Forums.NitroExpress.com

We call them "Lee Speeds" because the term is convenient. "Lee Speed" is not a model name. Nobody ever advertised or sold a rifle as a "Lee Speed." The stamp itself is a patent acknowledgement, not the name of the rifle. The stamp is not stating anything about the model or name of the rifle---it is acknowledging the patent holders. When the gunmakers were no longer required to acknowledge the patents, they stopped stamping them. But the rifle didn't change, except gradually over the years for other reasons.

Therefore, there is no such thing as non-genuine Lee Speed, if it is a commercial rifle. There are only commercial Lee Metford/Enfield rifles that have the "Lee Speed" stamp and those that don't. (Some collectors will only call a rifle a "Lee Speed" if it has the LSP stamp. That's understandable and just fine with me. The term is just shorthand anyway. But to me, the fact that a sporting rifle was made by BSA with the LSP stamp, and then the identical rifle was made a few years later but lacks the stamp... I regard them as the same rifle, except that one has a stamp.)

However, there IS such a thing a non-genuine (fake) "Lee Speed" if it is simply a military surplus rifle that has been "sporterized." Bad chops are called bubbas. Nicely done conversions might be called...nicely done conversions. They might look beautiful and shoot wonderfully, but they are not genuine commercial sporters. Commercial sporters were built as sporters, for sale to the civilian shooting public.

Therefore, if a Lee Enfield has a royal cpher and a date on the butt socket, it is NOT a commercial rifle (i.e., not a "Lee Speed"), no matter what it looks like. But if it lacks these marks, and has only the gunmaker's name (or nothing) in that spot, it is probably a commercial rifle, notwithstanding dozens of exceptions, rare cases, and models that fall outside the time period, but I'm sure you follow me without belaboring the point.

Best regards,
JC

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

Post Extras