Long Branch Wood and Bands?

[jaycee]

Guys,

I need some advise...

I recently purchased what was described as a complete set of LB wood c/w bands for a No.4 Mk1*, for a LB that I'm restoring. The underside of the forestock has the LB stamp over a horizontal line, which is in turn over a "32". Would the "32" refer to 1932 (I would think that would be early for a LB No.4 Mk1*), or a rack number, or...?

Also, the top and bottom metal that is actually attached to the muzzle end of the top and bottom wood (I have no idea what these are actually called) are stamped "CCM", not "LB" - what would be the significance of this?

All the forewood appears to be either birch or beech - honey coloured and straight grained.

The part that I have serious doubts about is the butt - it doesn't have any markings what-so-ever, appears to be from either a Lee-Metford or a Long Lee (the brass buttplate extends approx 2" over the butt, and there appears to be a rear sling "loop", the type you often see on British sporters). It appears to be rather nicely figured walnut. Is there any chance that LB would have used something like this butt as a wartime expedient? Sorry I don't have photo's.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Claven2]

Can't comment on the butt without pics - might be off a sporter or something?

The wood sounds right. CCM was a LB subcontractor. The 32 marking is just a comon inspector's cartouche.

 

[GrantR]

For what it's worth, the subcontractor for the metal bits, CCM, was the Canada Cycle & Motor Company Limited - manufacturers of all those quintessentially Canadian bicycles during the first 60 or 70 years of the 20th century, though more familiar to younger folk today as manufacturers of hockey equipment and such - following a sale of the cycle division, once the sporting equipment line became their major money-maker.

Anyway, during WWII their metal fabrication facilities produced a lot of things like the bands, etc. with your stock set, so they are entirely correct, and as "Canadian" as any such parts could be!

 

[marks 36 hamon]

FWIW CCM made canadian bren gun tri pods as well

 

[tiriaq]

With a long tang, the butt is from a much earlier Lee Enfield than a LB No. 4. At any rate, LB didn't use brass, either steel or zinc alloy.