New pictures in poste 13 , Pls help me identify this Enfield

[polaris]

Received this Enfield today, the only markings I can find are these:

the magazine and the bolt have the same serial number.

Any idea who manufactured it? and when?

 

[Dyspnea]

Looks like an Irish contract enfield.

 

[polaris]

Doesn't look like an Irish contract rifle, they have all PF serial numbers and are clearly marked "F" for Fazerkerley.

 

[mr.e moose]

BSA Shirley used A-Z prefixes along with 4 digit serial #

 

[polaris]

BSA Shirley used A-Z prefixes along with 4 digit serial #

Thanks, will have to research this information.

 

[bgcameron]

I had to pull out the bible to check on that one. The No4 Mk2 was only made at Fazakerley and POF. The Faz serial numbers start with PF or A, and the POF serial numbers start with B and C. Perhaps your rifle was renumbered somewhere.

 

[Kayser Sose]

...and you're missing the screw that smacks the fired case out of the receiver.

...and the rear sight... ok I'm out of here nice looking rifle, btw, so much as I could see

 

[polaris]

...and you're missing the screw that smacks the fired case out of the receiver.

...and the rear sight... ok I'm out of here nice looking rifle, btw, so much as I could see

I do have all he parts. I just removed the "no drilling" scope and mount to check for the markings.
Overall the rifle is in excellent condition and came with original sight, weaver scope and mount, and a PH 5 C sight. Also got a brand new cheek piece which I don't really need.

 

[polaris]

BSA Shirley used A-Z prefixes along with 4 digit serial #

Seems like BSA Shirley used A-Z prefixes, but only in the early years. This is a #4 mk 2, that means it must have been manufactured in the 50s.

 

[TheTooner]

Seems like BSA Shirley used A-Z prefixes, but only in the early years. This is a #4 mk 2, that means it must have been manufactured in the 50s.

Also means BSA didn't make it, at Shirley or anywhere else. As bgcameron said at post #6, only ROF (F) and POF made the Mk.2

 

[mr.e moose]

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?79743-Odd-serial-number-No-4-Mk2
If the above link opens maybe you can find some clues to your rifle.

 

[polaris]

thanks for the lead.
It seems to be a mystery.
Anyway, I will disassemble the rifle this weekend (maybe tomorrow) and post some pictures from the markings underneath the wood.

 

[polaris]

Here are pictures from the barrel shank, and the muzzle end:



I have no idea what the markings mean, but I believe the "F 56" stamp indicates that the barrel was manufactured at Fazakerley in 1956.
This leaves me to believe that the rifle was produced at the very end of Fazakerley production, hence the mystery serial number.

Do I have a point here?

 

[enefgee]

That is odd, I've never seen a barrel with proof info stamped on the muzzle like that. My understanding of the Sn's for 1956 is that they started with UF..... Though the general rule with LE's is never say never, I've owned a goodly number of post WW2 LE's and I've never had a Brit No4 MkII marked like that. A normal marking would be something like:

No4 MkII (F) (-large gap-) UF123456

4/56

That said I had a No5 that was produced 6 months after production was ordered stopped, but the markings still fitted the pattern for the rifle. I can see a broad arrow mark on the safety, are there others in the usual places, or is this possibly a parts gun? Make sure you post to the Milsurps board, the top Enfield guys on the planet are there and some of them were actually working in the British Army during the time this rifle was produced.

 

[polaris]

Thanks.
I will post it on the Milsurp board today.
Cheers

 

[Desert_Fox]

My brother just received a No4Mk2 just like this a couple days ago and it took quite a bit of research before I came up with this answer via my Google-Fu:

Its a standard No4 Mk2 that has been refinished as one of a batch of rifles for military or cadet target shooting. The "C in a circle" was applied to Canadian rifles and parts inspected as suitable for target shooting. The rifle number is a batch number - perhaps there were fifty or a hundred rifles prepared at a time - and not the original serial number.

Can anyone confirm this? The rifle posted here is almost identical to the one I'm trying to identify as well. (Same F56 stamp, same other "lucky charm" stamps all over barrel shank etc). Though my brothers rifle has the "C inside circle stamp" and the serial number is stamped on the wrist and starts with an "N" prefix.

Cheers!

 

[polaris]

I posted it on the Milsurp Board, lets see what the experts come up with.
Will be very interesting for sure.

 

[tiriaq]

A in a C is Canadian Arsenals, successor to the wartime SAL.
THe British commercial proofs are often seen on the muzzle. Applied after being sold as surplus.

 

[tacfoley]

A in a C is Canadian Arsenals, successor to the wartime SAL.
THe British commercial proofs are often seen on the muzzle. Applied after being sold as surplus.

Yes, any and all military firearms sold out of service to UK dealers who are then selling on to the public are required by law to have the arm proofed in either London or Birmingham Proof Houses. FYI,

.303 - 18.5 tons
7.62x51 NATO - 19 tons
.308Win 20 tons

tac

 

[polaris]

Peter Laidler, a very well known and knowledgeable member of the Milsurp Board posted the following:

I hope someone will also chip in and agree that this was a last gasp of the industrial strike bound Fazakerley factory to become commercially viable by selling off new No4 Mk2 rifles to the commercial gun trade. The gun trade would allocate their own serial numbers. The F56 is the date of manufacture. The mark directly below the H20 mark, is the UKicon Military proof and below that is an arrow with the Fazakerley section examiners mark (05/FD?) - known at the factory as 'team leaders'.