Name that gun??

[brewzer13]

 I need some help identifying an older rifle. A friend of mine dropped it off after his dad died last week, wanting it out of the house. It came with an old box of .303 british rounds.

 Its a bolt action with what looks like a 7 or 8 round bottom feed clip. On the strap going from the trigger guard over the top, it has a crown with G.R.I under it. THere is also the following below that; ISHAPORE, 1923, SHTLE(I think), and the roman # III
 Where the barrel and receiver meet, there is the same crown on both and some other markings that I cant decipher. One looks like BNP 303 2.222, and below that it looks like 18.5 tons per with a square and ".
 The release for the magazine is a small lever above the trigger. It has a rotating "Hammer" stlye of safety on the left side.
 The gun itself is a little rough with some surface rust and about a 3" section on the top of the barrel where the bluing is gone. I'm sure one of you has some idea of what it is.

[jackelope]

enfield?

[jackelope]

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-116608.html

http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=1

[brewzer13]

 Thanks for the links Jackelope. From what I read, it is a 1923 Mk III. I will do some more checking on the other site as well and get some other info. 

[coyotemadness]

Sounds like a Brittish Enfield made in India. SMLE = Short Magazine Lee-Enfield. Common rifle but still fun to shoot.

[Sagedawg]

Alot of the SMLE's were shipped to India when it was part of the British empire, kinda sounds like thats what you have. They are fun to shoot, somewhat hit and miss with the accuracy depending on overall bore size. Mike Ventierio from GUN magazine did an article on them awhile back, I'll see if I can find my copy and offer up some more info.

Sage

[coyotemadness]

If I remember correctly that article was on India's conversion from .303 to .308 in the 1960's. I always wanted one of those converts.

[brewzer13]

 Thanks for all the info. I did a little more searching today and came up with mostly the same things as you guys did. I think a good cleaning and a few parts (Rear sight) and it should be good to test out. Maybe a good gun to blow up some blocks of ice or a few melons with.