I just picked up an absolutely gorgeous sporterized US property Savage 303,oiled walnut stock,parkerized 4 groove barrel,original peep sight and looks from the bolt face, it is unfired .However, there are no markings on it such as Parker Hale would have stamped on the barrel-who might have done this?
who sporterized savage 303's?
- Thread starter ratherbefishin
- Start date
There was many re-"manufacturers", one of them here was Century International Firearms.
If you post some pics, one may be able to point who did the mods through the style. All the markings are imposrtant here, too.
A lot were also "copied" from the "original" re-"mafucturers" by weekend "gunsmiths"..
If you post some pics, one may be able to point who did the mods through the style. All the markings are imposrtant here, too.
A lot were also "copied" from the "original" re-"mafucturers" by weekend "gunsmiths"..
xcaribooer
Regular
- Location
- The fishing highway
if you post pics someone could tell you fairly easy..there are a whole list of companies that did some nice sporterizing work
xcaribooer
Regular
- Location
- The fishing highway
I have a nice one for sale right now that was savage manufacture , barrel is new and has a PH front sight on it, the stock has been changed to a plastic ATI, it has markings of ENGLAND, as well as the FTR mark and also a big S with 1942 under it.it lacks the parker hale stamp like my Supreme has so I am not really sure who did the work, I am told other companies who did sporterising sometimes used parker hale parts..
the only markings on it are''US PROPERTY'' on the reciever and under that 5 No4mk1
I have never seen a more gorgeous piece of wood on a 303.....sights are original and the barrel is parkerized.It appears unfired[didn't need it-couldn't resist it]The only problem is I can't shoot open sights[eyes] but if I can find a fire sight for the front,I can.Does anybody make them?
can't post pictures ,I'll have to get one of the kids to help me....
I have never seen a more gorgeous piece of wood on a 303.....sights are original and the barrel is parkerized.It appears unfired[didn't need it-couldn't resist it]The only problem is I can't shoot open sights[eyes] but if I can find a fire sight for the front,I can.Does anybody make them?
can't post pictures ,I'll have to get one of the kids to help me....
FOUR grooves in a Parkerized barrel?
I've heard of 2, 5 and 6, even 7 in the Metfords, but 4 is beyond my experience.
Nearly ALL of them were 2 or 5 with a VERY few 6s. They did try a 3, but it never got out of the factory.
Left-hand or right-hand rifling?
I've heard of 2, 5 and 6, even 7 in the Metfords, but 4 is beyond my experience.
Nearly ALL of them were 2 or 5 with a VERY few 6s. They did try a 3, but it never got out of the factory.
Left-hand or right-hand rifling?
I thought that since it was ''5''No.4mk1 it might be a reworked Jungle carbine,but the barrel is too long.I'll recheck the rifling-it might be 5 grooves,its definately not 2.The peep sight is the original calibrated peep sight-not the flip up peep.somehow I've got to replace the front blade with a fire sight-its the only way I will be able to shoot it, its not drilled and tapped for a scope and I'm reluctant to drill holes-as it is, it could be ''restored'' back to military by just replacing the wood
Try an S&K insta-mount on your Number 4, friend. Rock-solid, put on/take off in 10 minutes, NO holes to drill and tap and it's only 20 bucks more than a drill-and-tap job.
And if you have a whole rack of Number 4s and 5s, you can move the mount and scope from one rifle to another in a few minutes: test them ALL and drill holes in NONE.
If you're checking the grooves in your rifling, you should know that some early Savage rifles had SIX grooves in them. That's what Savage was set up for when they got the contract and the British were desperate enough for rifles that they waived their precious 5-groove rifling until the tooling needed to be replaced. Result: a number of early Savages with really nice-shooting 6-groove tubes!
Later Savages will have 5 or 2.
No matter: they are all fun.
Congrats on the purchase!
And if you have a whole rack of Number 4s and 5s, you can move the mount and scope from one rifle to another in a few minutes: test them ALL and drill holes in NONE.
If you're checking the grooves in your rifling, you should know that some early Savage rifles had SIX grooves in them. That's what Savage was set up for when they got the contract and the British were desperate enough for rifles that they waived their precious 5-groove rifling until the tooling needed to be replaced. Result: a number of early Savages with really nice-shooting 6-groove tubes!
Later Savages will have 5 or 2.
No matter: they are all fun.
Congrats on the purchase!
Should have mentioned this before, but I'm gettin' dumb in my old age.
I'm not sure what a "fire sight" might be, but I do know that my eyes aren't what they were 40 years ago. I have this nasty tendency to slop bright yellow (Goldenrod, actually) Liquid Paper on the back of my front sights. Cheap, easily replaced, it doesn't hurt the old rifle and, best of all, it WORKS, at least for me. Buck twenty-nine for about a 5-year supply.
Have fun!
I'm not sure what a "fire sight" might be, but I do know that my eyes aren't what they were 40 years ago. I have this nasty tendency to slop bright yellow (Goldenrod, actually) Liquid Paper on the back of my front sights. Cheap, easily replaced, it doesn't hurt the old rifle and, best of all, it WORKS, at least for me. Buck twenty-nine for about a 5-year supply.
Have fun!
I should have said''fiber optic'' front sight-but someone suggested flourescent nail polish if I can't find one.I checked-its not a 6 groove barrel.But I'd sure be interested in who did the conversion,this has the nicest wood I've ever seen on a 303,oiled finish,darn near too nice to take out in the bush.But for $300,I couldn't resist,not that I tried too hard...
"who sporterized savage 303's?"
I don't think any of the firms that did sporter conversions were particular about who had manufactured the rifle initially, so I doubt if its being a Savage is really a clue. They would have acquired them in batches sold off as surplus, and those batches wouldn't necessarily have been sorted by manufacturer.
I don't think any of the firms that did sporter conversions were particular about who had manufactured the rifle initially, so I doubt if its being a Savage is really a clue. They would have acquired them in batches sold off as surplus, and those batches wouldn't necessarily have been sorted by manufacturer.
arker Hale
Lee Enfield
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
Savage never made a 5 groove barrel, a Savage with a 5gr is a replacement barrel. Savage manufactured 6groove, 4groove & 2 groove barrels.
IIRC 6 groove was Savage "standard", 4 groove was allowed as they were set up to manufacture barrels for a French contract...
I have seen several 4 groove No4 barrels. Most do not have a knox form flat & seemed to be parker-hale manufactured. Mine has the Savage "flaming bomb" proof, but has unfortunately been sported ala parker-hale front sight base and shortened barrel.
BSA made many 4gr barrels for SMLE No1MkIII "dispersal" guns. The one I had was a '43 dated gun.
I'm now wondering if this wasn't exactly that-a private gunsmith conversion.There is no name on the barrel,but the name ''Bishop'' on the butt plate.The metal is original-no alterations, not drilled or tapped,parkerized barrel uncut,original sights,it appears unfired.But the wood is the most beautiful I've ever seen on a 303,somebody took a great deal of care on this one,and I don't think its ever come out of a gunsafe.All I plan on doing is installing a fiber optic front sight so I can shoot it.When I think about it-those ''ears'' on the original front battle sight will serve very well both for protecting the front sight as well as ''framing'' it with the peep sight
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"...''Bishop'' on the butt plate..." Bishop Gun Stocks. Sadly gone now. Bishop made all kinds of high quality stocks for assorted milsurps. Could have been put on by anybody. Had a Bishop stock on a No. 1 Mk III, long ago.
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