Rare Long Branch .22 prototype pre-cno7

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Biloba

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Farnham, Quebec, Canada
After 23 years of eyes opens, to find interesting lee Enfields and even more canadian ones, I think I found the most interesting of all. A .22 trainer prototype, that preceded the cno7. Was advertised as a one piece stock cno7 at auction. The quality of the pictures was poor, but I recognize the shape of the lightweight lb prototypes and the same shape of stock as the rcaf lightweight survival prototypes. Now that I looked carefully, I can confirm that this 303 receiver have been modified exactly like the lightweight ones. The full lenght barrel never been on a cno7. The two holes for the pins that maintain the front sight block, never been drilled. There is absolutely no marking on that barrel. The bolt never got a serial number except the #5 on it. Probably 5th prototype. The bolt head and extractor have absolutely no markings and seems to be made for that prototype. The 22 follower is different from the regular cno7 one. Not sure about the buttpad that is missing. There is some glue residue. What a great find!
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Interesting. Which Auction? Is the barrel lined? or a CNo7 cut back? All Long Branch prototypes are marked so you may have a remake. Drawings exist of the trigger assembly. Can you show us a picture of the bottom of the receiver and the stock inletting. Nice find. Ron
 
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Thought I saw this before. There was a collector in the Ottawa area that had some "fantasy" LB Enfields made up like No5 Jungle Carbine in 22 LR single shot, light weight 303 sniper and CNo7 22 LR. These all sold at Switzers Auction in the past few years.

I see your CNo7 Sporter was item #2455 in the most recent Switzer Auction. Some interesting details. Also sold at same action were a 22 JC and a 303/22 air powered Enfield.

Ron
 
Were there not what were essentially toolroom rifle made up at Long Branch as gifts, for presentations, etc.? Or made up as personal rifles, post WW2?
 
tiriaq said:
Were there not what were essentially toolroom rifle made up at Long Branch as gifts, for presentations, etc.? Or made up as personal rifles, post WW2?
Click to expand...

Someone converted a .303 sporter into a .22lr

I would like to see the underside of the C.No7 rear sight to get an idea of when the conversion was done.

So far, the most interesting part is the follower.
 
The big dimple cuts on the rear receiver got my attention, regardless of the other bits. Can't force-fit something like that.

One piece stocks were tried for all kinds of reasons. I had a one piece DCRA-style stocked rifle which had been Regulated by Fulton, and I think was a CA conversion. But it had been heavily altered in just about every other dimension. I also have a one-piece stock hunting rifle which I KNOW was made up by a friend of my late father's. Bob Robinson in Bedford, QC was a very skilled machinist, so this would have been a professional challenge but something within his abilities.

On Tiriaq's point about presentation pieces and one-offs, I inherited a birdseye maple foreend somehow. The opinion is this was piece from Long Branch which was going to be used for a presentation piece that was never made up. It was previously owned by Tommy Richardson in St Lambert, QC. And apparently was the only one in Tommy's very significant No.4 armourer's career, that he'd ever seen. (( If anyone has a block of birdseye maple suitable for a Long buttstock please send me a PM. ))
 
Hi, when I was shooting well I made a number of #4 guns into one piece stocks. They compensated well at 900yds. #4's in 2 p worked best at 1100yds. I don't really know who dreamed this up but the first I heard of it was from George Sanderson. I do remember a discussion with Tommy when he left with smoke coming out of his ears.
 
This rifle never been a cno7 before. The barrel is not sleeved and never had markings on it. The two holes for the front sight block, never been drilled. The bolt head have no marking and the extractor is not like the cno7 ones. The follower is different from the cno7 ones. The receiver is exactly like the one on my lightweight no28.
The lightweight prototypes had serial numbers because they where made to be test/used. My rifle was probably a test and never got a serial numbe. Except maybe the no5 on the bolt. That rifle is not a modified 303.
 
Hi Biloba. Its a made up job post war with a prototype follower. Made from a lightweight body of which there were some extras lying around considered useless for .303 service rifle set-up. The trigger mechanism and front sight ramps are one off. The follower is a genuine prototype
made 1943 and again considered obsolete after the regular war production. I have a complete No.7 with the same follower in a rifle that was made up new for the designer of that follower when he left CA after the war. There were also some .303 sporters made up and all seem to be made for either outgoing employees or government or military officials. The skilled labour had little else to do and to make use of obsolete
parts for technically personal interest was not frowned on. The finish on the barrel also dates the work. Hand fitting with chisel evident is some
of the stock recesses along with the machine inletting. Probably had a C67 style butt plate in either the red or black design. John
 
Biloba - can you post some pictures of the front sight top view. Is there a double spring or spacer on the extractor?
 
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