ShtLE Enfield Question

[Harry Paget Flashman]

There is an Australian Lithgow ShtLE Enfield for sale locally that is in almost pristine condition with regimental cartouches on the rear stock out the wazoo. Only problem is that some yahoo hacksawed the wood off just rearward of the forward barrel band. A real heart breaker. The bluing is in ~95% condition.

My question is: Are the the "ShtLE", "SMLE" and "No.1 Mk III" stocks all interchangeable forward of the trigger guard? I kind of think they are from my web-surfing but want to be sure before buying this rifle. Will any other Enfield military stocks fit it? This rifle is begging to be bought and restored.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

My question is: Are the the "ShtLE", "SMLE" and "No.1 Mk III" stocks all interchangeable forward of the trigger guard?

Yes. Just don't get a stock for a No.4, which will not fit.

 

[DougW]

Flashman, the biggest problem will be finding the origional Aussie Coachwood. You will have some difficulty even finding a nice #1mkIII fore arm. The rifle forearms you mentioned will interchange. You could try Springfield Sporters or Numrich Gun Parts Corp. Gun shows would be another possibility. I have a friend that was restoring a 1941 Lithgow and it took him 4 months to find a forearm, and then is was British and marked DP for drill purpose.

The wood on my Lithgow in front of the reciever socket is a mess. It was cracked internally, and falling out in chunks when I took it apart for its initial cleaning. I had to use a lot of wood glue and even some stainless pins to reconstruct the back end of the forearm. I will not shoot this rifle, as the recoil blocks are not that tight, and I am afraid of doing terminal damage to the forearm. The Australian Coachwood is soft and the Lithgow factory had to do a bunch of reinforcing the the wood to keep it together. Even then, it still cracked in use. I wish you good luck in your search.

 

[pdowg881]

I was trying to figure out what shtLE meant, and I thought it meant sh** hits the law enforcement. Like when the shtLE during the North Hollywood shootout.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Thank you Doug & Dave for the input. The dealers says he has a friend who may donate him a stock. Hope that happens and it fits. Meantime I'm going to search the vast Internet for parts. Thanks again.

 

[mrmeval]

SHorT Lee Enfield

 

[dogngun]

WWI British shodiers called the SMLE the "Smelly".
They called the ShtLE the "****ley".
In WWII, the Sten SMG was referred to as the "Stench."
FWIW.

Mark

 

[SMLE]

The "SMLE" and "ShtLE" are the same rifle. None were ever stamped "SMLE", that was just one version of the official name.
"ShtLE" is the actual stamping on the butt socket of the "Short Lee Enfield" rifle. "SMLE" is the abbreviation of "Short Magazine Lee Enfield".
The first Lee action rifle was the Magazine Lee Metford of 1888. The came the Magazine Lee Enfield. There were also various carbine versions of both.
In 1903, the "ShtLE" was adopted for all branches of the British Military. "MLEs" were converted to charger loading and their sights were re-regulated for the MkVII cartridge. These were designated "Charger Loading Lee Enfields" or "CLLE" and were issued to Territorial Army(similar to US ANG) units. Many Territorial troops went to France in WWI armed with CLLEs.

IIRC, the change in nomenclature was in 1923 when the Short Lee Enfield became the "Rifle, Number 1 MkIII/III*" The .22" trainers were
Rifle, Number 2 MkIV*" and the "Amercan Enfield" AKA the Pattern 1914 became the "Rifle, Number 3"

 

[mukluk]

Not trying to nitpick but....

 

[Gewehr98]

Thanks for the pic, Mukluk.

I was just going to add that the Aussies didn't make the earlier versions of the Lee-Enfield, and started the Lithgow production with the SMLE.

Coachwood is out there, and can be purchased from a couple small vendors. There's an older gentleman in the midwest who sells SMLE furniture, and supplied me with the coachwood on my own Aussie Lithgow NoIMkIII* SMLE:

(non-permanent, no drill-and-tap scope mounted for my wife, fear not)

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Gewehr. I haven't been successful finding replacement military stocks on the Internet for the "ShtLE". If you have an address for that guy in the Midwest or other vendors could you please post them? The dealer is asking $125 for the bubba-ed Enfield but without a source to make this gun right again I can't see buying it.

Thank you.

 

[mukluk]

Just to clear things up a bit... the Lithgow ShtLE, SMLE and No1 Mk3/3* are all designations for the exact same rifle (though they are hardly ever called ShtLE), so parts listed for any of them would fit. Depending on the year of manufacture of your rifle, it would have been originally stocked in either Queensland Maple, Coachwood or English Walnut (only used quite early on)... finding original Aussie wood here in the US will be difficult, your best bet would be to watch ebay or the like. If you're not overly concerned about originality, Numrich has Indian-made mahogany forearms (they call them walnut but they aren't) and Springfield Sporters has British-made hardwood forearms available. If the rifle has a good barrel and matching numbers with the limited wear you describe then $125 plus a few parts is a good deal.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Thanks, Mukluk. Looks like two good sources.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Gewehr98, What kind of scope mount is on your enfield and does it hold it's zero? Any feedback will be appreciated.

 

[Sunray]

"...the Aussies didn't make the earlier versions..." They didn't make the No. 4 either.
"...and restored..." Start by checking the headspace. Contact Marstar up here. They're saying call about a complete stock set. http://www.marstar.ca/le1mk3s.htm