New Enfield No 4 Mk 1 Markings - Help?
- Thread starter mike12
- Start date
Sight is correct.
The marks you show are either inspectors' marks or subcontractors' (M/216, N79, VNS, etc.).
Serial number will be found on buttsocket, bolt, maybe magazine, forend.
Your rifle looks to be a good example of an unmolested, not rebuilt example of a mid-war BSA.
The marks you show are either inspectors' marks or subcontractors' (M/216, N79, VNS, etc.).
Serial number will be found on buttsocket, bolt, maybe magazine, forend.
Your rifle looks to be a good example of an unmolested, not rebuilt example of a mid-war BSA.
Does anyone else find the serial number AD6897 odd? Would not a 1943 BSA No.4 follow the convention of a serial number starting with either a 1, 2 or 3 indicating it was made in either the Maltby, Fazackerly or Shirley arsenals? The engraved serial on the wrist and the "MK.1" on the receiver side look non-standard too.
The rifle has been FTR'd at some point, not sure who by.
The "N" with a number, "M" with a number, "S" with a number are the codes for the contractors who made the various parts. S codes are for plants in the South of England, M for the Midlands (up around Birmingham area) the the N for anything North of that, including Scotland. There exists a COMPLETE list of contractors; it is several very large pages of very small type.
The Mark 2 rear sight (which is what you have) is one of the half-dozen or so rear sights for the Number 4 Rifle, ALL of which are correct for the RIFLE but may not be correct for a specific PERIOD o FACTORY. These range from the beautifully-made Mark 1 sight with the micrometer-screw adjustment (which was the biggest single bottleneck in production) to the lowly and often-despised Mark 2 (which you have). There also exist Mark 3 and Mark 4 BRITISH rear sights assembled from stamped parts (the Mark 3 is rare, owing to small numbers made because it was fragile and too exposed) and at least two Canadian models. They all interchange with about 15 minutes of work. Nothng wrong with the little Mark 2; you can do good shooting with it if you read the instruction manual AND have a spike bayonet handy.
You can download a complete 1942 RIFLE manual for free if you flip over to milsurps.com. It's in the Military Knowledge Library in the Lee-Enfield section. Membership is free (as here at CGN) and they have a veritable treasure-trove of free information for free download.
Nice toy.
Hope this helps.
.
The "N" with a number, "M" with a number, "S" with a number are the codes for the contractors who made the various parts. S codes are for plants in the South of England, M for the Midlands (up around Birmingham area) the the N for anything North of that, including Scotland. There exists a COMPLETE list of contractors; it is several very large pages of very small type.
The Mark 2 rear sight (which is what you have) is one of the half-dozen or so rear sights for the Number 4 Rifle, ALL of which are correct for the RIFLE but may not be correct for a specific PERIOD o FACTORY. These range from the beautifully-made Mark 1 sight with the micrometer-screw adjustment (which was the biggest single bottleneck in production) to the lowly and often-despised Mark 2 (which you have). There also exist Mark 3 and Mark 4 BRITISH rear sights assembled from stamped parts (the Mark 3 is rare, owing to small numbers made because it was fragile and too exposed) and at least two Canadian models. They all interchange with about 15 minutes of work. Nothng wrong with the little Mark 2; you can do good shooting with it if you read the instruction manual AND have a spike bayonet handy.
You can download a complete 1942 RIFLE manual for free if you flip over to milsurps.com. It's in the Military Knowledge Library in the Lee-Enfield section. Membership is free (as here at CGN) and they have a veritable treasure-trove of free information for free download.
Nice toy.
Hope this helps.
.
M/216 is Sanbra Ltd, Birmingham. N79 is Viners Ltd, Sheffield. As is the VNS. S126 is C. E. Welstead, Croydon. All of which were contract manufacturers. The M47 should have a letter(A, B or C) after it indicating which BSA plant.
The CA on the bolt likely means Canadian Arsenals post 1946. Check the headspace despite the matching S/N's.
Hard to tell what the S/N prefix on the receiver is. S/N's did have a letter prefix added when the assorted plants used up the numbers.
"...the correct sight?..." Standard Mk 2 wartime expedient battle sight. 300 and 600 yards only. It'll shoot high at 100 with the 300 yard sight. Not necessarily a bad thing.
Go here. http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/main.htm
The CA on the bolt likely means Canadian Arsenals post 1946. Check the headspace despite the matching S/N's.
Hard to tell what the S/N prefix on the receiver is. S/N's did have a letter prefix added when the assorted plants used up the numbers.
"...the correct sight?..." Standard Mk 2 wartime expedient battle sight. 300 and 600 yards only. It'll shoot high at 100 with the 300 yard sight. Not necessarily a bad thing.
Go here. http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/main.htm
Thanks for all the info, you guys know your stuff and it sounds like this is not an exact science.
I should have explained that the bolt with "CA" is a spare that was in the rifle when I took the pictures the matching bolt "AD 6987" is what came in the gun.
There is no letter after the M47 however, there is a faint mark after the 1943 stamp but I can't make it out.
Why does the buttstock have s/n P6987 and the bolt has AD6987, should they have the same letters?
Last question, so when someone says their's is matching numbers it really only means the bolt and receiver?
I should have explained that the bolt with "CA" is a spare that was in the rifle when I took the pictures the matching bolt "AD 6987" is what came in the gun.
There is no letter after the M47 however, there is a faint mark after the 1943 stamp but I can't make it out.
Why does the buttstock have s/n P6987 and the bolt has AD6987, should they have the same letters?
Last question, so when someone says their's is matching numbers it really only means the bolt and receiver?
