SMLE serial number 247886

[snayperskaya]

It would appear I was looking at the wrong number......the numbers that would appear to be SMLE serial numbers are;

8363 with a "S" prefix
13419 with a "T" prefix
3663 with a "Z" prefix

Not very clued up on the old SMLE and there seems to be a bewildering amount of information!.

[TomH]

Yes, those are Serial Numbers. But it's not simple tying down Factories and Marks of SMLE. S and T were both used by BSA and RSAF Enfield across various Marks for example. So there might be multiple S8363's . But you might find it easiest with the first rifle as you will have clues as to when this was issued and can disreagard later Marks of SMLE.

[GeeRam]

I'm in the process of researching his war records etc and today I found out he had a brother (so my Great Uncle) that was killed at the Battle of Hooge on the 8th of September 1915 aged 19 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion K.S.L.I and his name is on the Ypres/Menin Gate memorial.

Scarily close to my Great Uncle. He was KIA, likewise aged 19, on the first day of the Battle of Loos on 25th Sept 1915 while serving with the 7th KOSB, and has no known grave, his name is engraved on the memorial wall at Dud Corner Cemetery at Loos.

[HH1]

My Dad has a number of SMLE's I'll ask him what numbers he has/had....

On the subject of odd chances... I had a guy on a Watch forum recently contact me over a limited edition sportscar that I once owned (166 of 250). He had seen a photo that I had posted up in an off topic section of the forum. He is now the happy owner and just this weekend I posted out to him the cockpit cover that had been up in my attic for about 8 years.

So yeah, things can happen....

Good luck with your search.

[spikedueller]

Good luck in your quest snayperskaya,

On a smaller scale back in the 80's I had one of the BSA Centenary 1 of 1000 rifles but lost the certificate only finding it long after I sold the rifle. Some 30 years later I posted on an airgun forum to see if anyone still had the rifle as I had the cert, sure enough the new owner replied and was very happy to have the certificate reunited with said rifle.

Mike