new Ishapore No.4 Mk 1*

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gerry303ca

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Location
Fredericton, NB
Can't find where they ever made one. It has a beautiful sporter style stock, beautiful finish, like new.
Butt stock markings:
FR
1963
R.F.I.

Matching 3 digit number on receiver, barrel, and bolt. 5 shot mag stamped made in England. No. 4 Mk 1* on left side of the receiver. Regular military sights. I can't find any reference that mentions them in Stratton's book.
Can anyone give me any info?
Gerry
 
Would like to see pics of the rifle, particularly the markings and both sides of the wrist socket. Some of these rifles carry a fair bit of history with them.

I owned a P.O.F. (Pakistan Ordnance Factory) rifle for close to 30 years and misread the stamp as "ROF" instead. It came without a bolt. I have since found a suitable bolt, not POF, and put an old Weaver scope on it with no gunsmithing mount. It is a nice old rifle to shoot. It was given to me by a dear old friend who has since passed on. It is a great memory of his friendship whenever I take the old girl out.
 
Nothing on the left side of the wrist socket, FR / 1963 / R.F.I. on the right side. Sorry, I can't do pictures. from the almost complete absence of markings, I doubt it was ever a military rifle. The only other markings are a few proof marks on the barrel, No.4 MK 1* on the left side of the receiver, and the serial No. on the barrel, receiver, and bolt. Do you know what the FR stands for?
 
Most likely the Indian letters for "Factory Repair". Some of these old rifles have weaved an interesting path through their existence.
 
The rifle went through a Factory Rebuild in 1963 at Rifle Factory Ishapore in West Bengal, India.

The rifles were stripped down to their components and the rifles were remanufactured. Ishapore would scrub all original makers' markings, remark with Ishapore info and refinish to produce basically an as new rifle. Hence the lack of markings found.

The rifle in question could have been made by any of the manufacturers. Usually there will be one or two clues left behind as to who.

As mentioned the No.4 Mk.I* marking is a big clue and would suggest that it is North American manufactured. Only Long Branch and Savage factories produced the Mk.I* version.

You mention that it is a good quality sporter. There were a number of British companies that did commercial conversions of excellent condition surplus rifles to sporter configuration. Some were quite utility, and some were very well done with good quality wood work. Parker Hale and Churchill for example, both made nice converted No.4 rifles..
 
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Didn't Parker Hale and Churchill usually have their names on the rifles they rebuilt? I do remember them having their names on at least some of them. Whoever did the work, I'm very happy with it, just curious as to the details. Does the FR stand for Factory Rebuild?
This reply is by far the most feasible explanation. Thank you.
Gerry
 
Just goes to show how good the quality control was back in the day. Even during high stress conditions in England. I find it intriguing that huge numbers of stamped, cast, machined parts could be manufactured without the use of robotics/computers in such a precise manner that they could be interchangeable over millions of different units. Not just the Lee Enfields but Mosins, Mausers of every mark, Carcanos, SMLEs, Lebels etc.

Yes, some parts had to be hand fitted but overall, they worked well.

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