1950 303 Longbranch question

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lazysod

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Anyone have a 92L serial # 1950 longbranch? Did the bolthead come without blueing? What number was the bolthead? Would the longbranch armoury send out a new unissued firearm with a #2 bolthead? How about your clip? Did they all have serials? What if it doesn't have one on the the clip but everything else is matching? Just a few questions. Thanks for anyone that can help.

Lazysod
 
Bolt head should be blued. It should be marked "CA" not "LB" as these were assembled by Canadian Arsenals. Most are size 0 or 1. If bright and size 2 it's most likely been changed. Mags were never serialized. Check the spline. It should be stamped "CA" not "LB". Lots of parts have been changed out over the years so you're going to see a mix of parts on any rifle in circulation.....very few unfired and if such should have its original wrapping. Ron
 
CRAP! I was told this was bought in grease and cleaned, never fired. From a store mil. store in ontario. It's totally pristine, but the bolt head is a number 2. Any chance longbranch put a #2 in there? The clip is stamped C. Now I'm panicking. The guy I bought it from is very credible and I believe him when he says his dad bought it, cleaned it and stored it away.
 
So I inspected it further and the firing pin still had cosmoline on the tip of it. This thing hasn't been touched. The bolthead has a C-broadarrow stamped on it. It looks absolutely brand new. Cos on the thread too.
 
The crazy thing is, I don't doubt this guy for a sec. There are no import marks on this rifle. Barrel is perfect. All metal is perfect. The bolt is fully blued. Just the stupid bolt head! aHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I might barf.
 
There are guys who will change a bolt head to one that's too tight to try and improve accuracy. Of course, you can also stretch the receiver....the amount of force provided by the camming action of the bolt handle is somewhere around 20 tons according to an article I have buried somewhere here. Mind you, it's unlikely a #2 bolt head would do that.

Get the headspacing checked and then replace the bolthead with a 0 or a 1 if need be. There are still new ones out there somewhere. Once changed, nobodies the wiser (unless they check your history on gunnutz).
 
I dont mind if they check my history on gunnutz. I would tell the person I'm selling it too right away that the bolt head was changed and I've never fired the rifle. You should see this thing.The bore is mirror bright as well. Absolutely beautiful. I'm actually saving it for my kid for when he gets older. 20 months old is a little too young for an enfield....at least shooting one. It's just so bloody confusing why it has a #2 headspace bolt head on it! I'll get the headspace checked. Do they still have C broadarrow stamped 0's and 1's? I might post a pic just to show you what I mean. Thanks for all the input from everyone. REALLY appreciate it.
 
bgcameron said:
Dont worry friend, the rifle probably left the factory with a #2 bolthead.
Click to expand...

X2 I agree.

Like it or not, not all receivers are created equal and neither are barrels chambered perfectly, nor are all bolts bodies identical.

That's just life in the real world.

If someone has changed it and that's equally possible, Tradex has 0 and 1 bolt heads, so do Numrich and Sarco. They both ship to Canada. The only thing is they more than likely won't have the proper CA stamps.

If I recall correctly, CGNer 6167 might have them as well.


RGG7, please don't take this the wrong way. I've personally taken a couple of hundred 1949-1951 CA completed No4 MkI* rifles out of cardboard boxes, with some brown wax paper wrapping but that's it. Nothing like the No4 MKII rifles built in England.

Have you seen them in similar wrapping to the UK built rifles???

Since many of the last run of Canadian No4s, went overseas, it's likely they had special wrappings. I've just never seen it.

I saw some pics of new 1949-1951 built Canadian No4s that were stored in Italy. None of them were wrapped. They were also stored without bolts. Most likely they were never matched up when sold.
 
LB nor its successor CA wrapped their production like the Brits. If the rifle went into the Ordenance Depot in Montreal it was lightly coated in cosmoline and wrapped in heavy oil paper (brown on the outside and pinkish on the inside and then a cardboard). Cosmoline on the metal parts and not the wood exterior. On the other hand the Brits lathered cosmoline every and wrapped in a light brown paper.

As far as components...they were "CA" marked. I've suspect that your head was change for tighter headspace. I would have the headspace checked and if OK pick up a Size 2 CA head or go back to Size 1 head if it concerns you. I've seen both blued body and bright body bolts in 1950's.

Post a picture or 2 of your rifle and we can tell you more.
 
rgg_7 said:
Bolt head should be blued. It should be marked "CA" not "LB" as these were assembled by Canadian Arsenals. Most are size 0 or 1. If bright and size 2 it's most likely been changed. Mags were never serialized. Check the spline. It should be stamped "CA" not "LB". Lots of parts have been changed out over the years so you're going to see a mix of parts on any rifle in circulation.....very few unfired and if such should have its original wrapping. Ron
Click to expand...

This thread got me checking my 1950 Long Branch, and I beg to differ with rgg_7. My bolt head is clearly marked LB and I know it to be original to the rifle. I purchased it "unfired" and in the cosmoline.
 
Is there still some life to the gun if I ever decide to shoot it? I know the #2 bolt head means there aren't many options left except a #3. Hopefully this one ins't a buggered one. Unfortunately I do not have a photo bucket or likewise account so I can't post right now. Thanks for all the info everyone. REALLY appreciate it.
 
I bought a LB sniper about a decade back, minty piece and it had a number 2 bolthead. I shot it a fair bit at matches, and it performed as it should. A much larger purchase had me sell it, and the purchaser noted the bolthead in the photos I sent, so I checked the headspace just to confirm. I think I ended up going to a zero on the rifle.....headspace was way tight with the 2 on there.

I am not sure if it was the previous owner who put the bolt head on there, or if it was the British military.
 
I also talked to Ian Skennerton and he didn't seemed surprised that a #2 could be on there. It all looks brand new. He also said it wouldn't effect the price. The person I bought it from also said something about it being a target rifle. Someone in another message said something about people putting a higher number in for accuracy. Anyway, good to hear it's not as bad as I thought it was. Thanks for all the messages. REALLY appreciate it. If anyone out there has a minty LB or C marked #0 bolt head for a no. 4 MKI please let me know. Thanks again. I will still try to get some pics on here.
 
Check the headspace. Find a gunsmith with a set of gauges. Right now, the headspace might be correct on the rifle. If you back it off with a shorter bolt head, you might get an unpleasant surprise while firinng it.
 
Well here's something funny. I just went to look at the non-fired fazakerly I have and guess what number bolthead it has on it! #2!!!! what are the odds of that! Crazy. Anyway, thought I would share that.
 
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