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Hi, My son has a LongBranch No4 Mk1* made in 1942 he wants to restore All parts appear to be LB except the bolt and its parts. The bolt body is marked BR in the lightinging cut on the side of the bolt body. Is this correct? If not how were they marked and who has a properly marked one for sale. Thanks.
The bolt handle should have the serial number stamped along its rear face. If the number has a capital "L" included in the digits, it should be a Long Branch one.
The bolt head could have "LB"stamped on it (The B is slightly smaller than, and superimposed on the L)
Before you embark of the palava of changing bolts, just make sure that you know what you're doing because replacing a bolt (especially simply just replacing it for aesthetic reasons) is not just a case of swopping it over. I'm afraid that there's more to it than that.
The correct bolt for your rifle is the one that the Armourer correctly blued, stoned and fitted, then accurately set up the overturn, lift, protrusion and CHS that are all inmterrelated, using calibrated gauges and then numbered it to your rifle. He didn't care who made it or what steel batch mark was in the groove, but he did care about what he did to it.
\\then, when the soldier returned later in the day, to clean it ready for an operation at first light the next morning, he said to him '.......i've done my bit. It's accurate and reliable. Look after it and it'll look after you for the next 60 years' In fact, in all my time as an Armourer, I don't ever remember anyone asking me if I'd put certain factory marked parts back on the rifle......... Let common sense prevail