CANADA Stamped 42 Longbranch

[Dave.S]

Inherited a 42 dated No4Mk1* Longbranch.I have owned about 30 of these in my life but I have never seen one with Canada stamped in the wrist of the buttstock.Someone painted the mag and sanded and truoiled shelaced it but they left the wrist markings alone,Shes a two groove bore thinking about keeping it.need info on the Canada marking.Cheers.Dave

 

[Lee Enfield]

Inherited a 42 dated No4Mk1* Longbranch.I have owned about 30 of these in my life but I have never seen one with Canada stamped in the wrist of the buttstock.Someone painted the mag and sanded and truoiled shelaced it but they left the wrist markings alone,Shes a two groove bore thinking about keeping it.need info on the Canada marking.Cheers.Dave

US import rules required the country of origin to be marked on (pretty much) everything that was imported.

I've had a SMLE and M.1907 bayonet which were marked in a similar manner with "AUSTRALIA".

 

[LawrenceN]

I used to have a Long Branch with the same marking in the same place. It was a target sporter that I put back to factory original, but like you, that clearly stamped "CANADA" on the wrist had me stumped.

 

[Mike Webb]

I don't think the CANADA stamp has anything to do with US import rules. US import markings are required to be stamped in steel not wood.

 

[6167]

I don't think the CANADA stamp has anything to do with US import rules. US import markings are required to be stamped in steel not wood.

Correct...
It was my understanding a number of rifles post war were marked this way as they were Aid to friendly nations lined up against Communist forces.
A high proportion of the rifles that came back from Greece, but not just Greece, were stamped by us on the bottom of the wrist CANADA.
Can anyone else add to this?

 

[Lee Enfield]

I don't think the CANADA stamp has anything to do with US import rules. US import markings are required to be stamped in steel not wood.

Yes, that is the current rule.

As they say, the past is another country...

 

[plinker 777]

Pics?

 

[CanadianAR]

Yes, that is the current rule.
As they say, the past is another country...

There weren't import marks until the 60s and those that I've seen have also been in the metal.

 

[Lee Enfield]

There weren't import marks until the 60s and those that I've seen have also been in the metal.

Actually, "country of origin" markings have been a requirement since approximately the late 1930s, for all products, not just firearms imported into the USA.

Edit: I looked it up rather than continuing the he said, she said...

It appears the import marking requirements were instituted between Jan 1 and July 1, 1937 if I'm reading this correctly:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1304

I believe that this is likely a Re issue as my buddy has 2 commercial M98 sporters manufactured in 1924 which were imported to the US by Stoeger and marked "Germany" on the butt stocks.

His pre-WWI sporters are unmarked on the stocks.