Went to the gun show, Came home with a 1943 US property LE No3 Mk1*
- Thread starter raym
- Start date
- Location
- The Badlands
Interesting rifle....I am curious over the markings on the stock as well.....maybe it had been assigned as a training rifle......
A "Z" painted on the butt stock meant the rifle could not be repaired at base level and needed to be sent for overhaul. At the overhaul facilities if it was beyond repair it would be marked "ZF" meaning scrap.
The first thing I would look at is the cutout for the bolt release and see if the bolt rail is damaged.
Below an undamaged bolt rail
Below a badly damaged bolt rail and hang the rifle on the wall.
If the bolt rail is damaged and looks like the one in the photo this may be the reason for the "Z" on the stock.
Another possibility is a "Z" marked rifle was scraped and the butt stock ended up on a good rifle that was sold out of service. Or an importer put this butt stock on as a replacement for a cracked or damaged butt stock.
I would have a good gunsmith or an experienced Enfield person look the rifle over, then fasten the rifle to an old tire and test fire it with a long cord.
Bottom line the "Z" on the butt stock could mean nothing or it could mean damage that could be repaired at an overhaul facility. And this could be a headspace issue, a new barrel or a multitude of problems that the armourers were not allowed to fix at base level.
The first thing I would look at is the cutout for the bolt release and see if the bolt rail is damaged.
Below an undamaged bolt rail
Below a badly damaged bolt rail and hang the rifle on the wall.
If the bolt rail is damaged and looks like the one in the photo this may be the reason for the "Z" on the stock.
Another possibility is a "Z" marked rifle was scraped and the butt stock ended up on a good rifle that was sold out of service. Or an importer put this butt stock on as a replacement for a cracked or damaged butt stock.
I would have a good gunsmith or an experienced Enfield person look the rifle over, then fasten the rifle to an old tire and test fire it with a long cord.
Bottom line the "Z" on the butt stock could mean nothing or it could mean damage that could be repaired at an overhaul facility. And this could be a headspace issue, a new barrel or a multitude of problems that the armourers were not allowed to fix at base level.
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I traded that rifle to a fellow in Salmon Arm. I got it in a trade and passed on the good deal. He is a stand up guy.
The only thing I did to the rifle was make a quick inspection. The bolt and rails are the first things I checked. They were in perfect condition. The bore is decent as well
I don't believe that is a Z but rather an N. My reasoning for this is the 20 on the bottom of the butt and its positioning.
I have no idea what the blue dab of paint means either or if it means anything. Could be someone along the way slopped some paint. I see it still has the wrong mag in it. That is a No1 MkIII mag and it's in pretty decent shape.
The bolt face is also very nice with no pitting around where the primer pocket comes back against it. The rear sight is the later micro adjustable sight that was put on to replace the two position sight.
Maybe pull the forestock and see if the ways were refitted as well.
What we were wondering about was the large E on the underside of the grip area on the butt.
The only thing I did to the rifle was make a quick inspection. The bolt and rails are the first things I checked. They were in perfect condition. The bore is decent as well
I don't believe that is a Z but rather an N. My reasoning for this is the 20 on the bottom of the butt and its positioning.
I have no idea what the blue dab of paint means either or if it means anything. Could be someone along the way slopped some paint. I see it still has the wrong mag in it. That is a No1 MkIII mag and it's in pretty decent shape.
The bolt face is also very nice with no pitting around where the primer pocket comes back against it. The rear sight is the later micro adjustable sight that was put on to replace the two position sight.
Maybe pull the forestock and see if the ways were refitted as well.
What we were wondering about was the large E on the underside of the grip area on the butt.
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- Location
- The Badlands
Sounds like the mystery continues as to whether the markings are a Z or a N........the stories and history that old rifle could probabley tell.......
Comparing the Z to an N on my stencil set looks like the stock is painted Z. But that said if the guy doing the painting was not to fussy or the Z was missing he could of said , "Hmm good enough I will just use the N for a Z and call it job done" OR even the reverse (using a Z to show a N) could be true. Anyways my stencils tell me that's a Z painted on the stock.
That'd be a No. 4 Mk I* made by Savage. The 20 is likely a rack number.
No Z's or N's, other than ZF for 'Beyond Local Repair', on any of the online markings lists. The blue is likely a unit thing, but there's no guarantee of that. Could be anything including an Air Force thing.
Look the thing over as per bigedp51, just to be sure, check the headspace and if that's ok, go shoot it.
No Z's or N's, other than ZF for 'Beyond Local Repair', on any of the online markings lists. The blue is likely a unit thing, but there's no guarantee of that. Could be anything including an Air Force thing.
Look the thing over as per bigedp51, just to be sure, check the headspace and if that's ok, go shoot it.
- Location
- The Badlands
and the mystery continues.....the markings look like some sort of armoury markings.......
Blastattack
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg MB
Savage made rifles have a whole slew of different barrel configurations. I believe they made 2, 4, 5 and 6 groove barrels during different stages of production.
Lee Enfield
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
Savage did not make 5 groove, however many Savages were fitted with 5 groove barrels during FTR or rebuild.
I have a Savage marked 4 groove barrel(just the barrel)...sadly it was sporterized by Parker-Hale (shortened and front sight ramp silver soldered on).
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
nd the reason for the chip on the buttstock, dropping the rifle the last inch when coming to the "order arms"
