Post 1950 LongBranch No.4 Production.

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

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Correct me if i'm wrong,

My Understanding is the standard production dates for Long Branch No.4s is 1941-1945, then 1949-1950. However, there were a few small batch productions after that, correct?

Were these post '50 production full rifles or receivers? How rare are they? What years were they?

I have seen a 1955 for sale, full rifle, at a premium, but am unsure about it. Does not have a standard XXL###X Serial format. First thought is its a Bitser but seems to have proper Canadian Parts from the pics.

Thanks.
 
Long branch did make rifles in 55 and 56.

I have a 55 with a serial of 89L76xx and a 56 with a serial of 58L69xx. My understanding is they took stores with various dates and converted them to 55 and 56 dates.

jim
 
jhawes said:
Long branch did make rifles in 55 and 56.

My understanding is they took stores with various dates and converted them to 55 and 56 dates.

jim
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They did produce rifles in 55-56, correct.

According to Skennerton, however, "it was common practice to allocate the serial number from a condemned rifle to a new one, when it was assembled as a replacement".

So it is possible to have a 1955 production date with a 1950 serial number for example.....
 
Interesting. The rifle for sale has a 2 groove bore and like mentioned does not have a standard 0L0000 serial or an Savage 0C0000 number even.
 
I believe that all rifles dated after 1950 are simply refurbs using newly produced receivers to replace damaged ones and restamping them with the damaged receiver serial numbers.
 
20210227_090957.jpg ni have a minty 56 that was converted to 7.62 for somebody in the DCRA /ORA i have also owned both a 55 and 56 in .303 all the rifles i have seen the serial numbers are from mid war numbers so they are re allocated number from scrap condemed rifles . its the top one
 

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I have a 43 LB that at some point was rebarreled with a 50 LB 6 groove right hand twist. It's the only one I have ever seen. But shows they were making barrels in the early to mid 50s
 
I have a 6 groove r h twist 1950 they say the barrels were made useing bren gun barrel machine from the Inglis factory
 
I also have a 1950 Longbranch with the 6 groove bore.
There is a tiny "6" stamped on the right bayonet lug.
 
JP said:
I believe that all rifles dated after 1950 are simply refurbs using newly produced receivers to replace damaged ones and restamping them with the damaged receiver serial numbers.
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36 hamon said:
View attachment 744428 ni have a minty 56 that was converted to 7.62 for somebody in the DCRA /ORA i have also owned both a 55 and 56 in .303 all the rifles i have seen the serial numbers are from mid war numbers so they are re allocated number from scrap condemed rifles . its the top one
Click to expand...

So could a British No.4 ended up in Canadian service that was then replaced by a new 1955 receiver? Only thing I could think of then to explain the different serial format. But then there is the two groove bore, would these not have been assembled with a new 5 groove bore?
 
Mine has the little 6 on the lug as well .....to be honest i have hever seen a brit rifle that was refurbished at CAL i really am not sure if they repkaced the worn out brit reciever with a new 55 or 56 long branch reciever if they would reuse the brit sn like they would a canadian sn ...i am curious anybody efer seen one ? ....i know that the rangers had some brit rifles but i think they were the Irish contract guns and most of them were in very good or hew condition... i know they were running out of replacement parts for the rangers as i sent them all the extractors i had and boltheads back in the day
 
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I have a 55 dated LB rifle with an odd serial number. It has the usualy LB format but has an extra digit in the serial number. In discussion on this topic years back, others have seen the same thing. I also have a 1956 un-numbered receiver that was part of a balistics experiment with a barrel blank 30-06 barrel adapted to it. It was apparently part of a matched set.

Canadian Arsenals (LB) also made Cno7 rifles from 1951 to 1953. That was possibly a short run of maybe 300 or so rifles.
 
FoymountFarm said:
GNG has a two groove CNo4 Mk1* Long Branch 1955 serial K26377. I have always believed that 1955 dated LB rifles were refurbished older rifles, not new builds.
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That's the one I was looking at that. Not sure if it would be worth the $2,000 price point though. Hence why I was asking for clarification. Considering LB seem to go for average 1300-1500 these days the premium is notable but not extreme.
 
No it would be a new 55 or 56 reciever with to condemned rifles sn if they had a nos or good older barrel they would use it ...most of these rifles were goingcto storage or war assets to be sold as they were getting the new FNs starting in 56 ...it would take a while to rotate the No4s out of service or taken to the rear for cadets or even to the rangers
 
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