HELP ivgot old rifle what is it ?

[bmac]

Can any one help i have just been given an old rifle it says RE in an oval circle on top of barrel it has 303 2.22" on barrel.It also has a flip up appeture or hole site.Also you load the magazine witch is internal from the top through the breech.The butt of rifle has got a steel sholder pad (if pad the right name lol)that has got a round hole in it with a hinged cover for the cleaning kit.I think it was a military rifle at one time but im not sure.I was left rifle wen old mate died and would love to know more.Also the serial number is 360106 if that helps im not sure THANKS EVERYONE OUT THERE

 

[Lone Star]

Your clues are minimal, but because it's a .303, I think the "RE" in the brass disc in the stock means, "Royal Engineers". If it was a Carcano, "RE" would mean, "Regio Ejercito", I think.

You probably have some variant of the Lee-Enfield or the earlier Lee-Metford service rifle, which was used by your country for many decades. With your poor description, I can't tell whether it is in original condition, or was cut down to make a sporting rifle. Because it has an aperture rear sight, it's probably a No. 4 Mk. I or II. It could be the No. 5 "Jungle Carbine", too. Doesn't your library or book dealer have gun books with photos?

The ammunition is still common there, I think. Some years ago, the NZ govt. even issued free .303 ammo to those willing to cull excess stocks of red deer.

Any good gun store there should be able to tell you what it is, or any veteran old enough to have used it before the adoption of the 7.62mm SLR replaced it.

If it's in good condition, thank your late mate. It is a collectible rifle, with a lot of history behind it.

Lone Star
P.S. I ran into a New Zealander in a gun shop in Texas just last week! He said there are still plenty of deer there! And that he doubts that your gun laws will get as bad as Australia's...

 

[Kaylee]

looks something like this?

Cool rifle! A British variant runs around $150-$175 retail in decent condition in most parts of the US I've been through.. no idea on the NZ variant. (The low price only reflects the fact that they were made by the kajillions and then dumped on the civvie market when the British and related militaries went to autoloaders.. they're not "cheap" rifles by any means!)

Oh.. and might "RE" also mean "Regina Elizabeth," much as Revolutionary War era Brit stuff was marked "Rex George" or somesuch?

-K

( image shamelessy stolen from http://webpages.charter.net/dgodfrey23/old_rifles.htm )

 

[bmac]

hi guys thanks for taking time to look 4 me but that picture isn,t quite rite i looked at the site that you got image from and none were quite rite.
My one hasnt got any magazine protruding from under rifle also the one pictured has got small bar on same side as bolt that is spring loaded and is pulled outwards to remove bolt.My rifle has exactly same bolt removal bar but it is on the opposite side of rifle.also my one has had the wood removed .Ifeel im getting close tho lol.This rifle has the safety lever on RH side just behind where the bolt locks down ,it is on the rifle not on the bolt.

THANKS EVERYONE

 

[Kaylee]

What about this one?

 

[TimRB]

I'll bet Kaylee has nailed it. There was an earlier version of the rifle pictured (P14) that was chambered in 303. Here's a little history:

http://www.african-hunter.com/303_rifle.htm

Tim

 

[Lone Star]

Kaylee-

You're thinking of ER or E II R, for, "Elizabeth Regina" or "Elizabeth II Regina". Won't wash: P14's were made under the reign of George V. ("GR")
Maybe the final years of Edward VII; I'd have to check. I think George was already on the throne by 1914.

HM Queen Elizabeth II didn't ascend the throne until 1952.

Anyway, those marks would be in proofmarks or otherwise on the steel parts; the brass disc on the stock usually is reserved for unit markings. Often, they're left blank, and a private owner may have just put his initials on it.

New Zealand used UK rifles; unlike Australia, they didn't make their own.

If the steel parts are in nice condition, the P-14 makes an excellent sporter; BSA made some up in the 1920's and '30's that were stocked much like their later hunting rifles or the Winchester M70 Featheweight of today.

Lone Star
P.S. We need to note that the P-14 Enfield was based on the Mauser '98 system; it isn't a Lee-Enfield.

 

[Gewehr98]

Maybe it's not a repeater .303.

I'm thinking about Kaylee's choice of picture website. How about a late-model Martini-Enfield, like this one? He did say "Top-loading".

 

[Lone Star]

Timrb-

WOW! I LOVE that Zimbabwean site you referenced! Not only does the Lee-Enfield data look good; I hit the "snake button" and it's got terrific info, too, with good pix of puff adder bites and of the black mamba.

Thanks!

Lone Star

 

[Kaylee]

Lone Star -- thanks for the correction. I had this fuzzy recollection of a couple initials from the days when civilized folk all knew Latin, but couldn't recall more than that.

(and G98 -- the choice of picture website was based on the first one to turn up on a google image search. Nice pictures though. )

-K

 

[Jim K]

The rifle is a British Pattern 1914, in .303 British (unless altered). The "RE" stands for "Remington Eddystone", the Remington-owned U.S. factory (in Eddystone, PA) where it was made when British factories were too busy making the SMLE to manufacture the new rifle. Other P-14 contractors were Remington (Ilion, NY) and Winchester. All three factories later made a modified version in the U.S. .30-'06 caliber, called the Model of 1917.

Jim

 

[Carlos]

Sweet. Don't leave the man hanging, what's it worth. Got a pic?

Thanks.

 

[bmac]

COOL 1 KAYLEE you definitally hit nail on head your the man.the picture you supplied with 30 06 under it is the one im rapt thankyou the photo is perfect .Mine is just missing the wood and the steel is a bit shabby but i mite get it reblued one day .Thanks everyone for the help.

My next rifle i hav got to find out more about is a .22 winchester bolt action with a tube magazine.It was left to me by my dad and its always been around me.I was in gun shop and asked dude why i never see a rifle like the 1 described .He said he hadnt ever seen one with tube mag and bolt action and kept saying 2 me its pump action with tube mag n mine very rare .I was wondering if he ment that its rare in NEW ZEALAND or rare in whe world.Iv had a bit of a look round on net but havent seen it yet and would love to find out more about that rifle .Oh yeah the bolt is chrome ,well i presume its chrome lol
THANKS EVERYONE AGAIN WOW COOL PLACE THIS IS LOL

 

[TimRB]

"Mine is just missing the wood and the steel is a bit shabby but i mite get it reblued one day .Thanks everyone for the help."

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say your rifle is missing the wood, but in any event I would think long and hard before getting it reblued. If it has collector's value, rebluing would almost certainly diminish it.

Tim

 

[Dave Markowitz]

303 2.22"

This refers to the chambering. It shoots .303 British ammo, which has a case length of 2.22".