A Strange (and somewhat cobbled) No.4 Mk.2

[jmoore]

This rifle was thrown out for consideration a couple of years ago, but we never really figured out who was responsible. Maybe some new insights now?

Again, no complete rifle shots! (Must be a mental defect...)
































About the only conclusion reached at the time was that the S/N location was poorly placed due to the proximity of the hardened L/H locking recess. (As per Captain Laidler)

The really cobbled bit in the next post...

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

A pic of the fine breeching job:




Nice shim, eh?

It has the Long Branch barrel and bolt, but not much else to ID it. Had a mate to it, but its gone now- the renumbered bolt was a couple of digits off the rest of it.

Feel free to comment!

[Peter Laidler]

It IS a mid 50's Fazakerley body. There were a LOT of these kicking around in the bond area (the secure area for 'master components' and barrels) when the factory closed and on closure, they went into MoS secure storeage where they were later used to produce the 'new-build' L39. Hence the new numbers of UE70Axxxx (rifles already numbered kept their old number).

I think someones 'acquired' this body and made up a No4 from bits. There's no serial number so he's cobbled something up so that it can be proofed and brought into legal circulation.

That's my guess

[Thunderbox]

I've got a rifle with the identical form of numbering - but on mine its clearly a rack number, as there are also clear Savage markings & serial number. My rifle appears to be a 100% standard British issue - it has a 1949 FTR and is suncorite'd. It has no signs of foreign ownership.








If we were to assume that the 4/0734 number on your rifle is a British rack number, then the fact it also appears on the bolt must mean that the rifle & bolt were considered "matched" at the time they were given the rack number - a "mismatched" rifle would not have been issued in British service.

Alternatively, that bolt could be a later addition from the same gunsmith who put a shim on the barrel - I see the font is different between the two versions of 4/0734....

The broad arrow inspection mark on the left side of the receiver looks like the 1950s type of Fazakerley/Enfield factory mark - FTR?

[madcratebuilder]

The reciever body shares many of the same inspecter marks as both my 1955 faz rifles, one a UF, other a PF.

Peter, by date, both the UF and PF rifles were being made at the same time. On the same line or two different lines?

[jmoore]

Its a late one for sure. Note the lack of a mag cutoff boss on the lower RH side.

The other one I had was a UF333xx S/N - I can't remember the last two digits right now. It too had been around the block a few times.

[Peter Laidler]

The last No4's from Fazakerley were breeched up with breeching up washers. These were available in the Armourers system too

[tbonesmith]

I've got a similar built up rifle on an unmarked late No4mk2 action(no maker, model or SN) with no mag cut off hump. It's painted in suncorite with a BSA(m47c) barrel. Someone told me the action body was a BSA too.
The story I got with it is that when a barrel was shot out in rifle, sometimes the barreled action was replaced, as opposed to just the barrel, and then receiver numbered to the bolt/rest of the rifle.
can anyone verify that?

[Surpmil]

Casting about for some logical explanation for such a pot pourri of parts, my guess would be India or some other 2nd/3rd World country where they took whatever bits they had and slapped them together. India would my first choice because didn't they get a sizeable quantity of parts when they bought the Fazackerly factory, which might well have included un-numbered late Mk2 bodies?

Still, one would expect them to at least erase the old numbers.(?)

[Brit plumber]

The bit that got my attencion was the BNP stamp on the body,I've no idea where Jmoor is based (UK, USA?) so its seen some civvy time.