RSAF SMLE No. 1 Mk III* .303 British Bolt-Action Rifle, 1918-Dated WWI Configuration with 25.2" Barrel
This Royal Small Arms Factory SMLE No. 1 Mk III* is a 1918-dated .303 British service rifle from the WWI era. It features the Mk III* wartime-simplified pattern with the magazine cut-off deleted, the SMLE's cock-on-closing action, and a charger bridge for stripper-clip loading. Correct military features include the protected front blade, tangent ladder rear sight, full-length stock with two-piece handguards, and brass buttplate with trap. The right butt-socket is marked "Crown over G.R., 1918, SHT LE, III*," with an importer/model marking on the left receiver wall.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: This rifle is in good shape overall. There are minor, superficial scratches and blemishes present. The bore is clean and shiny.
What’s Included
- 1x 10-round detachable SMLE-pattern steel box magazine
Made by RSAF Enfield and dated 1918 on the butt-socket, this rifle represents a late-WWI Small Magazine Lee-Enfield in the Mk III* configuration. The right butt-socket carries the "Crown over G.R., 1918, SHT LE, III*" markings, while the left receiver wall bears an importer/model etching beginning "NO.1 MK. III .303 …".
The Mk III* pattern reflects wartime simplification, notably the deletion of the magazine cut-off while retaining the SMLE's hallmark cock-on-closing action. A fixed charger bridge supports rapid clip loading into the 10-round detachable box magazine, as originally intended for service use.
The 25.2" barrel is paired with robust iron sights: a protected front blade set within the SMLE nose-cap and a guarded tangent ladder rear sight. The nose-cap includes the bayonet boss and the mounting boss for a piling/stacking swivel (swivel ring not present), and the rifle is designed for the Pattern 1907 bayonet.
Military furniture is full-length hardwood with two-piece handguards. A brass buttplate with trap accommodates the oil bottle and pull-through, and sling swivels are fitted. The unit-disc recess is plugged, and the length of pull measures 13.25.