No4(t) with long stock ?

[Micheal Doyne]

thoughts on this?
It came in a ropey but original No15 chest modified to accept it with its long stock and an S51 marked stock medium stock, it also had an original sling and some other original looking but very ropy ces items. I appreciate they were not made up with long stocks as the medium stock (which also matches its for-end wood), this had a wrist marking which matches the current scope and has the last four digits of the rifle sn on the socket. it’s marking a poor in quality, my feeling is it’s probably an over excited post service owner, but I’d love to think it was in service. Has any one seen anything this poorly marked up in service? NB I know the scope cover is not original I bought it as the other is somewhat ropy.

[browningautorifle]

I can see it, I'd prefer a long butt...

[Peter Laidler]

They came with medium butts but in service the sniper could select whatever size butt he wanted. He could have the cheek-rest shaped to suit and fit whatever sling suited him best and whatever sling loop positions too.

If I had to choose a generic combination, I'd say that the most common changes were the longer Bren sling fitted and adjusted for use through the top and bottom sling loops. The course instructors at Hythe would append on his end-of-course report with the recommended butt size. In service, we didn't go to big on factory originality

[Surpmil]

Cheekrest appears to be one of the Canadian walnut versions, of which there were many floating around at one time.

What's going on on the wrist: "9(?)6872" versus scope number "8572"?

Scope looks like one of those from H.W. English's leaky back shed; could be better restored by blasting and filling the rust pits with Devcon or some such filler before sanding and repainting.

[Roger Payne]

The bracket is an 'old' (early batch) example of one of mine. Would also concur with surpmil - the cheekpiece is walnut & very heavily sanded. In my experience you only see original walnut 'pieces on Canadian rifles (unless refitted from a Canadian to a British rifle). However, modern reproductions in walnut are seen regularly on fleabay, so it may be one of those. If it is a British rifle dated 43 onwards it would almost certainly have been stocked up in a full set of walnut (apart from cheekpiece), & the Long butt appears to be beech. Most UK manufactured 41/42 based conversions are stocked up in beech.

[Brian Dick]

It looks like a heavily sanded repro cheekpiece to me.

[Roger Payne]

I doubt there's any ill intent to it...........the previous owner was probably just a big guy with long arms, & wisely kept the original butt safely with the rifle, fitting the new butt & 'piece out of personal preference.

[Surpmil]

Yes, no doubt that is the explanation. How was the chest modified; by taking out the strip of birch the butt plate rests against?