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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Lee Speed Forum & Archive

jc5
.300 member

Reged: 10/10/07
Posts: 162
Loc: West Coast, USA

Now hold on...
03/12/08 09:55 AM

Tinker,

Before you go and start making repro wood, rebluing and all that... there's a few things to notice about this action.

First, congratulations on finding this! It may be quite rare.

Notice the safety lever. It looks more like a Lee Metford MkI safety than the kind found on any SMLE. If it's a MLM MkI safety, then it is quite rare and may be more valuable than if you found an entire Lee Speed intact. They abolished and recalled those early safeties on the Gov't arms. I know some guys who are looking for those. Please post a picture of the left side of the action so we can be sure. Now look at the sear. It has the pre-SMLE single stage trigger configuration, and you don't see that on actions with an SMLE safety. Are there any markings on the rest of action? Any numbers? Proof marks? Is there anything stamped on the top-right-rear of the action---on the flat part where the bolt slides in?

I think it is unlikely that this action was a sporter. It is definitely a commercial gun, but was probably a target or volunteer model (privately purchased). Most (but not all) sporters had engraving, and sporters never had the volley sight lever, as yours does. All the evidence, therefore, leads me to conclude that this was a target or volunteer model that was made according to the MLM MkI pattern. This would have been among the very earliest commercial Lee Metfords made. The proper thing to do would be to restore it to that configuration, which is not cheap, but it's certainly possible. I know someone who has done it. If you want a sporter, you might shop around for a decent Lee Speed sporter or action. They are available, and are a lot more common than the one you've got. This one would not look right as a sporter with the safety and volley levers...sporter wood was not cut for it, and it just would not be proper.

The other parts you mentioned--bolt and bolt cover---are a bit harder to find than SMLE parts, but they are not that difficult to get.

For more info on Lee Speeds, I have posted quite a bit over on this thread: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=23226

--------------------
Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have data to share or questions, please send me a PM.

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Subject	Posted by	Posted on
So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	29/11/08 11:22 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	9.3x57	29/11/08 01:38 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	29/11/08 02:07 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	30/11/08 03:00 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	Caprivi	30/11/08 05:36 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	30/11/08 05:45 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	Caprivi	01/12/08 02:43 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	01/12/08 03:00 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	Caprivi	01/12/08 04:31 PM
Now hold on...	jc5	03/12/08 09:55 AM
Identification of Lee-Speed action...	tinker	03/12/08 04:39 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	tinker	04/12/08 11:59 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Caprivi	04/12/08 03:33 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Marrakai	04/12/08 10:57 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	tinker	05/12/08 02:59 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Caprivi	14/12/08 10:10 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	jc5	15/12/08 05:47 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Caprivi	15/12/08 05:52 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	jc5	15/12/08 08:44 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Marrakai	15/12/08 11:39 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	jc5	16/12/08 05:35 AM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Rowdy	19/12/08 06:45 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	darwinmauser	11/02/09 11:10 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	jc5	19/12/08 09:18 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Caprivi	03/01/09 12:37 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	jc5	03/01/09 05:43 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	Sarg	03/12/08 06:02 PM
Re: Identification of Lee-Speed action...	tinker	03/12/08 06:27 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	FrankS	30/11/08 04:42 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	01/12/08 05:00 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	9.3x57	01/12/08 11:54 AM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	tinker	01/12/08 01:10 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	mehulkamdar	29/11/08 02:46 PM
Re: So, a Lee-Speed action falls in your lap...	Caprivi	30/11/08 02:27 AM

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