Interesting Longbranch

cam1936

cam1936

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Hey everyone,

I have an interesting No4 Longbranch and I'm wondering if anyone can give me some insight on its history.

1942 Longbranch. All serial numbers matching (Receiver, bolt, stock and magazine (two former serial numbers struck through on mag).)

Stamped "R LB 9/46" -> Is this a rebuild stamp similar to FTR?

Parts are a mix of LB stamped and F stamped. Mk 1 rear sight is stamped with an F.

Stock has Ishapore screw, there is green paint on the barrel. I cannot find any factory stamps on the stock other than the serial number up front and S.A. on the butt (That's an Indian mark isn't it?)

A single C broad arrow on the barrel near date stamp.

Star on top of receiver (rusty barrel star I think, barrel isn't bad as far as Enfields go.)

I can not find any government property stamps of any sort other than the single C broad arrow. No Indian stamps except the screw and S.A. in the stock.

I have two theories:

1) Restored sporter. Someone used Indian wood and just stamped the forestock to match rifle.

2) Canadian war rifle, refurbed by Longbranch post war and sent to India. Mismatched parts either came from refurb or done in India.

FWIW I paid mismatched full wood Enfield price for the rifle ($900).

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Yeah the green paint definitely says India to me. Any speculation if the mixed parts could have been done by Lonbranch in 1946, or did that come later?

What's with the R instead of FTR?
 
Indian FTR, Stock screw, green barrel paint, and rear sight upgrade. Pretty typical for these, Longbranch would never do the stock screw mod.
If it could tell you its story. Is it 2 groove or 5?

P
 
Green paint was also applied by the British in the Far East. The screw is India only of course.

That Long Branch refurb mark is very unusual in that location.
 
Pblatzz said:
Indian FTR, Stock screw, green barrel paint, and rear sight upgrade. Pretty typical for these, Longbranch would never do the stock screw mod.
If it could tell you its story. Is it 2 groove or 5?

P
Click to expand...

Actually the stock screw was considered to be a legitimate repair option to keep rifles in use in the field, until they could be returned to the Armory for replacement or proper repair/refitting as needed by every nation that fielded them.

India/Pakistan saw the benefits of adding those reinforcement screws to the fore ends before the stocks cracked and had to be repaired or replaced.

I agree, all of those alterations were done in India. Still, a very nice example of a No4 that's traveled, been there and done that.

The Indians and Pakistanis did whatever was needed to keep those old war horses operational until they were sold out of service.

A lot of people curl their noses up when they see the ''dreaded Ishy (Ishapore) screw" in the fore end stock.

Personally I believe it was a pretty decent upgrade and strengthened a weak point that has long caused Lee rifle armorers much concern and tribulation over the past century+.

Nice rifle OP. Have you shot it yet.

If it were mine, I wouldn't touch a thing. That old girl is just reeking with unspoken stories and history.
 
I haven't shot it yet. I thought I had a few boxes of 174 grain 311" bullets, but I can't seem to find them. I'll gather up some components and take it out this summer. The bore looks good so it should shoot well enough.

I agree, nothing wrong with an Ishapore screw, provided the rifle isn't beat up and the bore rotten. It's just part of the rifles history.
 
There is a common misconception that screw=Ishapore. This is not so as the Brits also repaired stocks with screws. The Brit ones are much more neatly done and the screw goes into the stock and not through to emerge at the other side and require filing flat.
 
55recce said:
There is a common misconception that screw=Ishapore. This is not so as the Brits also repaired stocks with screws. The Brit ones are much more neatly done and the screw goes into the stock and not through to emerge at the other side and require filing flat.
Click to expand...

I heard guys suggest this but have never actually seen a photo of a presumed British "Ishapore screw". They should all have them and I've added similar screws to a couple of forends that had started to split. I actually had to bring screws from the US in order to find ones that resemble what the Indians used.

milsurpo
milsurpo
 
Hi 55recce. You are correct in that Brit armourers were allowed to put in an Ishy screw to strengthen the fore in wet/tropical climates.
As a collector of Enfields for over 50 years I have never seen one. So it appears to me that if fore separation was immanent then this may be done as a repair and not as standard practise. Such wood would be scrapped upon return to a Brit depot. Also such a reinforcing bolt (or ichy screw) may be applied to a rifle set for rifle grenade practise although it is unknown how many grenade discharges a rifle can take. It certainly wouldn't be the best of the armoury. Remembering the butt is placed on the ground for grenade discharge. Line throwing rifles seem to have escaped this screw so maybe blank firing rifles were exempt. John
 
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