Remove
- Thread starter HUNTERROD
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Go here: https://enfield-stuff.com/Pages/2-codes_marks/2-1_codes_marks_govt.html
Scroll way down - the "maltese cross" was a mark used by Greece on their rifles - no doubt by others as well? Odd that it is only on that wood - wood could be swapped to / from another rifle at about any time in its existence.
Scroll way down - the "maltese cross" was a mark used by Greece on their rifles - no doubt by others as well? Odd that it is only on that wood - wood could be swapped to / from another rifle at about any time in its existence.
Bottom nose cap has a Savage S inside a square. Have you taken the forearm off to see if any markings are in the barrel channel ? I assume the action is marked as Savage? You never know where they went unless you can find some information on the markings. I have a savage mag their serial number with Long branch serial number which is x ed out and a Fazakerly number.
The micrometer site give a little finer adjustment than the slide site mk3 and definitely much better than the flip site. I have acouple of Parker Hale 5C’s on mine which is an excellent peep site. She looks good from the pictures. Hopefully shoots just as good.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The conversation on the milsurps.com forum from several years ago, suggest Long Branch used the maltese cross marking. The linkage to Greek service has been mentioned. The crushed wood grain C Broad Arrow marking below the maltese cross is Long Branch.
One commentator suggested it was fitted part to that particular rifle and not to be exchanged. Maybe. I have seen a British BSA sniper rifle with the same marking on the foreend. Which really only means, that rifle and that foreend were somehow supposed to travel through eternity together. But an ordinary No.4 would have been one of hundreds of thousands of rifles - why identify one stock to one rifle?
One commentator suggested it was fitted part to that particular rifle and not to be exchanged. Maybe. I have seen a British BSA sniper rifle with the same marking on the foreend. Which really only means, that rifle and that foreend were somehow supposed to travel through eternity together. But an ordinary No.4 would have been one of hundreds of thousands of rifles - why identify one stock to one rifle?
Hello Hunterrod. I have been holding back waiting to be entertained by other answers. Your rifle is a post war composite. That is a rifle made up from the parts of others. The maltese cross stamp in your fore is the Long Branch sniper rifle dept. inspection stamp. So that fore was originally fitted to a No.4T. LB. That stamp was applied to 3 parts of the sniping rifle. Pg.27 in "Without Warning" by Clive Law illustrates the stamp on the fore and on the (converted) Mk I sight. I won't disclose the final part. So your fore is valuable to those small few who are making LB sniper forgeries. I enjoyed the attempts to link it to the Greeks but in truth it is a stamp unique to only one wartime LB department. JOHN
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Agree with John's assessment. The Maltese is supposed to indicate non-standard parts as used on the LB sniper rifles, although in the case of something like the forestock I can't imagine what that is. It is often found on one or both of the pads, the rear sight and of course the forestock.
No doubt you have already had PMs offering to swap forestocks. I would give you two nice LB forsestocks in a heartbeat for that one. Maybe even three.
I see the nosecap indicates Savage production. A lot of Savage made parts came up to Canada at the end of the US production. The majority if not all the rear sights for the last batch of 90L LB snipers had Savage rear sights (modified).
I saw on one forum where someone explained the maltese cross: It indicated a rifle meant to put round holes in square heads. Kind of dark humor, especially considering they are now our allies (although we won't sell them natural gas when they most needed it).
No doubt you have already had PMs offering to swap forestocks. I would give you two nice LB forsestocks in a heartbeat for that one. Maybe even three.
I see the nosecap indicates Savage production. A lot of Savage made parts came up to Canada at the end of the US production. The majority if not all the rear sights for the last batch of 90L LB snipers had Savage rear sights (modified).
I saw on one forum where someone explained the maltese cross: It indicated a rifle meant to put round holes in square heads. Kind of dark humor, especially considering they are now our allies (although we won't sell them natural gas when they most needed it).
Lee Enfield
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
I agree with John and Stenny, however as with most things related to snipers, the markings changed over time (even at Long Branch). The use of, and location of specific markings used on snipers at LB changed over time.
The application of this fore-end would be specific to a certain group of rifles, not all of them.
The existence of or lack of a specific marking does not a sniper rifle make - I have seen a number of real and (otherwise) correct Long Branch and British No4 "T" sniper rifles with the markings "corrected" by (well meaning??) owners.
And they are bringing real money now - a rifle of which only the bare receiver was original recently sold here.
Last edited:
The rifle has no refurbishment marks.
Its dated 1942 wartime.
The barrel...reciever and parts
Match by #. Ive not disasembled
The gun.. The owner prior had it for quite a while.
Its extremely accurate. Groups of 2" and less have been done with handloads. There is no ( re dating)
Virtually no case stretch when fired. Chamber is alot tighter than my dads rifle which is a maltby built enfield. #4. Dads has a #3 bolt head and gets more case stretch than me... But dads has conventional rifling not 2 groove..and those accurate..will not shoot
As gd as my rifle no matter what we do..
Its dated 1942 wartime.
The barrel...reciever and parts
Match by #. Ive not disasembled
The gun.. The owner prior had it for quite a while.
Its extremely accurate. Groups of 2" and less have been done with handloads. There is no ( re dating)
Virtually no case stretch when fired. Chamber is alot tighter than my dads rifle which is a maltby built enfield. #4. Dads has a #3 bolt head and gets more case stretch than me... But dads has conventional rifling not 2 groove..and those accurate..will not shoot
As gd as my rifle no matter what we do..
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Give a closer of the rifles left wrist. There are certain markings which I believe indicate can refinishing. Also, is the top of the receiver c/\marked?
All i know its outshot any 303 its been put against
In battle dress. Many of my fellow shooters often wondered if the gun was chosen for sniper duty
And never made it to holland and holland .or
It did and never got scoped. Like a stand by weapon
It also has correct down pressure at muzzle frombthe specs holland did to the gun when accurizing them.
Its definitely a gem, the bore is flawless
In battle dress. Many of my fellow shooters often wondered if the gun was chosen for sniper duty
And never made it to holland and holland .or
It did and never got scoped. Like a stand by weapon
It also has correct down pressure at muzzle frombthe specs holland did to the gun when accurizing them.
Its definitely a gem, the bore is flawless
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
The CCM is of course for Canadian Cycle and Motor ltd. They made a lot of various things for the CDN military in WW2.
Your barrel has the flaming bomb on it, so it may be the original barrel for that rifle. The BNP markings are proofing from a British proof house for civilian use after it left British service. Somewhere along the way it would appear your rifle picked up some Canadian wood. As mentioned before the stick with the Maltese cross is quite desirable for those who have Cdn no4ts and do not have the original wood on theirs. I am included in that group, as are others I know. I have seen that Maltese cross faked a few times, and it is usually distinguishable form the real thing. The fakes would seem to originate from somewhere in Southern Ontario.
Your barrel has the flaming bomb on it, so it may be the original barrel for that rifle. The BNP markings are proofing from a British proof house for civilian use after it left British service. Somewhere along the way it would appear your rifle picked up some Canadian wood. As mentioned before the stick with the Maltese cross is quite desirable for those who have Cdn no4ts and do not have the original wood on theirs. I am included in that group, as are others I know. I have seen that Maltese cross faked a few times, and it is usually distinguishable form the real thing. The fakes would seem to originate from somewhere in Southern Ontario.
