Just purchased a NO4 MK1 303 all original , looking for info

had another look at the gun one of the screws in the butt plate appears to have taken a smack at one point , I removed the but plate it was pretty nasty under there with green gunk it has the same square stamp with a s or an e inside of it , its hard to tell . Also has a stamped F as stamped on other places on the gun . as for the site its stamped B on the side , and also stamped B on the top of the site , the rifle is stamped B right below the side by the serial number . the screws holding in place do not look to be tampered with , and there is a pin through the screw that holds it in place . and inside under the butt plate it is stamped s30 . There is a #7 stamped on the side opposite of the serial number also there is a stamped N,F and a S stamped in the wood on top by the chamber here are a few more pics

















 
You may find that as you research your rifle that it could have spent some time at ROF Fazakerley.

The research is most of the fun.

Enjoy.
 
Bigred1986 said:
had another look at the gun one of the screws in the butt plate appears to have taken a smack at one point , I removed the but plate it was pretty nasty under there with green gunk it has the same square stamp with a s or an e inside of it , its hard to tell . Also has a stamped F as stamped on other places on the gun . as for the site its stamped B on the side , and also stamped B on the top of the site , the rifle is stamped B right below the side by the serial number . the screws holding in place do not look to be tampered with , and there is a pin through the screw that holds it in place . and inside under the butt plate it is stamped s30 . There is a #7 stamped on the side opposite of the serial number also there is a stamped N,F and a S stamped in the wood on top by the chamber here are a few more pics

If I am reading the serial number correctly, your rifle is the 568,972nd rifle made by Savage. #1 was made in mid-1941; the last of the million-odd Savage rifles was made in the summer of 1944, when the contract was terminated. Your rifle is most likely 1943 production. It would have left the factory with the Mk.II (300/600) rear sight. The buttplate would have been diecast Zamak, a zinc alloy. The Mk.I rear sight on your rifle is English made.
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I bet the butt is force fit from an SMLE. Is the sling swivel loop offset to one side (SMLE) or completely symmetrical (No.4)? If the brass butt disc is inlaid onto a 1943 Savage I'd be really curious to know who did it and why. I don't think it's likely to be the Brits, Canadians or Americans during or post WW2.
 
And the plot thickens. Please, please keep us posted on any new discoveries regarding this rifle, particularly the brass disc and butt plate. :)
 
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