No 8 Rifle

[XL39E1]

Was this one made at Enfield?

[Peter Laidler]

It looks like the original number /designation has been linished off and re-engraved during the FTR by Enfield. Not all Enfield was deemed to be FTR as some what we called 'dues out work' (or 'backing-up work') was turned over to Enfield who took this work on during slack times in order to keep the workforce occupied. This feature is mentioned in the Apprentices books

I'd guess that it was originally a BSA or Faz rifle

[Valleysniper]

Attachment 30648

Try as I might I cannot post pictures even if I follow the tutorial.
My rifle is very neatly engraved on the action side wall ".22 No8 MK1" with the number "W53" directly under it. On the butt socket it is stamped "F51 CR324"

I will keep trying with the pictures.

303 Collector asked me to post a picture of his rather nice No 8 so here it is.

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, a nice one but mysterious number sequence. I expect that we'll get to the bottom of it sooner or later. It's a fazakerley body and the condition of just that part leads me to believe that it's lead a sheltered life.

Incidentally I did a VAOS search of W serial numbers against a designation in stock and it doesn't come up.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I'd guess that it was originally a BSA or Faz rifle

The D has been applied over an F. Does that help to limit the choice?

[Peter Laidler]

That was a pretty astute observation Pat........ how did you notice that or are my old eyes failing me. In any case, Faz had been well closed by 1969

[303 Collector]

Just spoken to a friend on the phone and he has W56. He was told they were a batch sent
to Woolwich for a target shootin team? He has seen serial numbers in the W sixties.

[Peter Laidler]

It begs the question of just HOW big was the target shooting team or teams? And why would they qualify for a special issue? I just feel that W for Woolwich is a red herring. After all, the W would indicate Weedon Ordnance Depot shooting club or the Trials wing at the School of Infantry Warminster or Wilshire Police. The majority of the actual Woolwich Garrison was Army, including the Base Workshops, that was relatively small by Base Workshop standards and they'd just get the run of issue kit. I just recall that in our workshops we had certain rifles (No4T's and L42's for example) that were part of the workshop equipment, just for the testing of other kit, such as telescopes. Other experimental units had rifles issued to test ammunition or 'pyrotechnics' or signal pistols to use as gas dischargers etc etc but it all followed the usual pattern and was issued from Ordnance.

I just have a gut feeling that these W No8's were contracted from the old Ministry of Supply, from the Fazakerley factory, with War Department (as they all were in the early 50's) approval for some other Government or overseas department..............

But someone will come up with the answer
But the Woolwich Garrison shooting team just doesn't ring any bells somehow. Can you imagine it, the club secretary, Major Smithers phoning up his old school pal pal at the Ministry of Supply saying
'...... I say, is that you Stinky Beardmore me old chum....... I need 70 of those new No8 rifles for the Woolwich shooting club. Can you help?
'....Fraid not Spotty, there's a huge demand from the Army and now those stinkers in the RAF want some as well........'
'That may's be so Stinky, but unless you send me 50 No8's down, especially numbered from W 1 to 71 by next week, I'll have to tell all and sundry in the Mess about you and that rotter 'Winker' Wainwright at the back of the school pavillion...... and he wasn't the only sly *** that you were having either........
Ok, Ok, Spotty, I'll have them with you by Monday. Mums the word and I won't mention you and matrons daughter.

I just don't think things worked like that even then.........

[Roger Payne]

Well I never, not one but two of them! Both W4 & W53 have been through my hands, albeit some years ago. I bought a total of nine incomplete No8's between 1997 & 2003 from two seperate sources. I bought them as a long term restoration project, though eventually decided I was never going to get round to rebuilding most of them within a reasonable time period, so sold eight of the nine to a pair of dealers from the Kent/E Sussex area who specialise in Enfield Rifles & who are well known on this forum. They completed & sold them on, at least to the best of my knowledge. The one which did not go to them was W53 as I did complete that one & sell it to a pal in my club. He subsequently stopped shooting about 5 years ago after a heart attack & gave me all of his rifles (including W53) to sell on. It went to a dealer in the Warwick area, very close to the Wedgenock National Black Powder Centre.

I'm afraid this doesn't shed any light on where the W prefix comes from, but it surprised me if nothing else!