I just bought an Enfield Enforcer, serial number 050. There is no serial or patent number on the outside part (the part not covered by the stock) of the barrel, although there is a D with a star above it and below the D an H with an underscore. The same serial number sequences were often used by different makers, and on different series of firearms, so a serial number, e.g. A2785, may have been applied to a Lee-Metford rifle, Lee-Enfield cavalry carbine and Lee-Enfield rifle, all produced at the same factory, Enfield. Bayonet serial numbers are usually those of the rifle with which it.

SERIAL NUMBERS...

Earlier SMLE and previous MLM & MLE rifles & carbines initially had the action body batches allocated a letter, before the serial numbers were stamped (to 9999 in each series). These commenced with no letter, then progressed A thru' Z, often nominated for different contractors, RSAF Enfield, RSAF Sparkbrook, BSA Co., LSA Co., and the peddled scheme during WW1. It is interesting that different rifle and carbine Marks recommenced with the no letter and A-Z series with each new model, so it is possible to find carbines/rifles of different Mark designations with the same serial number. This is a reason that upon unit issue, serial nos. were not recorded, rather that rack numbers were assigned and stamped on the butt or butt-plate tang. On some rifles, particularly the SMLE, these unit or rack issue numbers were stamped on the top of the action body as well, e.g. in Aussie service '3.M.D.' (3rd Military District) '10381' (the Military District or unit rack no.)
On MLM, MLE and earlier SMLE rifles, the batch letter will be noted sometimes above or below the serial no. because the serial number was stamped later in production and stamped on the body and breech bolt too. Serial nos. stamped on the nosecap boss, fore-end, underside of the rearsight leaf, &c. was done at Base Ordnance Depots and by armourers to keep together components original to particular rifles during maintenenace and repair. This also applied, to a certain degree, to No.4 and No.5 rifles, particularly to the fore-end and later extended to the magazine case as well. For the SMLE, we usually find serial nos. stamped on magazine cases only on Indian issue rifles.

Recording of serial numbers for Enfield muskets, .577 Sniders and .450 & .303 Martini rifles & carbines is essential for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) however the numbers stamped on the butt or even on action bodies are rarely the firearm's serial number. Rack or issue numbers were stamped on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the butt-plate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number.
Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible and removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body can damage wood furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M. & M.E. too) has rust on it. M.H. serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while .303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm. serial nos. for .577 Sniders and .450 & .303 Martini rifles & carbines is required for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) but numbers stamped on the butt or even action bodies are rarely a firearm's serial number. Rack or issue numbers were marked on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the buttplate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number.
Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible; removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body may damage furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M. & M.E. too) has rust on it. M.H. serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while .303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm.

No.4 and No.5 rifle serial numbers can readily identify manufacturers. British No.4 rifles have five numbers, usually after one or two letter prefixes. The same letter prefix(es) were used by Maltby, Fazakerley & BSA Shirley, A to Z then AA, AB to AZ, then BA to BZ, CA to CZ &c. Maltby rifle serial numbers commence with a number '1', Fazakerley with a '2' and Shirley with a '3', e.g. 1xxxx for Maltby, 2xxxx for Fazakerley and for Shirley, 3xxxx, after the letter prefix. Late Shirley numbers then supposedly ran A4000 to A7999 and with PS prefixes at the very end of production. Post-war Fazakerley No.4 rifles had PF letter prefixes. The only exception to the 5-number sequence for No.4 rifles was the initial BSA Shirley production which ran from 0001 to 9999 then went with A to Z prefixes (A0001 to A9999 to the Z prefix) and some early dual letter prefixes (e.g. AT 0303), but then went over to A30001, &c. So early M47C No.4 rifle numbers could be confused with the Jungle carbine in having four rather than five numbers.
Long Branch (Canada) serial numbers incorporate an 'L' in the serial number while US Savage numbers include an 'C' in a similar relative position amongst the numbers. Both of these No.4 rifle series commenced with 0L1 and 0C1 respectively.
No.5 Jungle Carbines only have 4 numbers, the Shirley carbines have BB to C? prefixes, last production was post World War 2. The Fazakerley jungle carbines ran from FE1 to FE1000 initial production, then with no letter prefix, followed by A1 to A9999 through Z9999.

Serial numbers of certain Lee-Enfields can serve as indicators of the model and help with initial authentication. The 'BS' prefix was used for the .22 British No.7 rifles, 'T1' for the .22 No.5 trials small-bore target rifles in 1945 and 'DA' for the .22 No.8 N.Z. contract rifles by BSA Shirley. 'SKN' was applied to factory sectionized models, an 'XP' prefix was used for Lithgow Shortened & Lightened SMLE and No. 6 jungle carbines, 'X' was used for a small number of Lithgow No.1 rifles with stainless steel barrels and 'FE' was used for early production Fazakerley No. 5 jungle carbines. Trials No. 1 Mk VI and No. 4 Mk 1 rifles made in the early 1930s have an 'A' prefix to their original serial numbers although many were later upgraded to No. 4 specs and the 'A' became a suffix to indicate the fitting of some non-interchangeable components. On No. 4 rifles, an 'A' suffix was stamped by a repair depot or armourer after the serial number when some parts were found to be non-interchangeable.
And of course, with the Canadian No.4 rifles, the letter 'L' precedes the last four numbers as does a 'C' for the Chicopee Falls production Stevens Savage Lend-Lease No.4 rifles and 'J5550' (the drawing number) prefixes the Canadian Lightened No. 4 serial number. After the initial 99,999 rifles, the Lithgow No. 1 (S.M.L.E.) proceeded through 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' and 'F' prefixes before the last rifle F40580 was manufactured in 1953. WW2 production ceased with F39580 and the 1,000 rifle run during the Korean War ran from F39581 to F40580. More details on serial numbers will also be found in the new book, 'The Broad Arrow'.
The 7.62mm L1A1 series serial number prefixes similarly denote makers. UE is Enfield, UB is BSA, UF is Fazakerley and AD is Lithgow, Australia. 'SAF' was applied by the Lithgow factory to certain export sales and 'SR' for Lithgow sectionized rifles. South African 7.62mm FAL's were Belgian production metric models, engraved with the South African crest. Indian 7.62mm 1A rifles ran conventional serial number series with a letter prefix.

7.62mm L2A1 prototypes (heavy barrel auto model) from SAF Lithgow had 'X' prefix serial numbers. Some were onforwarded to Malaya and New Zealand, good customers who purchased quantities of the 7.62mm L1A1 model—
X1 to Malaya (7 June 1961)
X2 to X4 to Malaya
X5 to New Zealand
X6 to X7 to Malaya
X8 to Malaya, returned to SAF and rebuilt, forwarded to Australian War Memorial
X9 to Malaya
X10 AIS (Army Inspectorate) Lithgow
X11 AIS Lithgow
X12 AIS Lithgow
X13 to Malaya
X14 to Malaya
X15 to Malaya (likely only 15 rifles w/ X serials built, following were converted receivers)
X18 rebuilt from X8 at AIS Lithgow
X19 rebuilt from X9 at AIS Lithgow
X20 TT 176 for Army trial, control weapon (normal barrel & gas block, concession trigger mechanism & body bullet lead)
X21 TT 176 (test/trials) used with X20 by the Army
X22 possibly a number allocation and not assembled
Australian L2A1 production commenced in 1962 with 3,000 rifles and continued until 1982 with a total production of 9,557 (excluding the X-prefix pre-production batch referred to above).

Lithgow SAF in-house L1A1 test and some special rifles have some different serial number prefixes. SAF was used for target rifles and commercial batches which included the L1A1A rifles for the United States, e.g. SAF830103. TT and TR were applied to in-house test models. TR0001 to TR024 are recorded as having been assembled,
TR0007 Fully chromed barrel & auto to ADE Melbourne
TR0008 Fully chromed barrel & auto to ADE Melbourne
TR0015 Adverse condition trial with selected components; TT56, TT57, TT58, TT59
TR0016 Production rifle for comparison with above
TR0017 Adverse condition trial TT60 / C110
TR0018 Deterioration of Rifle body using proof rounds; TT61
TR0019 For case proof Footscray, special hardened body BRH
TR0020 BRH body
TR0021 H2 body for cartridge case ammo trial
TR0022 H2 body for cartridge case ammo trial
TR0023 H2 body, test on body hardened at finished stage; TT72 & 74
TR0024 HT body, test on body hardened at finished stage. Also ejector trial.
TT64A, TT64B, TT64C, TT64D, TT64E to observe stretching of body
SR1 Sectionized rifle, to Senior Inspector, AIS
SR2 Sectionized rifle, to Senior Inspector, AIS SAF
SR3 Sectionized rifle, to Bandiana
SR4 Sectionized rifle, to Bandiana, for Melbourne Museum
SR5 Sectionized rifle, Factory inspection prototype
SR6 Sectionized rifle, Australian Trade Commissioner, New Zealand
SR7to SR18 Sectionized rifles, to Malaya
SR19 to SR27 Sectionized rifles, to New Zealand
SR28 Sectionized rifle, to Zambia
SR29 to SR36 Sectionized rifles, for factory personnel
SR37 to SR588 Sectionized rifles, service issue, some sold to collectors and museums
SR8800001 to SR8800010 were a special bi-centennial batch of L1A1 A sectionized rifles in 1988, also engraved 'AUSTRALIA'S BI-CENTENNIAL 1788-1988' over 'S.A.F. LITHGOW L1.A1. PRODUCTION 1958-1988' on the right side of the upper receiver. A special copper - bronze medallion was also inletted into the right side of the butt of these 10 rifles.

Serial numbers for British made L1A1 rifles and Small Arms ran in blocks with factory code and year prefix followed by the serial number commencing with an alphabet letter e.g. UB60 A85830 (last rifle by BSA for the 2nd quarter 1960). Third quarter numbers commenced with A85831. The initial BSA batch of L1A1 rifles for the quarter ending December 31 in 1957 was UB57 A1 - A870. For the quarter ending April 30th 1960, numbers were UB60 A63625 - A75299. The last serial number for the quarter ending 31st July 1960 was UB60 A85830. An anomaly... factory logged quarters ended with 30th April and 31st July???
'U' indicates UK. The next letter is the factory, 'E' for Enfield, 'F' for Fazakerley, 'B' for BSA Guns, 'S' for Sterling Engineering.
This was followed by the year indicator, e.g. '55' for 1955, then the serial number commencing with A1 which continued to A999,999 after which it advanced to a B prefix, starting with B1. The year indicator was irrespective of the serial number advance, e.g. the last rifle at Enfield in 1956 may have been UE 56 A2136, the first rifle in 1957 would thus be UE 57 A2137, until A999999 was reached after which the 'B' series was to be used commencing with B1, e.g. UF 68 B1.
Repaired weapons are marked with factory code, year and 'F.T.R.' adjacent to the original serial number. Where two or more types of weapons are manufactured or repaired at the same factor, a separate series of numbers will be maintained for each type of weapon, each commencing at A1.
For replacement numbers, i.e. unnumbered or illegible originals, SA prefixes were allocated for Army, SN for the Navy and SR for RAF. An example is an L1A1 returned by police in 1978 with an obliterated number was then engraved SA78 A1.
RSAF Enfield reported production of 103,400 L1A1 rifles, 108,300 L1A3 bayonets and 15,520 L1A2 grenade launchers by the end of the financial year 1961 for the War Office, Admiralty, Air Ministry, Ghana, Rhodesia, Nigeria and Singapore. Enfield FTR'd 10,000 No.4 Mk 2 rifles for Burma in that period, new No.4 rifles were made at ROF Fazakerley.

Examples of Recently Sold Rifles

L1A1 (SLR) Rifle - Straight Pull
L1A1 Straight Pull - 7.62mm - SOLD

Long Lees

Long lee Enfield MkI BSA- Sold

Lee Enfield New Zealand Pattern Carbine - Sold

Lee Enfield MkI LSA Excellent Condition £Sold

SMLE

SMLE MkV Trials Rifle Serial No A3407 SOLD

SMLE 2A1 Ishapore 7.62x51 Dated 1965 - SOLD

SMLE MkIII LSA 1904 Conversion- SOLD

SMLE Enfield MkIII Lithgow 1920 Serial No A86730- SOLD

SMLE MkIII BSA 1908 Serial No 95209- SOLD

SMLE MkIII* Lithgow 1944 Serial No E95990- SOLD

SMLE MkIII BSA South African Military Contract- Sold

SMLE MkIII* BSA SRG Marked - Sold

SMLE MkIII BSA 1942 Ex-Italian Navy - Sold

SMLE MkIII* SSA 1917 - Sold

SMLE MKIII* 1944 from Malaya / Borneo Emergency Sold

SMLE Mk III* NRF & FF Fianna Fáil Irish Markings - Sold

SMLE MkIII* 1917 'Long Butt' £Sold

SMLE MkI*** BSA Sparkbrook 1905 £Sold

SMLE Mk III* Rare Wire Wrapped Version £350£SOLD

SMLE Target Rifle Regulated by Fultons to 'Service Rifle B' Specification £SOLD

Rare SMLE MkI*** N (Naval Conversion) £Sold

No4

Long Branch No4 Mk1* 1950 - Long Butt- SOLD

No4 MkI* Long Branch 1945 - 5 Groove Barrel - SOLD

No4 Mk1 7.62mm- SOLD

No4 Mk1 BSA 1942 Serial No C8471- Sold

No4 Mk1 BSA 1942 - Sold

No4 Mk1 Fazakerley 1942- Sold

No4 Mk1* Savage 1942 - Sold

No4 Mk2 1955- Sold

No4 Mk2 1954 PF334911 - £Sold

No4 Mk2 1954 PF333562 Irish Contract £Sold

Lee Enfield Enforcer

No5

No5 Mk1 Jungle Carbine BSA Serial No BB7767 - SOLD

No5 Mk1 Fazakerley 1946- Sold

Enfield Enforcer Serial Numbers Online

Pattern 14 & Model 1917

P14 Eddystone .303- SOLD

M17 / P17 Eddystone 30/06 1918 Very Good Condition - Sold

M17 / P17 Eddystone 30/06 1917 Very Good Condidtion - Sold

Winchester P14 £Sold

P14 Winchester Rare No3 Mk2 .303 £Sold

P14 Remington .303 1916 £SOLD

P14 Remington 1916 Ex RAF Museum Rifle. Rare Mk1.£Sold

Training Rifles

Lee Enfield N.9 Naval Training Rifle- SOLD

Lee Enfield No8 Training Rifle- SOLD

Lee Enfield No7- SOLD

No8 Mk1 Training Rifle - SOLD

No8 Mk1 British Military Training Rifle- SOLD

No8 Mk1 New Zealand Contract Training Rifle- Sold

Lee Enfield N.9 Navy Contract Training Rifle- Sold

LSA SMLE No2 MkIV* .22 Training Rifle - SOLD

No8 Mk1 British Military training Rifle - Sold

SMLE MkIV* .22 Air Ministry Contract - Sold

Lithgow SMLE No2 MkIV* .22 Training Rifle- Sold

No8 Mk1 British Military Training Rifle-Sold

Lithgow SMLE No2 MkIV* .22 Training Rifle - Sold

No8 Mk1 British Military Training Rifle£Sold

No8 Mk1 British Military Training Rifle £Sold

No8 Mk1 British Military Training Rifle £Sold

RAF No7 .22 Training Rifle Very Rare £SOLD

SMLE IV* .22 Conversion £Sold

Sniping Rifles

Lee Enfield No4T BSA 1944- Sold

Lee Enfield No4T BSA 1944 - Sold

L42A1 Sniper Rifle- SOLD

Lee Enfield No4T (Less Telescope)- SOLD

Enfield Enforcer No 705 - Sold

Pattern 14 No.3 MkI* (T)A Sniper Rifle - Sold

Lee Enfield No4T BSA 1945- Sold

SMLE No.1 MkIII* H.T. Sniper Rifle - Sold

No4T BSA 1944- Sold

Enfield Enforcer No 490 £Sold

No4T Long Branch 1943 - Sold

L42A1 Sniper Rifle£Sold

BSA 1944 No4T £SOLD

Enfield Enforcer No 295£SOLD

Enfield Enforcer No 089£SOLD

BSA 1945 No4T£SOLD

Target Rifles

Lee Enfield 7.62mm Target Rifle- SOLD

No4 Mk2 7.62mm Target Rifle PF306170- SOLD

Enfield No4T Whitaker Special 7.62mm Target Rifle - SOLD

Enfield Enforcer Serial Numbers 222

Enfield Envoy Palma Match Sold

Enfield Serial Number Database

Enfield EnvoySold

Enfield Envoy Sold

Serial Numbers Cracks

Enfield L39A1 1970 7.62mm £Sold

Enfield Envoy '1970 Palma Match' Rifle 7.62mm£Sold

Enfield Enforcer Serial Numbers 222

Sporting Rifles

BSA Lee Speed Style Sporting Rifle .303 - SOLD

Genuine BSA Lee Speed Sporting Rifle .303 - Sold

Genuine BSA Lee Speed Sporting Rifle .303 - Sold

BSA Lee Speed Calibre .303 Circa 1910 VGC £450£SOLD