No4Mk1-Help! Who can tell me about my rifle? (New Info Included)

S

Savage12

Regular
Rating - 95.1%
94   5   3
Some new facts to help with identification:

-marked B on safety and under safety
-longbranch proof mark on barrel only with a 42 (year? marked next to it)
-S2900 Production Code? It was stamped over a still faintly visible S 9
-z2258 Mag
-Forestock in fromt of mag still has lightly stamped "DHWU"
-C with no arrow behing trigger on buttstock and another on the right side of handguard,
-CEW with upward pointing arrow on front barrel band
-MB13 On the front metal that is clamped down by front barrel band
-Either a 6 or a 9 stamped on wood behind middle barrel band
-No pressure in tonnes or 303 (2.222in) markings
-Both barrel and receiver marked 1942












 
Last edited:
Hi

It's a well used 1942 No4K Mk1, Could be a BSA Shirley manufacture, looks like it has been over stamped with a later stamp (serial no?) on the left side of the wrist. This is the area with the serial no's on it. The serial no's have been struck with two different stamps. The No 2 looks to be a different shape.

I dought the C is for Canada. C-broad arrow stamps had the arrow touching the top and bottom of the C. That looks like it has a C over top of the British ownership arrow.

How is the bore? Two groove of five?

Regards

Pete
 
You have a British No4 MKI manufactured in 1942. Two serial numbers have been stamped on the buttsocket .....may have been force matched to a bolt or magazine at some point in its lifetime. Definitely not a Canadian made rifle. Clean it up and enjoy it.....has a lot of potential.
 
What about the star on the receiver bridge.. I really dont want to settle on "british no4 mk1", I'd like to know who might have restamped it and so on, no one i ask knows why there's a star/asterisk on top of th receiver bridge, and someone else was theroizing that the AA was possibly new zealand.
 
An asterisk on the knox form area indicated slight rust or a cut inside the barrel.
It is my understanding that New Zealand re-serialised it's rifles. I have seen the AA and a serial marking on some Longbranch rifles as well. I can't find the source for this information right now, but Skennerton noted that 50s contract no8mk1 rifles built for New Zealand contract were serialised beginning with DA, so earlier rifles bearing AA serials would fit with the NZ pattern.
The C/l\ stamp looks a little less than official, but whos to say? Lots of smaller workshops made do. Possibly yours is a rifle that went from Cdn service to New Zealand, then on to the civilian world. Grasping at straws here, but it's possible.
As RGG says, enjoy it. It has obviously been around, and carries some history with it.
 
Ah thats what that astersik is all about, they must have been picky..the bore is great, the crown is recessed, and the action is smooth. Basically nothing that can't be cleaned up.
 
Lot of Garands had AA with a s/n stamped on the woodwork, courtesy the Italian Gummint, following the war. Have also seen this on resurrected Vetterli-Vitali/Vetterli-Mannlicher conversions. Likely has nuthin' to do with this rifle, but, you never know.....
 
Are you guys forgetting that the Brits used the Broad Arrow stamp opposite the original one in a star pattern to denote sold out of British service? Not an uncommon mark on Enfields...

This is a fairly run of the mill British wartime Enfield, but the C Broad Arrow if that's what it is does add interest as in a Canadian connection. Most of the NZ marked rifles I've seen had NZ stamped on the buttsocket and a new serial number underneath.


justin_j_francis said:
What about the star on the receiver bridge.. I really dont want to settle on "british no4 mk1", I'd like to know who might have restamped it and so on, no one i ask knows why there's a star/asterisk on top of th receiver bridge, and someone else was theroizing that the AA was possibly new zealand.
Click to expand...
 
AA23415 is a ww2 era Fazakerley serial number and S2900 is a 1942 BSA Shirley serial number.

The S2900 looks like it might even be stamped over an earlier serial number - can you make it out?

It's hard to say which serial number is the original one - sorry. I suspect the overstamped number is likely the original one ;) This will determine who made it.
 
justin_j_francis said:
Ah thats what that astersik is all about, they must have been picky..the bore is great, the crown is recessed, and the action is smooth. Basically nothing that can't be cleaned up.
Click to expand...

The asterisk could have been applied when the receiver wore another barrel. If it got rebarelled at some point in a country that didn't mark FTRs (Like Canada or New Zealand) then this would be common.
 
I imagine so Ian, but there are so many different markings everywhere it could just be an assortment of parts put togheter. Or, one rifle that's had a good ride in life. Though it's collecting value is probably nothing above the normal for a no4, what makes me happy is that it clearly has had some legs and is still a good shooter and looks to be a good one for another couple decades given good treatment.

Picked her up for 125$ too!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom