Long Branch No.4 MK1* enigma

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Lucite

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Today I went to the gun store looking to get myself a Christmas present and I found this old beat up 1943 Long Branch with about 60 years of crap caked on it but I saw its potential, as it sits the bore is about 70-90% ( a good deep cleaning is in order) the finish after some scrubbing is very good and it seems to be all matching mag included. But its also an enigma by the looks of it the upper hand guard was made by savage, and the fore end has and "ishy screw" which apparently isn't uncommon. but the rifle has promise and i think is should look very nice after a good cleaning

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Nothing wrong with that one at all! Definitely looks like it has been there, done that. I also have a Longbranch with Ishy screw and a mix of LB and Savage parts, which both are normal. It is my favorite Lee-Enfield.
 
now that wouldnt happen to be one of the three that were sitting in Milarm would they? was looking at getting one myself for a project clean up. have fun
 
It's been to India and got re-worked there. Parts are parts and they are all interchangeable. Parts were swapped out regularly in the repair/overhaul process with no regard to which mfr originally made them.
 
Well after doing a preliminary bore cleaning (wipeout followed by hoppes elite gun cleaner) I would say the bore is 90-95%, its very bright and shiny with little to no pitting, so far its looking pretty good.
 
The only thing enigmatic about that rifle is your inability to decipher that it was overhauled in India. No LB ever left the factory with bolt serial numbers in multiple fonts, nor with a brass buttplate. It's a typical Indian mix-master refurb appropriately fitted with parts from more than on manufacturer.

Have fun shooting it :)
 
Claven2 said:
The only thing enigmatic about that rifle is your inability to decipher that it was overhauled in India. No LB ever left the factory with bolt serial numbers in multiple fonts, nor with a brass buttplate. It's a typical Indian mix-master refurb appropriately fitted with parts from more than on manufacturer.

Have fun shooting it :)
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His first post state the rifle has an ishy screw. So I think he figured out it had been too India. I think the problem you have is the inability to read
 
Claven2 said:
The only thing enigmatic about that rifle is your inability to decipher that it was overhauled in India. No LB ever left the factory with bolt serial numbers in multiple fonts, nor with a brass buttplate. It's a typical Indian mix-master refurb appropriately fitted with parts from more than on manufacturer.

Have fun shooting it :)
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Like Claven2 say's, nice "shooter". You'll learn a lot from this rifle and be compelled to upgrade. This is how most of us started the "Enfield obsession".
Cheers
 
Oh my Enfield obsession is well under way. I currently have a 1943 fazakerly No.4 MK1 and a 1944 Ishapore No.1 MK3 but I felt I needed a Canadian rifle and decided to get this one.
 
According to Stratton's book, Long Branch and Savage exchanged parts with regularity, so it's potentially possible the Savage marked parts started life on a Longbranch. But as I've come to learn, there are some inconsistencies in that particular book, so you have to take it with a grain of salt.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about who made wich parts to start with. I just put togather a 42 Savage. I started off with just the barreled receiver and went through my parts bin. Most of the metal bits I lucked out on and found Savage pieces, even a bolt. The rest I will switch over as I find the right part. Meanwhile, I have a nice looking complete #4 sitting there to be admired. You can keep yours as is or rebuild it as you see fit.
 
Dyspnea said:
His first post state the rifle has an ishy screw. So I think he figured out it had been too India. I think the problem you have is the inability to read
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I can read just fine. The OP believed his rifle was non-refurb but "upgraded" with an Ishy screw. This belief is false and I ensured he knew it was a refurb.

It's a ncie rifle for the money and will be a great "shooter". As stated.
 
vinver said:
According to Stratton's book, Long Branch and Savage exchanged parts with regularity, so it's potentially possible the Savage marked parts started life on a Longbranch. But as I've come to learn, there are some inconsistencies in that particular book, so you have to take it with a grain of salt.
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Stratton was an amateur.

The only documented exchange of parts happened in 1944 when the Savage plant closed and shipped all remaining spares to Longbranch, so you sometimes see 44 or later LB rifles with the odd Savage part. It's very likely no 43 LB left the factory with Savage parts.

Dump your copy of Stratton and get the Skennerton book - it's based on fact, not fiction.
 
I can read just fine. The OP believed his rifle was non-refurb but "upgraded" with an Ishy screw. This belief is false and I ensured he knew it was a refurb.

It's a ncie rifle for the money and will be a great "shooter". As stated.
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you miss understood or I wasn't clear enough either way I never thought the ishy screw was original I came to the conclusion that the rifle somehow ended up in India at some point in its life and was probably refurbished with a whatever parts they had. Point is its a fine looking rifle that's been there done that and it will stay as is because that is just part of its story.
 
Claven2 said:
Stratton was an amateur.

The only documented exchange of parts happened in 1944 when the Savage plant closed and shipped all remaining spares to Longbranch, so you sometimes see 44 or later LB rifles with the odd Savage part. It's very likely no 43 LB left the factory with Savage parts.

Dump your copy of Stratton and get the Skennerton book - it's based on fact, not fiction.
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Yeah, as I expected- that's why Stratton's book can be bought for $15 on e-Bay while Skennerton's goes for 5 times that price.
 
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