Of the 1500 No4 trials rifles converted to snipers

[Seaforth72]

Brian B:

Your mailbox is full. Please clear some space old chap!

I have a 1931 Trials No 4 T SN A 1989 that was F.T.R.'d and is stamped "F.T.R." and "TR" in the same places your 1931 Trials No 4 T SN A 1582 was. Does yours have the "T" stamp on the left side of the receiver where later No. 4 rifles had their make. model and year marked?

On short notice, this was one of the quick pictures I could find. Need to pull it out and fully document it. It has been through a FTR and had a Mark 3 scope fitted (all matching numbers to the rifle).

I guess it survived via an FTR!! I shoot it and plan to continue to do so.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_1727-1.jpg

3rd from the bottom (And no I don't still have all of these. I have thinned down the collection considerably and only kept three all matching ones including the Trials T)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_1723-1.jpg

[Bruce_in_Oz]

So, when did the system start staking the screws in the bases?

[Brian B]

Cleaned out my inbox. Didn't realize it was so full. I will see if I can get to the rifle over the weekend and take a close look at it. If I remember correctly, it has the "T" on the receiver wall.

Stay tuned,

Brian

[Surpmil]

This is a double post, but I think it needs to be here as well

So the only things we can definitely say are: most of the trials No4s appear to have been converted, but definitely not all.

I finally started a spreadsheet in Excel and have about 30 rifles recorded so far, 6 are not converted to No4(T).

Maybe it can be posted somewhere it is visible to members only Badger? (There are issues around confidentiality I suppose, though the initials and monikers of owners can easily be removed as well.)

[Seaforth72]

Photos were shown early in this thread of a Trials No. 4 MK. I converted into a sniper rifle and on display in the national Army Museum in New Zealand. I wrote to the museum and here is what they kindly responded with. Their answers are between the >> and <<

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. What is the serial number of the rifle? E.g. A 1989 (Note that there is a space between the A and numbers) >> A 0789 <<
2. What is the year of manufacture on the rifle? If a Trials No. 4 MK. I then it would be 1931 or 1933 usually (the last digit sometimes being over-stamped) >> 1933 <<
3. Serial number of the telescope >> 6212 <<
4. Model of Telescope. If the scope model final digit is covered by the bracket, the OS. Number will tell us which mark it is. >> No.32 Mk. I <<
5. Maker of scope (if known) >> W . Watson & Son <<
6. What number(s) if any are stamped into the top of the small of the grip? This was where they marked the serial number of the scope. Numbers for any previous scopes were X or barred out. >> 6212 <<
7. The facility doing the conversion placed their mark. This one likely has a tiny Enfield examiner's stamp on top of the front scope pad rather than the 1/4" high Holland and Holland "S51" stamp found on the underside of the butt on most No. 4 MK. I (T) rifles. >> Enfield <<

"This Weapon was one of two given to the NZ Army by Maj General Bernard Freyberg VC, GCMG, KBE, DSO for use by the NZ Army. It was decided by Army HQ that they would be best utilised by the School of Infantry. When they were made obsolete with the into of the C3 P-H these No.4 MkI (T) rifles were made into Sniper Cse ["Course" presumably] Trophies. The National Army Museum rescued them from destruction after the then Chief of Army directed that all Trophy Weapons be destroyed in the early 90’s for “security reasons”"
Terrence Seymour,
AC Weapons and Ammunition,
National Army Museum,
Waiouru,
New Zealand
Information from his emails responding to Colin M. Stevens