Interesting. A No.1 MkIII magazine should fit just about anything made since 1892 (except for the WWIII No.4 and No.5 series). If that mag seems "too wide" then you COULD have a Lee Metford MkI or MkI*. Those had slim, single stack magazines that help only 8 rounds, though they were just as deep as the later 10-rd magazines. Those things (the mags and the rifles) are highly collectable. Getting a mag for that style would not be cheap. (If you decide to abandon the project, I would certainly buy the rifle from you!

)

If it is a Lee Metford MkI, that's not the sort of thing you'd want to make into a hunting rifle, for many reasons I could go into if we positively identify it as that. Those early Lee Metfords (made prior to 1892) were never issued in carbine form, and they were not converted to RIC carbines. (The RIC carbines were made from cavalry carbines, which had Lee Metord MkII-style actions, with the "wide" magazine but shortened to hold only 6 rounds). Confused yet? I know all this stuff is crazy, but pictures make it easier.

I could post a pic of an RIC carbine, but you could google one just as easily. Besides, if it has already been chopped up, it may not be recognizable as an RIC. Does it say "RIC" on the butt disc?

Whatever it is, it sounds like an early one--I'm eager to learn more!

...
Hey Tinker, I hope you're settling in to the new digs! I'm jealous! Speaking of Lee Metford MkI actions, that one that you traded me last year was the commercial ("Lee Speed") version of the one that we might be discussing in this thread but the previous owner had put a "wide" (i.e., later) trigger guard on it. Not sure if you noticed that or if we discussed it at the pub, but I think someone had tried to make it "work" with SMLE parts---a essay in futility!

..