need help identifying a lee enfield

sdwatt

sdwatt

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Hi all Lee Enfield gurus,

I have a lee Enfield which I believe is a Long branch but I am not sure as milsurp is a new wondrous thing for me. I will describe the markings as I have noticed them.

serial number? : LB26361 with word ENGLAND stamped above it.
The letters FMTR. except it goes FMR with the T centered above the M
The following is so faintly stamped on the receiver that this is a stretch but:
no4mk1 F F F 2/44
The bolt has the numbers LB26361.
The front of the receiver has a little stamp mark:BNP
on the butt stock stamped in the wood is : FR
On the front of the gun is the following on the metal band:S126 with an arrow
On the end of the barrel is the following:bnnp .303 2.222"
below that is something barely readable: 18.5 unsper

Please remeber that I did the best that I could given the faint markings.

I anxiously await your opinions

best regards,
Sean Watt
 
How about ROF Faz (Royal Ordnance Facility - Fazakerley) ?

Serial number range.......

ROF Faz 20000 - 29999
A20000 - A29999
& so on thro' alphabet
then AA, BA, BB etc

ROF Faz 2001A - 3000A
5001A - 6000A
7001A - 8000A

Regards,
Badger
 
BNP .303 2.222" 18.5 tons per square inch. Commercial Birmingham Nitro Proof showing rifle has been proof fired with .303" ctg 2.222" long (303 British) developing service pressure of 42000 psi.
 
Wow,
you guys are extremely fast with the replies, thank you.

As for the faint markings even after your supplied information I can not be sure due to the very light stamping. I am sure that the following is correct:

No 4 MK 1 F. F. F. 2/44

I have tried to keep the spacing as close to original.

Thank you for your replies, the mystery is already close to being solved.

best regards,
Sean Watt
 
You should know that this is not a Longbranch, those were Canadian made. Yours is stamped ENGLAND and rather and a Longbranch is a Fazakerley.
 
Thank you all,

With your help you were able to identify this rifle for me. Now with the education that I have received can someone suggest where I could purchase a Longbranch? I want to start a military collection and I would like to have a longbranch to start with.

Thank you for all your help.

Sean
 
It may help to determine the exact model before you try to figure out where it was made (there are plenty of Longbranch made rifles with "England" stamped on them). How does the bolt come out of the rifle? if the bolt head lifts at the front end of the receiver it's a Mark 1* (these were made in Canada and the US), if it requires you to push down on a little catch at the rear of the reciever it's a Mark 1 (these were made in Engalnd by several firms, and North America, it could also be a Mark 2 but given your interpretation of the markings it's probably not). Further, the model may change if the trigger has been moved to the action instead of the trigger guard. You may want to consult Skennertons "The lee Enfield Story", it's probably the best book on the subject.
 
Thank you,

the bolt removal requires that I depress a small lever at the rear of the receiver. Then I have to rotate the front of the bolt to align it with guide and then slide it out. So Is it correct to say that it is a No 4 Mk 1?
 
Yes, its a MK.I. I* rifles were almost exclusively North American. Long Branch rifles are around, you do see tham advertised. Just keep your eyes open, and one will turn up. The "England" stamp means that the rifle was commercially exported from the UK. A Long Branch rifle will have a serial number in the form XXL###X, starting with 0L###X, as well as LONG BRANCH stamped on the left receiver wall. Savages have a C in place of the L.
 
sdwatt said:
the bolt removal requires that I depress a small lever at the rear of the receiver. Then I have to rotate the front of the bolt to align it with guide and then slide it out. So Is it correct to say that it is a No 4 Mk 1?
Click to expand...

No, it's NOT a Longbranch.... :)

The serial numbers on Longbranch No.4's always have the letter "L" in the third position. ie: xxL###x where x = a numeric number. You can usually look up a table and tell by the serial number what year it was made based upon the range.

Another example, the serial numbers on Savage built No.4's always have the letter "C" in the third position. ie: xxC###x where x = a numeric number.

Other serial number trivia.... :)

FY or ROF(F) = Royal Ordnance Factory in Fazakerly, Lancashire
M or RM or ROF(M) = Royal Orndance Factory at maltby, Yorkshire
B or 85B or M 47 = BSA-controlled company in Shirley, near Birmingham

The word ENGLAND is often stamped on the receiver ring of these rifles. ENGLAND is not a factory marking! That ENGLAND stamping is nothing more than a British export mark that was used from in the 1950s and 1960s or there-a-bouts. The ENGLAND logo shows up stamped on all sorts of firearms that passed through British Isles along with other goverment required proof marks.

Here's a very detailed FAQ page on Enfields (click here)http://www.public.asu.edu/~roblewis/SMLE.htm


Hope this helps......

Regards,
Badger

EDIT: Opppps... tiriaq was typing too... sorry for the duplication #### ...... :D
 
Last edited:
stencollector said:
Are you sure they didn't start with 0L1 ? I know on the stens they only used the single, double, or triple digits without adding a bunch of zeros.
Click to expand...

Absolutely.....

Started with 0L###x single digits and then ran up through double digits like 90L###x etc........

I won't even try fixing that post.... I think it's time for my nap.......

I warned you guys about that coffee break.... :D

Regards,
badger
 
You are correct, of course. 0C1 is a T conversion, and is in Michigan, believe. I have a Savage receiver 0C4XX. I've never seen a LB with fewer than 4 digits, but I'm sure they were made, and there must still be a few out there. My LB Mk.I is 0L5###
 
Calum said:
Good info, and great link! :)
Wish I could find an online refrence for P14 markings. :(
Click to expand...

~Angel~ has some really good reference books on the P14 and the M1917, or U.S. Enfield as she jokingly refers to it as.

If you post the markings, or even better, some pics of the markings, I bet you'll get a lot of help from the folks here. If you'd prefer privacy, send me an email with the same info and I'll raid her bookstore for you. :D

Regards,
Badger
 
Thank you all very much,

With your help I now know that I own a 1944 ,No 4 Mk 1 "faz".
With numbers matching bolt,wood and original magazine and sling.

My goal is to locate a bayonet for it.

My serious goal is to locate a numbers matching longbranch.
 
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