Enfields were made in pretty much all the commonwealth countries...so this may well be a stamp depicting the manufacturer...there are sites on the net detailing the differences in the type country to country. The biggest difference being the quality of finish.
Those marks are so crisp and the wood so clean I suspect it may be something stamped in by whoever refinished the rifle, rather than something there from way back. I'm not a Lee Enfield expert by any means, but that, I think, is an unusual location for a stamp as well, so possibly added in that location so as not be confused with early manufacturer or armory stamps.
I haven't been able to find this marking on any Lee Enfield website yet. Yeah am assuming it was stamped with this particular mark after being reconditioned/re-issued. Was hoping that it was some kind of unit marking but don't think it is:-( it's got all kinds of other markings on it, have attached pics
I didn't mean a government armory refinish and reissue (with the well known and documented marks and stamps), but one of the private companies (like Mitchell's Mausers) that use their own proprietary marks to prevent their nice rebuilds from being passed off as rare (and much more expensive) originals in such great condition. If they aren't easily identified government stamps, they must be from a private company. I don't know who rebuilds Lee Enfields in the way Mitchell does Mausers, but likely somebody does.
Good point. I remember seeing a tv programme back in the '80s where they filmed a workshop in Pakistan turning out Lee Enfields to sell over the border in Afghanistan to fight the Russians.
I'm fully aware of the Khyber rifles..but this one doesn't appear to have any of the usual Khyber defects/signifiers..just trying to trace some of the markings