FTR No4 Mk1* question

[Gaffee]

Hi,

I bought a Savage Lee Enfield No4 Mk1* in the 93C###x serial range (1944) that when thru FTR in 1952 (No4 Mk1*/3). I just looked at it parts by parts and I'm suprised to see that all parts are Fazakerley with the exception of only the reciever, the front sight blade and the middle stock band!! Also, the bolt and forend (both Fazakerley as mentionned before) were serialized to the reciever! The only other exception is a Long Branch mag body (has a Fazakerley follower).

My questions are:

- During the FTR process, was it standard to serialize the stock and bolt?
- How come, that rifle wasn't throwned away since all parts where changed?
- Is it possible that it was assembled in England after the shut down of the Savage plant in 1944 (not likely since over 100,000 additional recievers were manifactured by Savage from the 93C series to the end of production)?

Other than that, the previous owner bought the rifle in perfect condition as surplus in the 50's.

Thanks for the help.

 

[cosmic]

Well - The receiver is the rifle, and the most expensive component to manufacture. You have a legitimate FTR rifle.

 

[Mk VII]

Pretty common on those postwar refurbishments to see magazine and forend numbered. And if a new bolt was fitted it would be numbered. In many cases the better quality milled parts were reverted to.

 

[TheTooner]

It has Fazackerly parts because Fazackerly was the ROF factory that was producing new No.4 rifles and their components and doing FTR on old No.4 rifles at that time.

"...- How come, that rifle wasn't throwned away since all parts where changed? ..."

It wasn't thrown away because by changing all those parts it met the specifications for acceptable performance for that service rifle. Which was the point of the FTR process.

"...- Is it possible that it was assembled in England after the shut down of the Savage plant ... "

When Savage ceased production of No.4 rifles the remaining supply of components was shipped to Long Branch which used them in ongoing production there. Components made by Savage might have previously been shipped to England for use as spare parts but if they were they probably would have been used up for that purpose, not supplied to British factories which were making their own.

 

[points]

When doing ftr on a loarge scale, the rifles are stripped and cleaned. All the parts are throwen into a cleaning tank with parts from every other rifle. They are then re-assembled with whatever parts have passed inspection, regardless of make. The rifle was meant to be able to accept any part. Interchangeability.