Enfield no 4mk1

svt1940

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I got this no4 mk1 many years ago from an individual, refinished the wood fews day ago with BLO, the rifle had a varnish job so i stripped and refinished with proper finish. I wonder who was the manufacturer? Left side marked no4 mk1,2 grooves bore, serial# of bolt and rifle match but the # number on the left side of buttstock socket appear to have been ground off and restamped? No markings on wood, i took pics of some barrel markings in case they could tell more. Any inputs greatly appreciated. Thankyou.

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Joce
 
From the serial number it should be a but definitly not a longbranch. See the push button for the bolthead. Longbranch did not have that. It is most likely a restamp. Looks like it was a unmarked receiver that was stamped to match. Most likely a replacement.
 
Looks like you could have one of the rarer early 1941 longbranch's (some say 7500 to 15,000 made). They had the bolt head release button before they went to the slot in the No.4Mk1* version and 2 groove barrel, but the serial number is in the range of a 1950 longbranch.

But without more detailed pictures this is only conjecture.
 
Probably Maltby. Fazakerly rifles had a hole in the bolt knob, Maltby did not. Probably dates to 42/43 when the finish and marking of UK produced rifles was at a low point.

Someone has stamped on a Long Branch number for reasons best known to the themselves. Could be someone in the military or other organization wanted to 'swap' rifles - in other words take the 94L Long Branch home with them and leave this one in its place, so they renumbered it.

Or could be some country or formation that had a block of numbers in their possession and wanted to keep that particular number 'on the books'.
 
the serial number on the side of the receiver is definitely not original,

you can clearly see where the original has been filed/ground off and then a Long Branch serial number has been put in its place and then re-blued, whoever did the re-stamp of the serial number did not even use the correct size number punches, Long Branch number punches were 3/32" not the 1/8'' size currently on the rifle.

this was done most likely in an attempt to make the rifle more valuable, when in fact it has only hurt the value of it.

anyone that has experience in the metal field can clearly back me up on this!
 
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What it is that a good question

What its not is easy to start with its not a Longbranch receiver, an early LB would not have a 94L serial number, and later longbranch did not have the bolt release button.

I don't think its a FTR replacement, by the time LB was making 94L it was late war and none of the other factories were making Mk1 receivers so none would be available as replacement parts.

What sort of serial number is on the bolt ?? having a hollow out on the bolt handle tells you next to nothing usefull, but markings will.
 
What it is that a good question

What its not is easy to start with its not a Longbranch receiver, an early LB would not have a 94L serial number, and later longbranch did not have the bolt release button.

I don't think its a FTR replacement, by the time LB was making 94L it was late war and none of the other factories were making Mk1 receivers so none would be available as replacement parts.

What sort of serial number is on the bolt ?? having a hollow out on the bolt handle tells you next to nothing usefull, but markings will.
Here,s fews pics from the bolt if that can help:

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Joce
 
Yup, that's it: original LB bolt stuffed into a British receiver which was renumbered to match. Go over to Milsurps.com and post the bolt number in the "match-making" threads. The rifle might be out there somewhere, it's a late production Long Branch.
 
The previous owner bought that rifle from S.I.R about 12 years ago. So if the bolt is a LB fitted in a british rifle, could have been made by some milsurp importers and why? To fix a missing bolt? Anyway, collectable or not, the rifle shoot very well first time i try it then stored for longs years in the cabinet until i decided to refinish the wood a week ago:)

Joce
 
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