What do the letters AL mean on a 1941 LB No4 mk 1

[neal]

Congratulations ... nice find and they didn't make very many of these ...

Tangential to this thread and for others who may want to see one for comparison, with thanks to Advisory Panel member Lance, you could check the Canada - Milsurp Knowledge Library (click here) http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=117-canada

A rare 1941 No.4 Mk1 Long Branch Rifle (click here) ..... http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=3447

Complete with a 150 picture photo montage, this is a fascinating rifle to study its markings and components in detail, with some interesting oddities and variations from the standard No.4 Mk1* noted in the "Collector's Feedback and Comments" section of the main Knowledge Library entry. There's also information with pictured examples of how to check for a correct front waisted sight protector, versus a home made, or possible fake.

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug[/size]

Thanks very much Doug, I must have missed that on Milsurps.com.

Mine is the correct front sight protector. But I have a savage front hood and a mismatched bolt and a later sight stamped F which I believe is Fazakerley.

The rest including the wood is all matching, so I guess it is time to find some period correct parts.

 

[neal]

I stumbled upon this website

http://www.enfieldcollector.com/serials.html


here is some quoted text

No.4 and No.5 rifle serial numbers can readily identify manufacturers. British No.4 rifles have five numbers, usually after one or two letter prefixes. The same letter prefix(es) were used by Maltby, Fazakerley & BSA Shirley, A to Z then AA, AB to AZ, then BA to BZ, CA to CZ &c. Maltby rifle serial numbers commence with a number '1', Fazakerley with a '2' and Shirley with a '3', e.g. 1###x for Maltby, 2###x for Fazakerley and for Shirley, 3###x, after the letter prefix. Late Shirley numbers then supposedly ran A4000 to A7999 and with PS prefixes at the very end of production. Post-war Fazakerley No.4 rifles had PF letter prefixes. The only exception to the 5-number sequence for No.4 rifles was the initial BSA Shirley production which ran from 0001 to 9999 then went with A to Z prefixes (A0001 to A9999 to the Z prefix) and some early dual letter prefixes (e.g. AT 0303), but then went over to A30001, &c. So early M47C No.4 rifle numbers could be confused with the Jungle carbine in having four rather than five numbers.
Long Branch (Canada) serial numbers incorporate an 'L' in the serial number while US Savage numbers include an 'C' in a similar relative position amongst the numbers. Both of these No.4 rifle series commenced with 0L1 and 0C1 respectively.
No.5 Jungle Carbines only have 4 numbers, the Shirley carbines have BB to C? prefixes, last production was post World War 2. The Fazakerley jungle carbines ran from FE1 to FE1000 initial production, then with no letter prefix, followed by A1 to A9999 through Z9999.

I am wondering if the AL is a refurbish serial number which would explain the different years of the AL under the long branch, it seems early in the factories number cycles so that could explain how a lot of the rifles are mostly matching numbers with a few little fixes.

Any thoughts?

 

[cantom]

Nope. Long Branch didn't mark FTR's after the first couple of years. They definitely didn't add in a new serial number.

It had to be a different country.

I am wondering if the AL is a refurbish serial number which would explain the different years of the AL under the long branch, it seems early in the factories number cycles so that could explain how a lot of the rifles are mostly matching numbers with a few little fixes.

Any thoughts?