Savage No4Mk1 1941 ...need wood.

sharpsguy

sharpsguy

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So i have a very nice savage No4Mk1 dated 1941 ....serial number oc150.....yes ...likely built on the first day production that needs replacement full wood .
the gun is like new ...wood has been sporterized. Butt has some bad gouges. I know this is well worth getting it back to 100%. Where does one get the proper savage marked wood? or is this made from unobtanium?
Thanks eh !!!
 
I just finished rebuilding a Savage mk2. Took me three years to find most of the parts. I couldn’t find a Savage marked forearm so settled on a Fazakerly. Rifle was FTR by Fazakerly. I found the front band and bottom nose cap the weekend before I put it together. The magazine is Fazakerly. A couple of pieces not Savage but it is together.
My last pieces I found off of Gun Post along with a bunch of other #4 parts. I don’t seem to find too many parts at gun shows, besides for mags. People are hearing that I buy Enfield parts and contacting me seeing if I’ll buy them.
If you wish to go with completely new have a look at Prestigious woods they sell wood pieces and sets for a few surplus rifles. I put one set together for a fellow. Minor fitting of bands and nose caps.
I am currently looking for another Savage and Longbranch actions and barrels as I have the complete parts for them. Except for the Savage mag. Now if I could find another mk2 forearm I have the matching piece to rebuild it, all Fazakerly.
 
My first two #4’s cost me $585 and $535. The first set came from the Yukon, he is currently out of business.His sets where original and in excellent shape. My second set I bought from a HRM bus driver. Original post WW2 Fazakerly wood unissued in excellent condition. The Savage I just did I waited for parts to show up and cost under $400. Those prices include the action and barrel.
I have 7 #1 miii sitting here that I can’t find forearms for so will likely buy them from Prestigious Woods. Any wood I have seen come from Prestigious has been excellent.
 
I just bought a walnut No4 mk1 set of wood from Prestigious Woods.
The butt stock is considerably different from the rest of the fore stocks that I though it was an altogether different species.

I emailed them photos and their reply could be summarized as 'we try our best, but yep that too is walnut'.
The set I went with was with the grooved upper handguards - thinking they would have replicated the Long Branch grooves. Nope, not even close.

That'll be my first and last bit of business with them. Caveat Emptor.
 
If it were me, I'd find me an early 41 or 42 Savage that's not been disassembled, and take that stock to use on your 3 digit rifle. Put the sporter wood on the donor rifle, and get what you can for it.
Early rifles like this need respect. Good find on your part.
I'm still looking for a three digit Long Branch. Got 1, 2 and 4.
 
I'm not sure that Savage used their own wood for the first rifles they produced.

Someone with more knowledge on this, such as Woodchopper or Louthepou could verify or correct this, or even someone with more knowledge on it than I have.

I've seen more than a few new in grease, unissued, Savage No4 rifles, both early and later manufacture, wearing Longbranch marked wood, along with Longbranch marked metal components, such as cocking pieces, bands and trigger guards.

I've always been under the impression that the first Savage No4 rifles were actually assembled with a mix of US and Canadian made parts, until Savage started to get everything together on their end.

Even then, my aunt used to work in the Longbranch factory during WWII and she told me she really hated it when Savage marked stocks came into the factory to be installed on Longbranch rifles, because they were heavier and she couldn't carry as many to the ladies on the line that assembled the rifles.

I believe, it was common practice for both Canadian suppliers and US suppliers of the components to ship to whomever needed them most at any particular time to keep production numbers up to the expected standard.

IMHO, it's quite possible your rifle (nice score) was originally fitted with Canadian wood.

Again, if anyone knows what they're talking about on this, please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
bearhunter said:
I'm not sure that Savage used their own wood for the first rifles they produced.

Someone with more knowledge on this, such as Woodchopper or Louthepou could verify or correct this, or even someone with more knowledge on it than I have.

I've seen more than a few new in grease, unissued, Savage No4 rifles, both early and later manufacture, wearing Longbranch marked wood, along with Longbranch marked metal components, such as cocking pieces, bands and trigger guards.

I've always been under the impression that the first Savage No4 rifles were actually assembled with a mix of US and Canadian made parts, until Savage started to get everything together on their end.

Even then, my aunt used to work in the Longbranch factory during WWII and she told me she really hated it when Savage marked stocks came into the factory to be installed on Longbranch rifles, because they were heavier and she couldn't carry as many to the ladies on the line that assembled the rifles.

I believe, it was common practice for both Canadian suppliers and US suppliers of the components to ship to whomever needed them most at any particular time to keep production numbers up to the expected standard.

IMHO, it's quite possible your rifle (nice score) was originally fitted with Canadian wood.

Again, if anyone knows what they're talking about on this, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Savage used their own wood from "day 1".

The story that LB and Savage "shared" production is a tale started by the supply of overstock left when Savage Stevens (SS) ceased production in 1944. This can be seen with Savage MkI rear sights being used by H&H and LB to provide rear sights for No4T rifles in 1944 and 1945.

Anyone who understands how controlled shipping, materials and production was during WW2 should have an idea of how difficult it would have been for LB or SS to "share production" of anything. IF this had occurred there would be a large paper trail which would be easy to find. An example of this is the Canadian order for Lyman Alaskan scopes (ie, No32 TP MkI) There is a paper trail of the CDN armament board asking, the US production board saying yes we can assign x number for Canada, and the CDN board having to order from Lyman, then Lyman having to find a source for the glass, and the CDN board having to find sewing needles for the reticle.

There is a complete paper trail for the Lyman scope order - is there ANY documentation of sharing of materials between SS and LB?

There also would have been documentation regarding transporting the materials from LB or SS as ALL shipping was assigned priority levels.
 
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Lee Enfield said:
Savage used their own wood from "day 1".

The story that LB and Savage "shared" production is a tale started by the supply of overstock left when Savage Stevens (SS) ceased production in 1944. This can be seen with Savage MkI rear sights being used by H&H and LB to provide rear sights for No4T rifles in 1944 and 1945.

Anyone who understands how controlled shipping, materials and production was during WW2 should have an idea of how difficult it would have been for LB or SS to "share production" of anything. IF this had occurred there would be a large paper trail which would be easy to find. An example of this is the Canadian order for Lyman Alaskan scopes (ie, No32 TP MkI) There is a paper trail of the CDN armament board asking, the US production board saying yes we can assign x number for Canada, and the CDN board having to order from Lyman, then Lyman having to find a source for the glass, and the CDN board having to find sewing needles for the reticle.

There is a complete paper trail for the Lyman scope order - is there ANY documentation of sharing of materials between SS and LB?

There also would have been documentation regarding transporting the materials from LB or SS as ALL shipping was assigned priority levels.
Click to expand...

Interesting information, thanks for your post ..!
 
I did recently hold a late Savage #4 Mk 1# that had the C broad arrow property stamp on the receiver ring as well as LB furniture and walnut stock set. It was unfortunately a mismatched bolt and of course I have no way of knowing for sure it wasn't re-stocked but the Canadian property marking on the receiver means it was supplied to Canadian inventory and issued at some point in its life.

I know someone with a British #4T sniper rifle that also has the C broad arrow acceptance stamp on the receiver ring.


Lee Enfield said:
Savage used their own wood from "day 1".

The story that LB and Savage "shared" production is a tale started by the supply of overstock left when Savage Stevens (SS) ceased production in 1944. This can be seen with Savage MkI rear sights being used by H&H and LB to provide rear sights for No4T rifles in 1944 and 1945.

Anyone who understands how controlled shipping, materials and production was during WW2 should have an idea of how difficult it would have been for LB or SS to "share production" of anything. IF this had occurred there would be a large paper trail which would be easy to find. An example of this is the Canadian order for Lyman Alaskan scopes (ie, No32 TP MkI) There is a paper trail of the CDN armament board asking, the US production board saying yes we can assign x number for Canada, and the CDN board having to order from Lyman, then Lyman having to find a source for the glass, and the CDN board having to find sewing needles for the reticle.

There is a complete paper trail for the Lyman scope order - is there ANY documentation of sharing of materials between SS and LB?

There also would have been documentation regarding transporting the materials from LB or SS as ALL shipping was assigned priority levels.
Click to expand...
 
granite said:
I did recently hold a late Savage #4 Mk 1# that had the C broad arrow property stamp on the receiver ring as well as LB furniture and walnut stock set. It was unfortunately a mismatched bolt and of course I have no way of knowing for sure it wasn't re-stocked but the Canadian property marking on the receiver means it was supplied to Canadian inventory and issued at some point in its life.

I know someone with a British #4T sniper rifle that also has the C broad arrow acceptance stamp on the receiver ring.
Click to expand...
In the ETO during WW2 supplies were "pooled". This is especially apparent with No4T rifles issued to Canadian Forces - nearly all of the photos of CF snipers in the ETO during WW2 are clearly British receivers (where identifiable).

Also photos of Canadian troops with No5 rifles and Mk5 STENs...which were never produced in Canada.
 
Skinnerton has a short paragraph that describes the process in 1944 where the leftover stock from Savage went to Long Branch. Savage ceased production in '44, Long Branch in '45.
 
limpetmine said:
Skinnerton has a short paragraph that describes the process in 1944 where the leftover stock from Savage went to Long Branch. Savage ceased production in '44, Long Branch in '45.
Click to expand...
And when Longbranch ceased production their parts went to Fazakerly. I have seen two Fazakerly with all Longbranch parts except the wood.
 
i believe early savage forestocks had the cut out for magazine cutoffs too. i Got lucky when i restored my savage and found a stock with it at the time not knowing about that. They were using tooling set up for trials rifles.
 
Yes, all parts souls be marked Savage. Your rifle is very rare. The savage 1941 is the rarer of all the 1941 no4. The correct forend is a lowcut one with the S on the metal cap. You will also need, if you dint have these, a savage marked round cocking knob ans a savage marked early type(small apperture) mk1 rear sight. The front handguard would have the cut for the hinged front band, even if I think the early savage never used hinges front bands like lb and Brit’s ones. But not sure of that.
The front sight protector is the welded one line later savage, not the early one like lb and brits ones.
Your rifle deserve to be correctly restored.
 
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