My first Lee Enfield

[pacanis]

That's interesting. Quite a few of the sites I was on yesterday were places selling milsurps in pounds with a UK and the end of their URL. I just figured collecting milsurps was OK over there. Or maybe if you jumped through hoops, like that Australian member that was here a while back.

Anyway, from milsurp.com. I actually had to register to view the thread again

"The 18.5 tons, 2.222" and BNP are UK Civilian proof markings that show it was at some time in Uk civilian hands prior to making its way to the USA."

And noboody disagreed with them. I found something similar said at another site I was on, too.
Anyway, I'm glad I got the right information now

[Junk Yard Dog]

You can own milsurps in the UK, we have some members here from the UK who do, but there are tough restrictions and limitations on the number you can own as well as the amount of ammo you can have, were and how they are stored. Be careful when buying any milsurp from the UK websites as they might be deactivated rifles, what we used to call dewatts back in the day. You would also have to be a licensed importer to bring one in made after 1898.

[alwyswrkng]

Only we have the CMP selling Garands to civilian shooters, or the protection of the second amendment, The British government has been very anti gun for a long time, they make New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and California look pro gun.

Whenever I talk to anyone from England or Canada for that matter that has any interest in guns they always warn me. Fight for you gun rights to the last bullet, last gun, last breath because once they are gone you will never get them back.

[Junk Yard Dog]

My late neighbor from Devon used to say that she was born a subject, and now was a citizen ( when she got her US citizenship) Subjects are ruled, citizens decide on the rulers and the rules.

[Tula Neil]

Hi,

BNP is the proof mark for the Birmingham Proof House, England. Most weapons being sold in the UK should have this mark if into civilian ownership. You can own a weapon without this mark, but if you want to sell it then it should go through proof the confirm safe to use. The other UK proof house is in London.. The UK accept proof marks from other countries in Europe, as a standard form of safety.
Your No5 was in civilian hands at some time in England, before being shipped to the US, if sold direct from the military to the US, then would not need to go through proof.

[pacanis]

Well there ya have it. Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Tom.
I knew I had read this in more than one place, that it was accepted as proof it was in civilian hands at one time.

[Junk Yard Dog]

There are three more N05's including my own owned by shooters around my home Neil that have this mark, was there some large civilian group, shooting society of some sort that they would have taken these rifles back from to account for so many of one type to have the mark? Something like our VFW, a civilian veterans organization that was issued parade rifles by the government? Some of these rifles were taken back before people raised hell about it.

[Tula Neil]

Hi JYD
For many rifles to have that mark they would have come from a military outlet not a shooting organization. No5's not everyones ideal rifle, heavy recoil
Some years ago the military cadet forces, that did and still does teach shooting to young people, upgraded from bolt action rifles, small and full bore No4's/SMLE's etc to the semi auto SA80's same as our troops use. These stocks of Enfields would be sold as a bulk purchase by the MOD to many dealers. For the dealers to sell on to civilians they had to be proofed hence the BNP stamp.
Not sure if the same applies to the Jungle Carbine, maybe these were in long term storeage and then sold off by the MOD..

BTW a stunning No5 in what appears to be unissued condition, you did well

[Junk Yard Dog]

Thank you , I got it from an older gentleman who complained it had some problem with it's "recoil" I have been shooting it for 17 years with no problems at all, it is in unissued condition, and dated from the last months of the war. I know the MOD flooded the market with SMLE's of all sorts in the early 1990's, at that time US dealers had them for as little as $45 for a No1 MKIII*, or No4, the carbines were a bit more expensive. Australia did it at about the same time, some of us built rather large Enfield collections in the 90's.
The No5 is one of my unissued Enfields, the other is a 1955 Fazakerly No4 MKII new in the arsenal wrap, still in that wrap today. I have enough nice issued rifles that I can leave it packed away, I wish I had bought two of them at the time.

[pacanis]

Thanks Neil, and thanks for the explanation. Very interesting.

[desdem12]

That is good info Neil.