December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/12/2024
This Mk III* SMLE was one of the rifles that had been acquired (either captured, bought, or stolen) by the Irish Republican Army from a British soldier during the Irish War of Independence, as it does not have the altered serial number of a rifle that was furnished to the fledgling Irish Free State in 1922-23 by the British government. It is marked "FF" (Fianna Fail- the insignia of the Free State Army) on its nocksform, and “186” (in an Irish, not British, font) on its brass disc inset into its butt stock. The rifle was made at Birmingham Small Arms in 1915 and has no further upgrades or alterations. There is a very faint “2471” stamped on the comb of its stock, which may indicate it could have been one of the “Shamrock Enfields” that Interarms imported from Ireland in 1962. This rifle was featured in a 2004 article in Shooters’ Bible, as well as in exhibitions for several antique arms collecting clubs in the Mid-Atlantic region in the past 20 years. PROVENANCE: Kenneth Smith-Christmas collection. CONDITION: Excellent. Metal with the vast majority of the period reapplied bluing with some softness to legends and some stray pitting visible under bluing on receiver, thinning at sharp edges and with some handling marks; the Fianna Fail cartouche has burnishing in it, indicating that it was most likely arsenal refurbished and then marked for Fianna Fail. Stock with some handling marks and impressions throughout, some deeper on the right side, and a chip at heel. Mechanically fine, bore excellent with bright, shiny rifling.