Ftr 53

[Military Collector]

Could someone tell me if the 53 is the date of refurb or the factory number. I've heard two different stories on it. I have a No1 MK111 with FTR 53 on it, BSA make and SSA also stamped on it. Any info would be great.

Thank you
Carl

 

[green]

Date of the rebuild.

 

[Mk VII]

It will be the date. A lot of these have appeared in recent years - I think they are from South Africa, but others have a different view.

 

[Military Collector]

Thank you for the quick responses and for clearing that up for me.

 

[smellie]

Friend, you should post some photos of your rifle for a positive ID on the old girl.

The 'FTR/'53' means that she had a Factory Thorough Repair in 1953. This effectively returned the rifle to 'new' condition.

But a rifle should not be marked as being built by BSA and by SSA BOTH. They were two different plants, both in the city of Birmingham and both operating in the period of the First World War.

Your FACTORY BUILD information is located (generally) on the Butt Socket (that strap-looking thing where the butt attaches; it is part of the main Body of the rifle), just under the Bolt Knob when the bolt is closed. Flip up the Bolt and there is your build info. It should consist of

CROWN
GR
PLACE OF BUILD
ShtLE III*
DATE OF MANUFACTURE

It is possible that your rifle is a BSA original with some SSA parts; that did happen, as did the reverse. This COULD have come about during the 1953 FTR. It's okay because the critical parts would have been FITTED and now are correct on YOUR rifle.

But photos are needed.
.

 

[Military Collector]

Your right, its just BSA. Not sure where I came up with the SSA mark. It is marked NO1 MK FR 44 under the safety. The usual under the bolt marks have been blackened over. It also has England 44 over the serial # and a Z below the serial #. I also has the crown GR with what looks like crossed flags.

 

[5THBATT]

Where is the BSA mark, on the barrel?
From what i read from your posts so far, i'm picking a SSA refurbed in India 1944 & then again in 1953 by BSA.
Here is where you will find the SSA marking, the left one.

 

[flying pig]

Do SSA and NRF rifles normally carry the same under the bolt stamps as the other manufacturers? I have an NRF that was FTR'd at BSA in '53, the right side butt socket had been scrubbed, and it has a commercial barrel on it.

 

[5THBATT]

Do SSA and NRF rifles normally carry the same under the bolt stamps as the other manufacturers? I have an NRF that was FTR'd at BSA in '53, the right side butt socket had been scrubbed, and it has a commercial barrel on it.

This is 1918 SSA/NRF markings

 

[flying pig]

Weird. Mine has none to speak of. So SSA's and NRF's just don't have the manufacturer stamp then? Could it have been scrubbed at BSA or I wonder if it maybe went through two of them and was scrubbed elsewhere?

Sorry if I'm hijacking OP, your post has raised more questions about a puzzle I thought was solved

 

[5THBATT]

The op mentions FR44 stamped under the safety & it has a Z suffix serial number, these things plus the lack of marking rh side of the butt socket, would indicate a refurb in India in 1944, they would not scrub the manufacturers markings during a FTR in England.

 

[Lee Enfield]

It will be the date. A lot of these have appeared in recent years - I think they are from South Africa, but others have a different view.

They've been available on the market (in Canada) for a long time.

I've had 2 and seen @30 in the last 15 years...

A number of "commercial sporters" and full wood rifles are FTR'53.

The No1MkIII family was declared obsolete in the UK system at the end of WWII, and was reaccepted as a front line service rifle @1950.

The timing makes perfect sense, as the Korean war, the takeovers of the "liberated" governments from WW2 and various Communist insurgencies ('47Poland/'48Czechoslovkia/'47Romania/Italy/Greece/Kenya/Malaya/Singapore ect.), around the world began to really look like the potential start of WW3...