, and correct early handguards have an excellent dark added military oil finish over scattered minor handling marks and small surface blemishes throughout. The front volley sight stud is still present but the flip-up rear aperture is no longer installed and the brass stock disk is unit marked ("10.14/3NF/821"). These "ER" prefix guns were updated for the Mk.7 ammunition and sent to Ireland in the early 1920s. About 4000 of these rifles qwere imported into the U.S. in the 1960s-70s. Ref. "The Lee-Enfield - A Century of Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield Rifles & Carbines" by Ian Skennerton; 2007} FFL or C&R