I have a LE MK IV No 1 I believe-complete as issued but re-barreled in Ishapore to 7.62 NATO -probably in the 1950s.-early 60s.
The IDs under the bolt are painted over with older black paint, but the serial number is visible.
The rifle is in very good shape, with an excellent bore. I have shot both lead and jacketed bullets
in this rifle and it digests pretty much everything with good accuracy.
I am going to assume this rifle saw service in the India-Pakistan conflicts and came up
milsurp when both countries modernized rifles to FN/FAL and others. Magazine is left in as designed
for stripper clip military ball FMJ ammunition. Any experience with these?
Mellon in his "African Hunting" tells of being without a rifle due to a trip
and bad luck-purchased a LE in .303 which had a bad gas leak due to
headspace. He paid one pound for the rifle and he shot 3 elephants with it-bad seal and all.
His purchase price and mine were not far off-though mine retains its headspace.
