These are original SMLE piling swivels 'A', each with an original screw. The piling swivel was fitted to the underside of the SMLE nosecap behind the sword bar, and was used so that rifles could be linked together and stood on their butt plates in a pyramid shape so that they would be easily to hand and kept out of the dirt when the troops were working or resting. These piling swivels are the early, or 'A' pattern which were common to all Mks of Lee Metford and Lee Enfield from the Lee Metford Mk11 up until 1923. They were also common to the P14 rifle (rifle No3 Mk1 &1*).They were superceeded in 1923 by the smaller Piling Swivel 'B' which can be found elsewhere in this section (CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK). All piling swivels were officially declared obsolete and removed from British SMLEs prior to WW2, although some reserve rifles in store retained them and were issued with them fitted when the rifles were brought from store on mobilisation. Some Commonwealth countries also retained them until well into WW2. Stock No 42/6. Please note; At this time all of the piling swivels that we have appear to be from one batch, ALL appear to have oversized lugs (thicker than normal). It is believed that these were manufactured oversize to be fitted at units by the armourer and that the over sized lugs were to allow these to be fitted to worn nosecaps without having to go to the expense of replacing the otherwise servicable nosecap. Consequently these may require the thickness of the lugs to be filed down to fit individual nosecaps!