One of my local gun shops had what they said was an Egyptian Enfield with a detachable magazine and an aperture sight. It was chambered for Japanese ammo.

This cache deserves a book of its own in the spirit of the Chinese pistols piece.

I have an image in my mind of an Ethiopian Tuco bursting into a gunshop at closing and shouting "GUNS!" at the old man, putting different parts together and giggling.

These old "bitza" guns are quite an adventure in gun archaeology, where did these parts come from and how the gun smith put them together to get a working gun from a bag of assorted bits.

Ethiopia really is the gift that keeps on giving

Is it even possible for Ian to make a bad video? I've watched every one I can find and I'm never disappointed. Thanks Ian.

A Collector i know from Switzerland has quite a few Rifles that somehow ended up in Ethiopia but with some odd Changes to them, the one that stuck most in my Mind was a Gewehr Werder M/69 from V.C.S. Suhl but all the Wood (Nussholz) usually on these was replaced with "Affenbrotbaum"-Wood (Ethopian Baobab Tree), which i believe isn't a good type of wood to use on your Rifle and whoever had that done to the Suhl made Werder M/69 didn't do that out of necessity, because he kept the original factory "Nussholz", making it seem like he had done that for the fun of it. Maybe someone here knows why you'd do that and use Baobab Wood over a 100 years ago while in the eastern Parts and Colonies of Africa, maybe the Wood is better for the climate? Prost & Cheers from the Berchtesgadener Land

I appreciate an person that can take a few similar yet broken items and make one or two perfectly working machines\tools. Ethiopia is a strange land with an amazing culture.

Golden rule with Lee Enfields , just when you think you know all there is, forget it!

"partially complete" is my new favorite!

Perfect channel for those of us who love history and firearms. Keep up the great work!

Ian we always appreciate all your hard work finding and showing off these treasures and oddities. Thank you Gun Jesus!

Hey Ian... not related to this segment, but did you know there's a picture of an EM-2 bullpup used in one of Terry Gilliam's animations in Monty Python's Flying Circus (S03 EP31)? I came across it yesterday and couldn't believe my eyes! lol 😳

Kit bashing, not just for star trek ship model kits.

Your videos always make my day, keep it up!

They did similar thing in New Zealand as range rifles post WW1. Most ended up used by home guard during WW2 then deer hunters.

Hey everyone, I hope you have an excellent day!

It's a very good topic keep going ian

This is an early model, as when I joined the British Army Cadet Force in 1945 our Armoury had a stock of Long Lee Enfields but I do not really recognise this model, the muzzles were quite different. The Wind Sight to the left of the bolt was distinctive as well as the Cut-off carried through to the SMLE mk3 of course. The Cut-off being for volley firing and the magazine as a reserve which could have been useful at Isandawanda. Also, in the Armoury was a rack of Martini Henry rifles. Often wondered what happened to them al! Exciting but happy days!

Life is like a box of Ethiopian rifles; you never know what you're going to get.

I love the kludged together one offs done out of necessity.

At the time this was assembled it was probably considered tacticool, and the owner showed it off to everybody.

Them: what kind of Lee-Enfield is that? Me: yes.

Interesting that the armorer kept the volley sights and cutoff. More interesting is that they were still fitted, as the British started pulling them off and making new rifles without those features during WWI. For example, my 1918 BSA No. III* is so designated because of omitting those feature when produced; older SMLEs modified also received this designation. Many Long Lees were converted to the SMLE configuration during WWI. Quite a treat to see this rifle.

I imagine some Ethiopian gunsmith / quarter master annoyed like "Q" in Bond films: "JUST ONCE, could you bring my stuff back IN ONE PIECE?!" MacGyver- "I made a center fire pistol using a highlighter, a ballpoint pen, a thumbtack and a rubber band." Ethiopian gunsmith- "Hold my beer, I'll make it fire semi-auto and take an AK clip"

Now THAT's a weird gun. Respect to the smith that made that. It certainly takes some ingenuity.

Being a Lee-Enfield lover, with my love starting with the ishapore liee field that I own, this thing is extremely cool.

Great work Sir thank you

Thank you , Ian .

Enjoyed as usual.

Definitely a mullet, style in the back and business up front. Love the look for some reason

Very cool. Human ingenuity at its finest.

Partially complete!

Very very cool rifle!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: that tablecloth is the nicest background you use for gun breakdowns.

Wish my dad were still alive. He was in the British infantry in WWII and was stationed in Egypt. He carried a Lee Enfield Mk 4 and would have enjoyed watching this video.

The Dunkin Donuts sponsorship was a great business move Ian

I'm beginning to feel like we're really milking this Ethiopian surplus thing

I've ordered 6 rifles that came from Ethiopia and not a one had any Ethiopian markings kind of disappointing but also kind of glad since they are more original.

It's wonderful, Bubba. One day you'll be famous all over. Anyone notice the German eagle stamp on the bayonet band?

We call it "menishir" and it is popular in ethiopia

Also known as, the "Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk1 *****"

Long short lee, love it

Not a SMLE but a (long) SMLEE !

Good to see Gun Jesus still on the net still.

Necessity is the mother of invention. If you are fighting a war and need guns you cobble together what you have.

The whole front end has gone wonky!

Amazing to think what this rifle has seen id love to know when this was made in England no idea

You have to give the builder credit. They were probably tasked with maintaining an armory of weapons with very little in the way of parts. They probably had to cannibalize anything they could and they DID make it work... Great Video. I would love to meet the Smith. Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John

Interesting how creative some of those gunsmiths we're.

Proprio vero,nel mondo delle armi si ricicla tutto

Good morning everyone hey Ian

Hey Ian, kind of off topic, but I saw the vid you did for AK's in video games where you talked about malfunctions, I was wondering if you have seen Escape From Tarkov. Right now misfires are the only malfunction in the game but with the next update (hopefully very soon) they'll be adding a lot more. A couple months ago they tweeted out the animation for one of them on the MDR. Thought you might find it interesting.

Maybe a bit of a P14 look at the muzzle?

Interesting adventure! 😎😯 God bless all here.

Fascinating. If only these rifles could talk and tell us their history...

A Long Lee / SMLE Hybrid, like the opposite of a mullet! So Bangs? in mullet form? the rifles a bullet!!

Someone did a lot of improvising.

I have one thing to add Ian....the magazine on that rifle isn't 'early' or for the mk.1, it's a no.4 magazine and was typically seen on No.1 Mk.3 rifles. I'm guessing that this Ethiopian rifle was configured to eventually use the Mk.VII .303 round which is why we would see the no.4 magazine.

10/10 would buy this

I have a South African example that is very similar, it has the traditional SMLE look ,the bolt is identical to the Long Lee

Makes me want to just rush over and buy one of Royal Tigers 500 dollar worn to hell rifles.

I am from Somalia next to Ethiopia and I must say that I would love to have one old classic weapon

Definitely gonna need a rundown of the live action cowboy bebop weapons...

Almost like Deja vu

It is a kludge, sure, but a pretty good one.

Cool!

. Thank you

I am sure kyber pass armors watch FW. Ian should plan a trip there...

Hey Ian, ever seen a No4Mk1/3 with a chrome bolt or know why someone would chrome the bolt on one?

Now we know that the Good Idea Fairy visits Ethiopia.

So is thats a 'short' Magazine Lee Enfield, rather than a Short Magazine Lee Enfield.

That's some 19th century Bubba

That mag is from a later model. It should have a ring on the forward face to arrach a chain.

Nice.

That’s a no 1 mk1 smle stock

Basically, a shortened ( ",chopped") MLE MkI. Wood Nd barrel shortened SMLE top handguard fitted/made, bayt.band has handguard retaining lip welded on, front sight hand filed out of scrap steel, and fitted, but too short a distance for fitting Patt.88 bayonet. Not a "put-together" but simply a shortened MLE MkI.... In Australia, from 1926 onwards, MLE shortened to SMLE barrel lenght ( replacement SMLE light or H barrels) were acceptable for NRAA Target Use. Doc AV

So, would that volley sight gadget on the side, be attached to some kind of mechanical link that would raise and lower the rear sight by the correct amount? If the rear volley sight was in the appropriate location of course.

So this would be prime for the Penguin/Elephant on the Ark meme treatment.

The writing is a rack number, it's 1 thousand something but the rest of it is in Ge'ez.

So it is a kitbash? "Got all these parts...would be a shame to waste them, let's make a gun out of them!" :D - Interesting vid, Ian :)

AHAAA?!

Cheers

Have a photo of my great uncle Jack, in South African Constabulary uniform, on a horse with a Lee Metford in a stirrup based holster

The SMILEY

medium lee

The thumbnail rhymes btw

The Ethiopian markings are perhaps serial numbers. It reads 2730.

I bet the gunsmith that created that thing even forgot it.. lol

That stock need a spa treatment.

I wish I could buy some of those but they won’t ship to Canada not even antiques

Cool

I wonder how accurate the sites are?

Kool beans.

Does the fact that that rifle seems to be one of a kind make it more valuable to a collector or is sort of considered to be junk?

OH GOD IAN NOT OTHER LEE-ENFIELD.

Missed the "EFD" on the bolt ! What does that refer to ?

I'm pretty sure that I own that exact same globe.

How did you even get your hands on such oddities?

Okay... Ethiopia Rifle book is a go, or simply not enough information (history wise) to make it work?