British rifle marks

[Don149]

In my collection is a P53 Enfield with the Snider/BSA conversion, stamped 1862 with the RM Enfield mark.

On the left of the buttstock is an elongated diamond with the letters DC enclosed,on the right are the

figures 26 over 397,all in the old style,(curlytail).

Could someone please interpret these for me. The No 4 Lee Enfields of my day with just a white painted

armoury number were no help!.

[Kingsman]

I would speak to Royal Armouries at Leeds, the National Firearms Centre.  They inherited the MOD Pattern Room collection and records when ROF Nottingham finally closed.  The collection was moved there when Enfield closed in the 80's.  At one time they claimed to have every known variation of every UK service issue weapon.

[Watcher]

Can you post some pictures? Are these markings on a brass disc on the buttstock? If so they might be unit markings.

[Don149]

No , Watcher , the markings are stamped into the buttstock . The brass disc only came in on the Lee rifles , I have one on a Mark 3 made by BSA

in 1929 , interestingly , its stamped in Arabic . If only they could speak ! .

[Beefy]

The DC in a diamond on the butt shows it was issued to Dominion of Canada according to this web site. Hope it helps solve your question.

http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7644

[Don149]

Many thanks Beefy , just what I was looking for . The number on my buttplate tang being 30 over a smaller 85 , being ex RAF , I don`t understand

Army unit marks , but now I know where it served ! , I wonder how it got back home ? .