Old unknown rifle

[Kelfka]

Hi,
I'm looking to identify on old rifle for my father-in-law.
Of all the rifle pictures I have seen on the internet, none is an exact match.

Here is what I know.
20 years ago a gun collector told him that the rifle was made in 1914 and that it was owned by a military officer.

-The rifle is a 5 rounds, .303 cal., sporting rifle.
-There is a coin inserted in the rifle with "Edisonia Winnipeg" written on it.

-There are some engravings:
-The numbers "54158" (serial number?)
-The letters "RE" with a circle around them.
-A crown, the letters "GR" or "GH", some flags with the leather "P"
-An other crown with "81 A" under it. (There are other similar engraving to this one but there were to faded)
-The number 16 with a big arrow over it.

Thanks for the help

 

[Kelfka]

Here are other pictures

 

[Mike Irwin]

Post a clear, close up pictures of the action showing the bolt handle, the safety, etc.

This would appear to be a custom rifle made from an old military rifle.

It looks like it could be made from a Pattern 14, but it's hard to tell what the action looks like.

 

[Kelfka]

The Pattern 14 was the closest match.

Here are 2 other pictures I have

Hope it helps

 

[Mike Irwin]

Definitely a Pattern 14 that has been pretty heavily modified.

The safety seals it.

Here's a picture:

http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/images/p_14/p14_7.jpg

Matter of fact, the host page has a whole series of really good pictures of the Pattern 14:

http://tinyurl.com/d3mblc


My guess is that this was a surplus rifle that was modified by a gunshop in Britain or Canada using the original barrel, which has the proper British ordnance markings.

It appears that the sight bridge has been milled off, though. That's a pretty extensive modification.

 

[James K]

It is a sporterized Pattern 1914.

A Google search shows Edisonia to have been a generic name for an exhibit hall of Edison's inventions, but specifically for the kinetiscope, an early kind of motion picture that was viewed in a machine rather than projected on a screen. A search on "Edisonia Winnipeg" turns up a lot of info, including a picture, of the Edisonia in Winnipeg, Man., which also had a rifle range.

Those tokens were sold by that kind of business and then used in the "movie" machines, phonographs, and so on. The idea was like the use of tokens for street car or bus fare; the cash money was at one central place for better control, and the price of the game, transport, etc., could be raised by raising the price of the tokens without having to alter the machine that took the token.

I am sure that high power rifle was ever fired at an indoor range; someone just inserted one of the Edisonia's tokens in the hole originally intended for a unit marking disc.

Jim

 

[Kelfka]

Thank you very much for the info!!

My father-in-law will be very happy.

Thanks again

 

[Tom2]

Being a heavily modified sporterised Military rifle, it's value is in how good of a shooter it is. Even if it could somehow be converted back to original military configuration(impossible if the receiver is modified) it would be a P14 .303 and in the US the 1917 version of the rifle in 30-06 will bring a good price if nice, but the .303 guns were never nearly as valuable in the US market. It is a good strong rifle, though.

 

[James K]

Quote from my previous post:

"I am sure that high power rifle was ever fired at an indoor range"

I meant was NEVER fired on an indoor range. My apologies for the typo.

Jim