1944 longbranch N9 .22 is is real?

D

Dummywheels

New member
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Location
NEW-BRUNSWICK
Hello friends i just got this great condition 1944 longbranch N9 22 and wondering if its too good to be true
I just put the borescope in the barrel and it looks perfect and i dont even know if it fired or not

Made some research and looks like they only made 3000 of these
received_679121590767809.jpgreceived_327414373013951.jpgreceived_1373937869858977.jpg
 

Attachments

  • received_679121590767809.jpg
    received_679121590767809.jpg
    91.6 KB · Views: 458
  • received_327414373013951.jpg
    received_327414373013951.jpg
    103.2 KB · Views: 453
  • received_1373937869858977.jpg
    received_1373937869858977.jpg
    92 KB · Views: 455
A 1944 .22" rifle was the predecessor of the No. 7 rifle. Canada didn't make No. 9 rifles.
Note that there is no serial number on the left side of the butt socket. e.g. - 0L1234, etc. Is there a serial number on the rear face of the bolt handle? The receiver is one from the batch that was sold off years ago. They were removed from rifles, the butt sockets were scrubbed, and then they were refinished.
The rifle looks to be stocked up in birch. I've never seen a Long Branch .22 that wasn't stocked up in walnut.
How is the front sight base attached to the barrel? Are the barrel and the sight base round, secured with a cross pin, or does the barrel have lugs fitting matching grooves in the sight base? If the former, the barrel is probably a No. 7; if the latter, it is a lined .303.
I think you have a rifle assembled from parts. Looks great, should be an excellent shooter.
 
Dummywheels said:
Hello friends i just got this great condition 1944 longbranch N9 22 and wondering if its too good to be true
I just put the borescope in the barrel and it looks perfect and i dont even know if it fired or not

Made some research and looks like they only made 3000 of these
View attachment 708762 ....
Click to expand...

The numbering should be your first clue! Long Branch was very careful with its stamps. First of all, the characters are about 3 times too big. A complete rifle would have a complete serial number, not two unusual figures. The number is also missing the characteristic letter for the thousands. A tool room sample or workpiece would not have been completed or finished. By definition, those were samples done to test a particular work flow or function, and not necessarily processed to completion.
 
Parker Hale made the Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 22 rim fire model N.9 for the Royal Navy contract from 1956-1960. The contract was for 3000 rifles and they are marked .22 R F N.9 Mk1 and P.H. with the year of manufacture (56-60) and serial number (A###) on the left side. They have a sleeved AGP Parkerifled barrel. Mine is serial number A626 of the contract dated 1957. The donor rifle is a British made No4 Mk1 but has been scrubbed of all identifiers and remarked with PH stamps, serial number etc. on the left side receiver, bolt, barrel and furniture. It could be BSA or Fazakerly made or a Maltby assembled donor but I’ve not been able to determine which. The N.9 bolt is virtually identical to the C No7, in fact my spare firing pin is a C No7 pin. After completing the Royal Navy contract, Parker Hale continued to make and sell the rifle commercially as the No.9.

I actually had mine out today plinking at 100 yards.

Yours is very nice, but does not appear to me to be a Parker Hale N.9.

Is the top rifle.
n91.jpgn92.jpg
 

Attachments

  • n91.jpg
    n91.jpg
    41.6 KB · Views: 275
  • n92.jpg
    n92.jpg
    105 KB · Views: 275
Last edited:
It's a very well done put together from a menagerie of surplus parts.

Nice rifle, with considerable value, as a shooter/representative of the type.

There will always be a market for such a rifle and it's likely to be extremely accurate.
 
The cost to get a set of parts to assemble a rifle like this is substantial these days.
Sort of like a M-1 project - the receiver is the cheap part.
 
I wonder what happened with all the Cadet .22 LE's from back in the day?
Shot a ton of rounds with rifle team of my Air Cadet squadron back in the day. We had at least a dozen of them, in transit cases.
 
DRA said:
I wonder what happened with all the Cadet .22 LE's from back in the day?
Shot a ton of rounds with rifle team of my Air Cadet squadron back in the day. We had at least a dozen of them, in transit cases.
Click to expand...

Did the same...early 70's... 87 Eagle Squadron.
 
1944 longbranch 22 n7.jpeglongbranch 1944 22 n7.jpg

sorry for the poor quality photos but you notice the N7 markings on the wrist on these 2 that i found online they seem to have same size markings as mine but mine are N9

its just odd
 

Attachments

  • 1944 longbranch 22 n7.jpeg
    1944 longbranch 22 n7.jpeg
    37.1 KB · Views: 140
  • longbranch 1944 22 n7.jpg
    longbranch 1944 22 n7.jpg
    42.5 KB · Views: 140
The N7 in those two shots are stamped right over the scrubbed serial number.

As others have said, yours is made up from parts, and may likely have a sleeved and modified no4 barrel. While a fun rifle to have, they are plentiful compared to real factory assembled Cno7 rifles. The problem with the non-factory assembled rifles is that a lot of the quality control is not there. I can see one anomoly in your first photos.
 
Dummywheels said:
View attachment 709233View attachment 709234

sorry for the poor quality photos but you notice the N7 markings on the wrist on these 2 that i found online they seem to have same size markings as mine but mine are N9

its just odd
Click to expand...

You can clearly see where the serial numbers were.

I have a rifle I set up (in .303) using a scrubbed and refinished 1942 Long Branch .303 receiver I bought from a business. Just like the scrubbed and refinished .22 receivers. It had a serial number stamped on it so that it would have a number for business inventory purposes.
There was a time when parts were readily available and modestly priced. I bought new in the grease post war BSA No.4 barrels @ 3 for $100.
I've set up SMLE and No.7 rifles in .22. Excellent projects. Problem now is that an extended hunt for parts is required, and good parts are expensive.
 
tiriaq said:
.....
I've set up SMLE and No.7 rifles in .22. Excellent projects. Problem now is that an extended hunt for parts is required, and good parts are expensive.
Click to expand...

I sent a 12" baggie of CNo.7 parts to Switzer's auction last week. Bolt heads, floating firing pins, firing pins and springs, back sights, magazine loading platforms, a marked .22 magazine, and a selection of .22LR extractors. I leave the division into sale lots to Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom