Hi all, can someone enlighten me as to why longbranch no. 4's are so sought after? AS well what are they worth in almost 95% condition? i am asking these questions because i have been offered one at what i think is a reasonable price and i want a bit more info before i jump back into .303 brt world. Thanks for the imput.
why are longbranch No. 4's so sought after?
- Thread starter jerry
- Start date
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Our made in Canada pride makes us say that the fit and finish on a LongBranch is superior to all others. Of course we weren't subject to air raids during the manufacturing process either.
It seems that the Americans want their Savage maded #4s, and pay a bit of a premium for one, while we will pay a premium for the made in Canada ones.
Prices that I have seen for LB #4s these days vary a bit, and I'm usually too cheap to pay the market price. If its a decently matched, wartime #4mk1*, then from $200 on the low side to $400 on the high side is in order. If it's a #4mk1 (no star, early manufacture) then start at around $300 and go up to around $900 if it hasn't been through the FTR process.
There are also postwar LBs out there, most commonly 49 and 50 dated. They can still be found in new conditoin, and are a bargain in my opinion, at between $450 to $600.
Now if it is a LB sniper, that is a whole nuther story. You could likely buy a 5 year old used car for about the price you will pay for one of those. Bare rifle (pads and cheek rest intact) by itself would likely range in the $1K to 3K range, possibly more if the rifle is proper.
It seems that the Americans want their Savage maded #4s, and pay a bit of a premium for one, while we will pay a premium for the made in Canada ones.
Prices that I have seen for LB #4s these days vary a bit, and I'm usually too cheap to pay the market price. If its a decently matched, wartime #4mk1*, then from $200 on the low side to $400 on the high side is in order. If it's a #4mk1 (no star, early manufacture) then start at around $300 and go up to around $900 if it hasn't been through the FTR process.
There are also postwar LBs out there, most commonly 49 and 50 dated. They can still be found in new conditoin, and are a bargain in my opinion, at between $450 to $600.
Now if it is a LB sniper, that is a whole nuther story. You could likely buy a 5 year old used car for about the price you will pay for one of those. Bare rifle (pads and cheek rest intact) by itself would likely range in the $1K to 3K range, possibly more if the rifle is proper.
Well thanks for the info, and well calum they idea of the lonely horny women that is now a grandmother is just plane disturbing 
... guess i will go and pick up that LB later this week... just gotta figure out how i can pass off a third birthday present to myself to my gf. Thanks again everyone.
... guess i will go and pick up that LB later this week... just gotta figure out how i can pass off a third birthday present to myself to my gf. Thanks again everyone.
Convince her that what Claven2 says is right, then marry her, but, keep her away from Umfifi, Eddie Murphys' wife, the one he found with a bone through her nose and rideing zebra in Africa, one of her girlfriends gave her a few pointers on how to make a man miserable. Be warned, young man, of the perils of women, they are replaceable and costly, guns on the other hand are a different story, cold of heart and to the touch, no hidden surprises that can't be fixed or gotten rid of without any problems. bearhunter
well i decide to get the LB turns out it was made in 1944, but now i also found a smle with full would in good shape she will be comming home to, seeing as how i have an 18 inch sword bayonet that needs a mate. i told the gf that last night she looked at me didn't say a word, i am gonna take that as a positive and go get both...
lee-enfields as like chips you can't have just one.
lee-enfields as like chips you can't have just one.
jerry said:well i decide to get the LB turns out it was made in 1944, but now i also found a smle with full would in good shape she will be comming home to, seeing as how i have an 18 inch sword bayonet that needs a mate. i told the gf that last night she looked at me didn't say a word, i am gonna take that as a positive and go get both...
lee-enfields as like chips you can't have just one.
You're so right...I'm in acquisition mode too...haven't mentioned it to my wife though...
jerry said:
I've been reading a lot about that headspace issue with Lee Enfields lately. The military guys say they were intentionally set up loose so they'd chamber whatever military ammo came along in the trenches with dirt, mud etc. The military headspace spec seems to be .074", looser than SAAMI spec. If the bores are good on those rifles they may be all right, if they're corroded and shot out then I'd leave them there anyway.
You could maybe get a good price on them with what that gunsmith said...hehehe.
advice
Does anyone have some advice for a perspective LB 4 buyer?
I am a 9th generation Canadian, and would love to have a piece of our history. I am fairly discouraged from buying firearms online however. After getting stung by Milarm, my heart is not in buying from the online store. I bought a Cooey model 64 from them. I realized just before shooting it that the barrel had been bulged. I am going to donate the damn thing to a hunter education program, but I still feel the sting. The people on here all seem to have a sense of right and wrong, so I do not fear buying from a member.
Should I try and get a numbers matching model? Or go with whatever basterdized thing that comes around?
I definately don't want one that has been bubba'd.
What do all of you think?
Does anyone have some advice for a perspective LB 4 buyer?
I am a 9th generation Canadian, and would love to have a piece of our history. I am fairly discouraged from buying firearms online however. After getting stung by Milarm, my heart is not in buying from the online store. I bought a Cooey model 64 from them. I realized just before shooting it that the barrel had been bulged. I am going to donate the damn thing to a hunter education program, but I still feel the sting. The people on here all seem to have a sense of right and wrong, so I do not fear buying from a member.
Should I try and get a numbers matching model? Or go with whatever basterdized thing that comes around?
I definately don't want one that has been bubba'd.
What do all of you think?
Calum said:They where also made, and assembled by mostly lonely, and probably very Horny Canadian Women...any way you cut it that has to put some special Mojo into the #4 Longbranch.
Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers they may be now, but at the time they were putting that Mojo into the rifles, a lot of them weren't too shabby!jerry said:... they idea of the lonely horny women that is now a grandmother is just plane disturbing
Some of those very ladies at work ...
And the men they were working with tended to look like this:
This guy is 75 years old! ...
Plus the "Canadian Pride" element, of course ...
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Sariel said:
There's a couple of complete matching Long Branch rifles for sale right now on the EE-have a look. I think they're both 1950's...not as historic as wartime production but they're still Long Branch made Canadian rifles.
I have a 1949.
"...headspace issue with Lee Enfields..." The headspace issue is caused by 60 plus years of rifles being stored then parted out and re-assembled out of parts bins by monkey's who know nothing about QC. Century is notorious for doing just this. They assembled thousands of Enfields out of parts bins with zero QC. Not even checking the headspace to ensure a safe rifle.
"...intentionally set up loose..." The chambers are a bit 'loose' not the headspace. Headspace is a tolerance thing that permits ammo made by different makers to shoot safely out of rilfes made all over.
Gunparts has some No. 4 bolt heads($11.30US each), but not all four numbers(0 - 3 only) are available. If the number on the bolt head is a '1', finding a '2' or '3' can be difficult. There is no just putting on a higher number either. That is no guarantee that the headspace will be ok doing that. And there is no reloading technique that will fix the headspace on an Enfield either. They headspace on the rim, not the shoulder.
Brownells sells guages. $25US each. A No-Go and a Field will do. Only a proper headspace guage will tell you if the headspace is within spec. Empty cases tell you nothing.
Be thankful it's a No. 4 and not a No. 1. There are no numbers on No. 1 bolt heads. It's strictly a trial and error thing with guages and a handful of bolt heads at $11.30US each for a No. 1. And that's if you can find a supply of them. Gunparts may or may not have any. Ditto for Marstar.
"...intentionally set up loose..." The chambers are a bit 'loose' not the headspace. Headspace is a tolerance thing that permits ammo made by different makers to shoot safely out of rilfes made all over.
Gunparts has some No. 4 bolt heads($11.30US each), but not all four numbers(0 - 3 only) are available. If the number on the bolt head is a '1', finding a '2' or '3' can be difficult. There is no just putting on a higher number either. That is no guarantee that the headspace will be ok doing that. And there is no reloading technique that will fix the headspace on an Enfield either. They headspace on the rim, not the shoulder.
Brownells sells guages. $25US each. A No-Go and a Field will do. Only a proper headspace guage will tell you if the headspace is within spec. Empty cases tell you nothing.
Be thankful it's a No. 4 and not a No. 1. There are no numbers on No. 1 bolt heads. It's strictly a trial and error thing with guages and a handful of bolt heads at $11.30US each for a No. 1. And that's if you can find a supply of them. Gunparts may or may not have any. Ditto for Marstar.
sunray said:
Ah, but it was SMLE rifles he mentioned, which in fact does mean No 1. Thus, no nice bolt head numbering fix...2's can be found btw, but 3's are machined out of that fine British alloy called unobtanium...
Woodchopper mentioned machining up some replicas of the CF headspace gauges...too bad he's in Scotland and not machining them up for us at this very minute...
I'd sure like to have the .074 no go gauge.As for Brownells, the Forces guys say the military gauges are different than the SAAMI spec ones Brownells will sell you.
