BSA Lee enfield no1 Mk3 ''siamese contract''
- Category
- Firearms Rifles
- Classification
- Non-restricted
- Action
- Bolt
- Condition
- Good
- Manufacturer
- BSA (Birmingham Small Arms)
- Caliber
- 303 Brit.
- Model
- No1 Mk3 siamese
- Hand
- Right Handed or Ambidextrous
For sale my beautiful Lee enfield no1 Mk3 Siamese contract. Bore still have some good rifling considering most of them served in hot and humid climate in jungle. asking 1550$ price dropped to 1500$ shipped
THE SIAMESE LEE ENFIELD
SMLE n.1 mkIII* for Wild Tiger Corps
In 1920 the king of Siam Vajiravudh, also known as Rama VI, during his time studying in England became an avid admirer of the Lee-Enfield SMLE. He then ordered 10,000 SMLE (short magazine lee Enfield n.1 mk3) for his personal Regiment "The Wild Tiger Corps". The Regiment also included his personal Royal Guards.
The "Wild Tigers" were a Paramilitary Regiment founded by Rama VI in person in 1911 with the purpose and function of civil order and close protection.
The rifle featured Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), showing it’s distinctive tiger’s head on the receiver with the inscription ‘Rama VI Model 2462’ which in the Buddhist calendar corresponds to the year 1919.The rifle shows matching Siamese characters on the breech, bolt and barrel that guarantees originality.
Today this weapon is extremely difficult to find in good/excellent condition and in addition to its discrete rarity many were destroyed during the Japanese invasion of WW2 with the few surviving rifles falling victim to the harsh Jungle environment. Despite not being of great technical interest (it’s a standard No1 Mk3 after all), it remains a specimen of great collecting importance, especially among the Lee-Enfield variety.
