$75 Long Branch

bushwhacker

bushwhacker

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Picked this Long Branch up at a S. On. gunshop about 5 years ago. Sorry if some of the close-ups are out of focus. Original stamped No4 MkI Long Branch 1943 34L2###
Additional marks added /51.(serial#) *3(F)FTR
The forend wood near the muzzle stamped variously N , B457 (not sure about the B) , M16, F17 , behind the trigger quard 55 and M17. The bolt, butt socket and action serial numbers match. Only marks I can find on the magazine are U.C.F. on the follower. The top front of the action is stamped ENGLAND and a broad arrow and another small stamp I can't make out. The rear sight was a 2 peep flip, but the battle sight had been ground off, so I got the shop to throw in another sliding ladder one. The wood is beech. I didn't know this until I stripped off the old finish with hot water & fine steel wool. The inside of the gun was plugged full of cosmoline. Took a lot of work before I could see the rifling enough to decide to buy it. Shoots 1 1/2" group @ 100 Yds. but that is as good as my eyes can see with peep sights. I think the barrel (5 groove) was replaced when it was FTR's in 51, and I don't think it was ever used after that until it was surplused out, but someone may know better. There was another one there with full wood, but 2 groove barrel, and another #1 Mk 3. I could have had each of them for $75, wish I had now. I have been told that the wood is not original, as beech was not used in Canada, but have also been told the opposite. Any other info you have would be appreciated. The bayonet came with it, no scabbard, but I picked up one with a scabbard.
 
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did good $75

Its a No4 MkI* that went throught the conversion to the Mk2 standard.

Its now a No4 MkI/3

Wood would have been changed to fit the new trigger mounting so its all good, but if you geally don't like it you can send the rifle to me and I'll find something that has not been FTR'ed and has some nice battle condition wood :) that I will send you.
 
Good deal

Good deal for you, congratulations.

I bought a New No4 Mk1* US Property for $80 about 15 years ago and it came with a No7 Mk1 Experimental bayonet for the EM2. Still have it on my rack and it's about as new as they come.
 
Arguably, you have the best model of No.4 to hit the streets. It started off as a Long Branch (always a good start), made in 1943 when they were getting better after learning the ropes, and in the first 340,000 they made out of about 950,000. The British factories were being bombed nightly until a few months before that date, and their QC is a bit sketchy. It was good enough for the Brits to keep after the end of the war, and good enough to go through the Factory Thorough Repair. The "hung trigger" corrected a known design flaw. Replacing worn or nonstandard parts with new ones works to your advantage. Too bad the simplest of the wartime sights was there when you bought the gun; the ladder sight is better. Having to clean out buckets of preservative suggests the rifle wasn't used much, or it wouldn't necessarily have been so well looked after.

Good deal. Do you have any milsurp rifle matches in your area? If yes, go and enter. You'll probably do very well with that rifle.
 
If you only finish the wood in boiled linseed oil, over the years it will darken up again to the deeper richer color it should be.

It's a nice example of a LOB converted to the Mk2 trigger and the furniture is correct for the model of rifle.

It would likely have been fitted with black walnut when it was new, but it's correct that it got a new stock set when it was modified in the 50's.

Hope you enjoy it!
 
The stock is finished in Tung Oil, which I think is a boiled linseed derivative. I wonder if the safety is the Long Branch shape, and why is the front top of the action stamped "England"? Were the rough forgings made there and finished in Long Branch? If I took off the furniture would stamps on the barrel tell me if it was changed in 51?
 
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