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Gun is marked UF55 A.191XX. If I'm reading it right Skennerton's said Maltby, Faz and BSA Shirlington shared the two letter prefixs, in this case UF. They also shared the letter prefix to the serial number. What tells them apart is the first number of the serial number, in this case "1" which was assigned to Maltby. So the gun should have been made in Maltby in 1955. Do I have this right?
Keith
UF55 is the date of manufacture at ROF Fazakerley. The serial number prefix is A. ROF Maltby didn't produce No.4Mk.2 rifles. It was long gone by 1955.
In short, no, you don't have it right..........!
U = United Kingdom
F = Fazakerley
55 = 1955
A = the first batch of 99,999 rifles. Thereafter it would be a 'B' for the second batch
12345 = is the sequential serial number
Thanks for setting me straight.
Keith
No only Fazakerley made UF55. If you look at your parts incl the receiver (lower right side probably) you will see small Fs indeed all over the parts. Trigger guard lower left side should be an easy spot to pick up. Top magazine plate should have a Fxx You should see things like F49, or F53 showing when the components were made. So the receiver maybe stamped F53 or F54 and not F55 for instance. eg I think my receiver is F54 but the bolt F55 for my UF55 rifle.
PS from those that know more than me. From what I can read also I suspect the UF55 rifles mostly never saw actually UK service? My impression is they were made to keep jobs / fulfil contracts and sent to military storage and in some cases sold off inside months (eg Dec 55 to storage, Jan/Feb 56 sold out of service) to the likes of Parker Hale etc. Is that impression wrong?