These do not follow any published serial number list and oddly do not have any maker's marking. The codes on the parts seem to indicate that they were assembled with Fazackerley parts. N2159 has an F54 dated barrel marking and the other, F56. Have others been encountered?
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I think that they might be BSA commercial Mk2 conversions. Have a look at the trigger mounting block and see if its brazed on.
I have an unfired, No4Mk2 put together on a completely unmarked No4Mk2 action. The barrelled action was imported to the US by Century and bears import marks and a serial number from that alone.
We had some of these odd serial number Mk2 rifles (plus a load of .22" No2 Mk4's) as shooting team rifles with The Cheshire(?) Regiment in the 60's. They were what we called PRI property as opposed to Army property (I won't go into the why's and wherefores of the PRI system.....). But it did mean that even though they were PRI stores, they could be maintained/repaired by the Armourers shop. I think that they were Faz Mk2 barrelled actions sold off commercially to the larger retailers such as Fultons/P-H etc etc and retailed as target rifles with their own distinct serial numbers.
As a little aside, just before I left 'the system' I oversaw the withdrawal/examination/condemnation/ZF-ing of a largish batch of L59-DP rifles and several of these were N numbered and one clearly had the 'REGULATED BY FULTON' mark on the breeching up ring Most of the other usual marke were linished off of course. Just a thought....... But as BSA were simply contractors, they were not permitted to continue production of rifles beyond their contractual obligations (although they did, mistakenly in 'error' in the 50's.....) unlike the No1 rifles which they weren't restricted and made hay while the going was good
Paul,
I have N1310 which was converted to a DCRA 7.62, (#430), at CAL. I knew it was a strange bird.
Brian
Brian, interesting as one of my two came from Canada as well. I will have to look up the books and find the source of the other one. Thanks. p.