The Essential Agencies Limited (EAL) Rifle
Site last updated: 15 September 2021
The Essential Agencies Limited (EAL) rifles were an interesting anecdote to the story of Canada's relationship with the Lee-Enfield rifle. The last Lee-Enfield variant of the Lee-Enfield rifle to be produced in Canada, the EAL rifles were undoubtedly used by the military and the Canadian public. Regrettably, the records pertaining to the production and of these rifles and those of the company (Essential Agencies Limited) are lost or have yet to be located. As such, there has been much confusion in the collector market with respect to the development and use of these fine rifles.
This website is dedicated to collating the available information and is largely an attempt to provide some degree of update and amplification to the research provided by Mr Warren Wheatfield. Mr Wheatfield's website on the EAL rifle still remains an extremely valuable resource for the researcher and indeed, much of the information here has been drawn from it.
To be clear, I do NOT own all these fine guns shown on this site! I have ruthlessly pillaged the internet to find pics and examples for your viewing pleasure.
Somethings we know...
EAL was incorporated in 1945 as a sporting goods importer/distributer and was dissolved in 2007.
EAL was located on 4616 Young Street Toronto,Ontario
EAL was a distributor of sporting goods such as fishing lures etc
Canadian Arsenals Limited (CAL) was a Crown Corporation that existed starting in 1945. Its small arms division closed its doors in 1976.
Somethings we think we know...
Per Wheatfield: In the 1950s, E.A.L. apparently purchased surplus action bodies, barrels, and small parts from Canadian Arsenals Ltd. (C.A.L.) of Long Branch, Ontario. Records indicate that E.A.L. contracted with the firm of St Frances & Sons at 166A York Street, Toronto to do the machining on the action bodies.
But hang on...what about this!
The picture at right is from the Canadian Defence Commodities 1967 catalogue and shows the 303 sporting rifle along side other CAL products including barrels for the Remington 66 and M-14. A variant of this picture also appears in the French version of the 1968 catalogue. In the index of companies found in the catalogue, neither EAL nor St. Frances & Sons are listed. Of further interest is that the rifle pictured appears to be a Type B with a 5 round magazine.
Clearly a relationship existed between EAL and CAL with perhaps the latter building these rifles for EAL to market and sell? (Note that the Remington 66 Nylon was first introduced in 1959)
Or how about this!
The Eaton's Fall 1948/Spring 1949 (top) and Fall 1949/Spring 1950 (bottom) shows a strikingly similar rifle for sale by mail order. The ad does not say who made these rifles but...
Some questions we would like answered....
Q1. Who manufactured the EAL rifles? CAL for EAL? EAL using surplus parts they purchased? Aliens? A combination of the above?
A. At this point, it seem likely that CAL had a hand in the process of providing parts, if not assembling and branding complete rifles. In some cases, the finish on the barrels and receivers appear to be of a different finish implying a separate origin. One theory is that the Type A and B were manufactured by CAL and retailed by EAL and others such as Eatons (possibly under the EAL brand). It is possible that some Type B and all Type C rifles were assembled by EAL (via St. Frances & Sons in Toronto) from CAL surplus parts once CAL ceased production sometime around 1970. We need more information!!
Q2. What was the relationship between CAL and EAL?
A. We do not know but it sure seems odd that every one of these rifles has the mark EAL punched in on the side! Incorporated in 1945, EAL may have been a completely separate company which had personal connections with the newly formed Crown corporation of CAL. Perhaps EAL was established as a retail front for CAL and included other sporting goods? If so, who provided Eatons with the rifles pictured above and were they even branded EAL?!??
Q3. Which rifles did the military use?
A2. Well we know from Ranger pictures that they certainly used the Type C. The one good picture we have also seems to show RCAF survival rifles and possibly Type B rifles in the rack (see Military Use link at left). This alone seems to imply that the military may have actual had several orders over the years. Having said this, at least one knowledgeable fellow named Rob in Edmonton swears up and down that that military actually used the Type B rifle.
Mr Wheatfield's site can be located at they following link: https://webpages.uidaho.edu/stratton/EALrifle.htm
Another interesting site with some great comparison photos is located here: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/philqgbr/enfieldeal.html
For ease of recognition and classifying the variants of these rifles, I have divided them into four broad categories:
Predecessors - RCAF Survival rifles and presentation rifles.
Type A - Military butt, modified military fore end, and battle sight
Type B - Sporter butt, modified military fore end, and battle sight
Type C - Sporter butt, non-military fore end, and express sight
Estimated production numbers for the various types of EAL rifles are as follows:
Type A - approx. 1,000 (estimated serial number 0001-999)
Type B (no calibre mark) - approx. 1600 (estimated serial number 1000-2600)
Type B (with calibre marking) - approx. 2400 (estimated serial number 2600-4999)
Type C - approx. 1700 (estimated serial number 5000-6700)
As noted, neither the RCAF survival rifles nor the presentation rifles were branded as an EAL. Nevertheless, due to their uncanny resemblance to the EAL rifles, they have been included as perhaps the predecessors of the EAL line of rifles.
Further, to make matters even more complex, there may well be production overlaps resulting in hybrid variants! eg Type C rifles using Type B fore ends
The Current Working Theory (subject to constant revision and change as more info becomes available)!
My current working theory (which is being constantly being amended!) is that the Type A and Type B rifles (up to serial number 2600) were made by CAL and exclusively distributed by EAL between approximately 1949 and the early 1950s. These rifles seem to have been initially retailed via Eaton's (1948-1950) and possibly through an EAL store front and/or mail order. However, there has been one owner who indicated that his grandfather purchased his Type C (#5944) from Fritz Dakin's Hardware in Digby, NS for $50 in 1950 or 1951. Another chap indicated that he had ordered his rifle (S/N unk) through Sears Canada mail order in 1970!
Per Wheatfield and anecdotal dates provided by owners, I suspect EAL Sporting goods bought up the surplus parts when CAL left Lee-Enfield game circa 1950. I suspect that completed (or nearly completed) Type B rifles continued to be sold by EAL for many years perhaps as late as the 1970s. Concurrently, they seem to have used the spare parts/unassembled receivers etc that they acquired to upgrade to a newer sexier/sleeker pattern to be more competitive against the like of Parker Hale. Using the spare parts they acquired, they had existing receivers and barrels modified (likely at St. Frances & Sons). Custom fore ends were also manufactured (based on some checkered examples - the old stock fore ends seem to have been in short supply as production went in).
Interestingly, the 1968 CAL catalog photo shows that they were advertising the .22 Nylon barrel as well as a ".303 sporting rifle" (type B) with a five round magazine. The 66 Nylon was introduced in 1959. This creates a conundrum in that how could Canadian Arsenals be offering to supply Type B rifles (at the earliest 1959 and the latest 1968) if they had sold off their spare parts to Essential Agencies?!? Were these simply old stock holdings that CAL had retained? Perhaps all Type B's were made by CAL and distributed through EAL whereas Type Cs were made from spare parts by EAL and retailed by EAL?
All EAL barrels seem to have been DCP proofed with the exception of one that we have seen in the 6500 range which did not have the DCP marking. I suspect that the Canadian Forces approached EAL for an order in the 70's (the SN 6000-6xxx rifles) for a local purchase contract hence the post-47 acceptance stamp found on some butts and the military acceptance mark which is found on the barrels.
There is also a great Facebook group to read up on these - click on the link below to visit the site!
This website is part of the www.bubbertsone.ca web collection!
