Vintage Ordnance Company, LLC
SPECIALIZING IN EXHIBIT GRADE HISTORIC ARMS & REPLICAS, MUSEUM & MOVIE CONSULTING AND MORE!
WWI No. 1 Mk III Enfield Receivers for Restoration and Build Projects
These receivers are in good to excellent condition and suitable for use in building your own No. 1 Mk III Enfield military rifle, military shotgun or custom sporting rifle or .410 shotgun. They are all World War Two (WWII) or earlier manufacturer from military arsenals and military contractors in the United Kingdom, Australia and India. All of these arsenals produced excellent quality guns.
In England - London Small Arms Company Ltd (L.S.A. Co. Ltd.)/Birmingham Small Arms Co. (B.S.A. Co.)/Enfield.
In Australia - Lithgow
In India - Ishapore
Markings and dates will vary. Some still look sharp and clear, while others are worn or partially unreadable. These receivers are listed and priced individually, and have been cleaned for photography and inspection only. Expect some additional detail cleaning. Some have minor pitting, nearly always below the woodline. Usually they will have some minor dents and dings from service too. A bolt will slide smoothly through them so they are straight. Some come with the small parts as seen in the individual listings. (Many have sears, sear springs, etc.)
These receivers were originally made into rifles, but between the wars, they were converted by the military into single shot shotguns for guard use by the addition of a sheet metal feed tray riveted to the bottom. The rivets are easily drilled out without structural harm to the receiver if you want to use them to build a new magazine fed rifle or rebuild one of the many World War One (WWI) or World War Two (WWII) Dewatted/Drill purpose rifles currently in circulation. Most of those Drill Purpose (DP) guns have a hole drilled horizontally through the receiver and barrel. While the barrel chamber can be repaired, the DP receiver is ruined by the drilling.
Sometimes the receivers were stamped ".410" with the year of conversion on the left side of the tang. Sometimes they were not. We found many now quite uncommon pre-WWI and early WWI dated British made receivers, that include the side slot cut in the right receiver wall to accommodate the magazine cut-off switch. The Australian made No1MklII (Lithgow) receivers retained the cut-off feature well into World War Two as did the Indian (Ishapore) receivers.
Each receiver is photographed and listed individually. The one you see, is the one you are getting. Even though many of these receivers are over a century old, they must still be shipped to, and transferred through, your local FFL.
Monarch Initials on British manufactured weapons
All British military arms are the property of the crown and are marked with the initials of the monarch.
| Initials | Monarch | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| V.R. | Victoria Regina (Queen Victoria) | 1837-1901 |
| E.R. | Edwardius Rex (King Edward VII) | 1901-1910 |
| G.R. | Georgius Rex (King George V) | 1911-1936 |
| E.R. | Edwardius Rex (King Edward VIII) | 1936 |
| G.R. | Georgius Rex (King George VI) | 1937-1952 |
Monarch Initials on Indian manufactured weapons
On Indian manufactured weapons produced prior to about 1952, the cypher also consists of a stylized crown above the initials of the reigning monarch, but the letter "I" (for Imperator) is added to the initials. In approximately 1952 (a few years after Indian independence) the crown was changed to an Ashoka (four crouched lions) and the initials were changed to R.F.I, for Rifle Factory Ishapore. The corresponding initials under the cypher are indicated in the following table.
