Long Branch serial number.

[CAW]

Hi all,
I have two LB rifles, one with a 53L serial number and one with a serial number of 7073 PD. I wondered if anybody could shed some light on the latter number. I have been told it may have been a police issue rifle. The other point is that the barrel does have lugs on the end but they do not extend far enough to fit a bayonette on it. It appears to be a new barrel and does not seem to have had anything cut/ground away....
Any ideas would be great...

Thanks.

Information

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[Surpmil]

Do you mean it has the lugs for the foresight and not for the bayonet? They are separate. Are both barrels the same length?

The PD number is unknown to me, but usually police department markings indicate which police department, as in the case of the RCMP, the well-know "MP" stamp.

Cutting No4 barrels just past the foresight lugs does seem to have been done for target or sporting use at some times and places. Possibly this was done to make use of barrels which had been "ringed" by firing with obstructions or had been damaged at the muzzle in some other way. Some may even have been defective from new and salvaged in that way; but that's just a possibility.

[CAW]

Hi again,
The barrel is full length and has lugs for the front sight but not bayonet. The groove for the front sight pin is also missing and hasn't been machined. The barrel itself is more of a sand blasted finish and grey in colour unlike my other rifle which has a smooth black barrel. There are two 'V' markings near the thread (not arrows) and there is also a very small marking possibly a crown which looks like it may have been crossed out?
I am unable to post any pics at the mo' as the rifle is having the barrel correctly fitted by a local gunsmith. The serial number is written on the left hand side of the main body and is in heavy stamp 7073 PD. There are no markings by the rear of the trigger as on my other rifle. If interested, pictures of the rifle can still be viewed on ozgunsales under 'long branch'. it was advertised with another as a pair. I looked only yesterday and the ad is still there!
I will keep hunting for info about this rifle...
Thank you...

[Kiwi]

Nice looking NZ marked 53C Savage. Did you get that as well? The barrel on the Long Branch is not military and is a aftermarket replacement barrel. Looks kind of like the LB rifle is a put together rifle, but more pictures would be useful when you get it back.

[CAW]

Thanks Kiwi. I think you could well be right about the rifle. The bands and trigger guard etc are all savage. My luck says the barrel is probably a cheap Chinese copy. Gutted, I paid a fortune for the thing.... 😢

[Peter Laidler]

It sounds to me like your bayonetlug-less barrel has been machined down and bead blasted to tidy it up. If the Chinese were making cheap replacements they'd be quids in!

[muffett.2008]

I have a faint recollection that in NSW firearms that had unreadable S/N's or a number that was already registered were given a police dept. number finishing in PD.

[CINDERS]

7073 PD needs and ejector screw I think, well thats what I see is a threaded hole in the receiver just under the charger bridge and I gather it is a 303 and not a 7.62 NATO

[CAW]

Interesting muffet. I wonder if that may be the case? Peter, it doesn't look like the barrel has been cut at all. I think wherever it was made, had it manufactured that way i.e no bayonet lugs or sight pin groove. Cinders, I noticed the screw you mentioned. I have one on its way in the post.
I hope to fire it this weekend, we'll have to see how we go...

[Bindi2]

It is a civilian barrel or the rifle has been somewhere where it is illegal to have bayonet lugs on a rifle.