Hi Guys
I have been wondering if the FTR serials numbers have give any idea of where/when it was refurbished? If not are there any marking which may give an idea?
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Hi Guys
I have been wondering if the FTR serials numbers have give any idea of where/when it was refurbished? If not are there any marking which may give an idea?
Generally speaking the FTR mark is followed by a date such as FTR(F)55 or B/54 followed by the serial number. Fazakerley didn't change the vserial numbers because they were all FTR'd for the Government/MoS whereas those from the commercial BSA did re-start - but not always. For instance, if they were sent to BSA by, say, Nigeria (a BIG BSA customer) then they'g go in as heaps of tat and come out as fully FTR'd, same numbers heaps of tat
Oh ok. My original number was :
3
77071 (as stamped on the action)
J
which according to Ian Skennerton's book backs up that its a 1918 Enfield No1 Mk3*.
but since then, the 77071 has been crossed out and it now looks like this :
3
xxxxx
J
2877
The bolt has been stamped with J 2877 and the nose cap has 2877 on the bayonet lug. The nose cap and the trigger guard both have BA stamped underneath them.
And i just found out the barrel was made on 8 '45
To my knowledge all rifles FTR'd in Australia retained the original serial number. There maybe exceptions I would think. A number crossed out on a rifle that has been in Australian service could be the military district number, in your case the 77071 being the number and 3 for 3rd military district in Victoria.
It appears to have been FTR'd in Australia because it has the Australian ownership marks and proof marks. I' am assuming it was FTR'd in 1945 because of the barrel date.
So the 3 maybe have been stamped on after? That would make sense because i thought the original Enfield serial number had 5 digits (77071)
It sounds like the military district number to me, not a serial number. Does it look like this?
Can you take some photo's?
It looks the same as that.
[IMG]https://www.milsurps.com/vbpgimage.p...4&d=1308138587[/IMG]
I always thought the J was part of the serial number because J was one of the letters used by Enfield. Maybe that is what the extra 3 is.
Do you know where that particular district number could be?
The crossed out five digit number is the military district number. The 3 if it is a 3 (poor photo) I would think is the 3rd military district - Victoria.
J2877 is the serial number.
Yeah sorry about the photo.
Thanks for that. That is interesting because i always thought the serial number was the long one and the FTR serial number was the short 1.
If a rifle has been FTR'd, do they always have a stamp to show it?
Sorry about all the questions
There's another lesson here too Pedro. In the nicest and politest way, you could ensure that to elicit the correct answer, make sure the question you ask is specific to the subject by giving all the info.
I just mentioned in a thread a week ago an BSA 1994 No.4 Mk1 which was FTR'd into a Mk1/2 in 1955 at Fazackerly and WAS reserialed with an A 12XX number on receiver, bolt and barrel. Was the serial change because it was effectively classed as a new rifle, having been changed from Mk1 into Mk 1/2?Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Fazakerley didn't re-number rifles unless there was a specific reason, such as a lost or pbliterated number. Then it was numbered with a ZZ prefiz number, allocated by the War Office ort after 1955 or so with the new type that showed all and sundry that it was a re-number, such as SA68A 1234 and so on.
We know BSA renumbered SOME, but not by any means all, of their FTR rifles. But they could do what they liked, because they were an independent contractor. A good example is No4 Mk1/2 53P12345. Made at BSA as P-12345 it's FTR'd in 1935 at ROF6 Fazakerley and emerges as a Mk1/2 but still P-12345
Rifles that were FTR'd were never classified as new rifles. The criteria was that every part that went through the FTR system was gauged against a 'life'. All had to give give a further 80% life. Parts that cound not gauge to give a further 80% life were scrapped. No rifle left the FTR programme or even a Base Workshop with a No3 bolthead either
Rifles FTR'd at lithgow during the 50's were stamped FTR on the top of the action and MA and a date on the lower left side of the butt socket. Rifles refurbed during the late 40's or post war were only stamped R over MA and a date on the butt to my knowledge. There may be exceptions.Quote:
Originally Posted by pedro243
Thanks Demo
Since the barrel is dated '45, im guessing it would have had the R/MA on the butt. When i bought the rifle however, i paid extra to get the wood changed to the real nice wood it has on now, so i don't know what stamps it had on the wood. I didn't even look because i wanted a good shooter, not a collector item. I have only become interest in its history since.
Also the barrel doesn't have a serial number stamped on it so that rules out the possibility of someone changing it since, but it does have the 'sold out of service' stamp like the action.
[IMG]https://www.milsurps.com/vbpgimage.p...5&d=1308187848[/IMG]
Thanks again for your help everyone