"If purpose built as a Commercial Sporter, then the 'L.E.I' means nothing as that designation is for an entirely different configuration, that of a Military rifle.
Why would they (LSA) put it there? It would have no meaning and no business being there."
Lee Enfield is an acknowledgement of the Lee action and the Enfield way of rifling. It conveys meaning to civilians, like a "Mauser" on a commercial rifle does.
LSA Co ( or BSA & Co) marking conveys meaning to civilians, like a "Mauser" on a commercial rifle does.
'L.E.I' is the same as '98k' on a civilian rifle.
The original Lee Metfords (not conv to charger loading after 1907) never used a letter designation on the socket other than the Mk (I,II, I* ect)
So when the Lee Enfields were patterned, the designation was stamped with letters L.E. I (II,ect) to show the difference.
The bbls are marked on the knoxform 'E' also.
It is a British Military & Commonwealth Military designation for a specific pattern of Magazine, Lee Enfield (Rifle),,the MkI.
That military pattern of rifle saw service from about 1895 to late 1899.
The action itself with little change was used on several different Military 'patterns' of rifles & carbines both Lee Metfords and Enfields till the SMLE was adopted. The action was available as a commercial sporter for years after it was dropped as a Military rifle/carbine.
Would it properly designate the sporter had they used a L.E I* action?
The * notes the deletion of the clearing rod from the MKI pattern along with the groove & hole in the forend and the hole in the nose cap.
What sense would that make to purposely put that Military marking on the Sporter.
To use an already marked military action, yes I suspect so. I brought that up as a theory before in the production of LSA's sporters.
Little is known about them as opposed to the BSA production.
Perhaps LSA just didn't have the facilitys to produce a civilian action and used military ones for their sporters.
..jc5 has brought out a point that LSA may have just marked theirs diffently.
BSA even left off the Lee & Speed designations as soon as the patent ran out.