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Enfield manufactured SMLE .303 Number 1 Mk1*** dated 1907
Very rare WW1 EY (Emergency trench rifle )
We are offering for sale this very rare Number 1 Mk1*** Emergency Trench rifle.
There are very few ways you can 100% guarantee that any rifle has actually been involved in any action in WW1.
One way is that it was owned by an Officer as a private purchase so you can track back to were it was purchase from like the Army & Navy store ect.
But Officers normal carried the Webley .455 revolver not a Service rifles as Service rifles were only carried by the lower ranks.
In fact it is very hard to 100% guarantee that any Service rifle was at the front at all, but there is 100% guarantee that a Service rifle was at Western Front and in the British frontline trench's and that is a EY 'Emergency rifle'.
The only time the British Army ever permitted the uses of a EY rifles was only on the British front line in a British trenches facing the Hun.
This Number 1 Mk1*** was manufactured in 1907 at R.S.A.F. Enfield as a Number 1 Mk1* and used the standard MkV1 .303 round. This rifle still has it's original 1907 magazine and barrel.
The rifle was upgrade sometime before 1914 to Number 1 Mk1*** spec, this rifle still has fitted its original 1907 dated barrel. This rifle has all matching numbers from its original 1907 production .
The condition of the this Number 1 Mk1*** is what you would expect from any rifle that has been involved in four years of trench warfare on the western front.
After the end of WW1 the rifle was FTR ( Enfield factory repaired) in 1929 (see Enfield inspection stamp in photos)
It was redeployed to British India and in 1935 the rifle was RTR at the British Indian Army rifle factory .
After WW2 this rifle was used as Drill practice and then sold out of service, the most important thing about this rifle that it has not been molested in anyway.
It is almost impossible to find a EY rifle in 100% original condition.
What was an EY Emergency rifle anyway...?
A EY stamped rifle was either had a shot out barrel (not in this case) or just need to go back to the reserve trenches to be repaired by Armouries but in many cases the trench would hold spare rifles 'just in case'.
Also in many, many cases the trench was so far ahead in the line that it was almost impossible to ship damaged rifles back to the communication trenches for repairs.
Many trenches were just pinned down by German Snipers or by Armillary bombardment.
The primary propose was if the Trench was going to be overrun by the hun and your rifle jammed up at the wrong time you just grabbed the EY rifle as a last resort.
This rifle was an important part of life on the frontline during 1914-18 and for the serous collector this is a very rare part of WW1 Trench war fair. The rifle has a worn but shoot able original barrel, the action is very smooth and a nice 7lb Trigger and a good second pull.
There are two types of rear sight bed, one for the original MkVI ammo which is high than the MkVII ammo which is low.
The rear sight base indicates that this rifle is set up for MkVII .303 Ammunition which make this a very usable rifle down the ranges.
The Number 1 series of rifles were only in production for about 3 years and are unique with there floating bolt charge. The development of the Number 1's from 1903 (November) to late 1907 was very progressive.
But in mid 1906 a new model was announced, the Number 1 MkIII which had a fixed charger bridge rather than a floating charge.
There was a delay in 1907 for the introduction of the new rifle as production problem with tooling caused a delay from March 1907 to October 1907.
As a result the Number 1 Mk1 stayed in production until November 1907.
In its short production life of only 3 years or so make these rifles highly disable but this rifle is very rare as it a survivor as EY Trench rifle from a war a long time ago.
£1495.00