Yesterday's Weapons Forums

What model Enfields are the hard cases to the front holding? Lee-Metfords? Looks like 95 Mousers in the back - no doubt decorated with "OVS" lettering. SW

I'm not sure,

I'm guessing like you that this is the Boer War. Rifles were most likely captured from the British so I would think that they are most likely MLE 1 or MLE1*

my thoughts too , stocks arent right for MLMs , most likely early MLEs

IIRC early Metfords had a horizontal finger groove in the fore stock - I think that's what Mike is referencing

Ah, yes .... but the groove was present only on the MkI and MkI* MLMs , and was eliminated on the MkII adopted in 1892 .... and I didn't think that feature was what Mike had in mind because it doesn't seem to be present on either of the rifles held by the fellows in the front in the header pic.

Although it does appear that there may be a forestock groove on the partially-visible right rear rifle, I don't believe it is an MLM (or any Lee-action) because the groove - if that is what is visible on the forestock at the right edge of the picture - is too far forward relative to the trigger guard .... also the guard appears to be the wrong shape, there is no magazine visible at the front of the guard, and the shape and positioning of the trigger aren't right for a Lee. (As you'll undoubtedly gather, I've now checked in Skennerton. The fellow on the left in back definitely doesn't have a Lee.)

Grant,

the guy front left has a safety on the cocking piece eliminating the MLM II but no the MLM II*

The MLM II* came out April 1895 whereas the MLE I came out in November 1895 - MLE I was more prolific.

1895 in each case - I presume '1885' is a typo .....

i was thinking the groove was missing for the mkI & mkI* , and the thumb cut at the cutoff was missing for the mkII , but the photo is far too grainy for my old eyes ,
so i just pulled my LES out to see what grant is looking at , i was looking for the thumb cut under the cutoff thinking MLM mkII from page 54 , but i see its a trials example and if id looked at the mkII on page 64 id have seen that its most likely what these are , somehow id always had it in my head that the thumb cut was dropped at the MLE , and grooves at the mkII ,

im in agreement on the far left one - not an enfeild , if not for the bent bolt id be thinking mauser , but im way out of my element in those .......what else didnt have a box magazine in those days ?
the muzzle end looks a bit like a mauser to me as well ,

* but could it be an early ross rifle ? the forsight/bayo boss looks like it could be that , and the lack of box magazine-mauser type floor plate works for this one , and .......the bent bolt works , but i dont know ross rifles well eather