No 4 LB Wood identification

yorgi

yorgi

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Recently acquired a sporterized 1943 No 4 Mk 1* with cut forestock, refinished wood and cut barrel.

Would like to find out what type of wood it's currently sporting, mostly the stock as the forestock will be discarded eventually. I'm leaning towards Beech but not sure of it, if it indeed is Beech, would that be a period-correct type? Also, the metal buttplate seems to be in the white, I assume that's Bubba's work but again can't be certain due to my limited knowledge of LBs.
 

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Looks to be beech indeed, and the buttplate is probably the cost- and resource-saving material called "zamak" or something like that

Lou
 
I have a 1943 Longbranch with Beech stock that was FTRd in Fazerekly in 1951. It doesn't look like your stock to me. The Eyes tiriaq mentions are present in my buttstock. I don't think Longbranch used Beech. I know they used Walunt and Maple not sure about Birch. Is there any electropencil marking on your receiver that indicates the rifle has been FTRd?
 
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bushwhacker said:
I have a 1943Longbranch with Beech stock that was FTRd in Fazerekly in 1951. It doesn't look like tour stock to me. The Eyes tiriaq mentions are present in my buttstock. I don't know if Longbranch used Birch. I know they used Walunt and Maple. Is there any electropencil marking on your receiver that indicates the rifle has been FTRd?
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No bushwhacker, no electropenciled marks anywhere. I have no way of knowing if the original wood was at some point replaced. In the interest of clarification, and to provide louthepou and tiriaq with more pics, I've taken a few more, with and without flash. Thanks for the responses gentlemen!
 

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bushwhacker said:
I have a 1943 Longbranch with Beech stock that was FTRd in Fazerekly in 1951. It doesn't look like your stock to me. The Eyes tiriaq mentions are present in my buttstock. I don't think Longbranch used Beech. I know they used Walunt and Maple not sure about Birch. Is there any electropencil marking on your receiver that indicates the rifle has been FTRd?
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Just be aware that those ex-military beech stocks were available on eBay until recently - a guy in Britain selling them - he had crates of New, Old Stock hand guards and fore-arms - I bought a set and installed on a 1944 Long Branch rifle - but my installation occurred in about 2015 or 2016, not during WWII, or during 1950's FTR. So I have a 1944 Long Branch in quite nice beech stocks - so far as I am concerned that is wrong stocks, but all that I could find.
 
Your stock is birch - was an alternate to walnut. Any visible inspection marking? Butt plate is steel (see rust starting to form). Ron
 
Looks like Birch. If it is Long Branch wood, it should have an intertwined LB with a number under the wrist. Probably a C broad arrow too.
 
Beech usually shows a crescent grain pattern like on these K31s.

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These are extreme examples of the crescents.
 
Would (wood?) I be the odd guy out suggesting maple? I'm looking at my hardwood maple floor and the grain is a dead wringer. I recall Long Branch used maple?
 
shoe303 said:
Looks like Birch. If it is Long Branch wood, it should have an intertwined LB with a number under the wrist. Probably a C broad arrow too.
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Thanks for the tip... checked the wrist underside, looks to be a Savage stock, I can make out an S inside a square, sanding got rid of most of it. Well, at least I now know that NO wood on the rifle is original.

Thanks again to everyone for the wealth of knowledge.
 

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Could be maple, at least the forestock. I has a similar sporter years ago, and came to the conclusion it was maple. The density (weight) of maple is substantially more than other hardwoods for rifle stocks.
 
If your wood is "S" in a square box it's Savage and definitely Birch. You sometimes find Savage wood on Long Branchs' especially around 1943. If you remove the forend and post a picture showing the forend inletting I can tell you more. Savage inletting is very unique. Ron
 
rgg_7 said:
If your wood is "S" in a square box it's Savage and definitely Birch. You sometimes find Savage wood on Long Branchs' especially around 1943. If you remove the forend and post a picture showing the forend inletting I can tell you more. Savage inletting is very unique. Ron
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Took up your offer but I got stumped early on.... Cannot for the life of me find a slot in the forend screw, tried scraping of the crud off the head on the left side of the receiver but it looks simply domed. The other side of the screw is almost flush with flat retainer.

Edited to add: You Enfield folks, please don't judge my ignorance...LOL
 
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