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When I purchased my LB No4 MkI* I noticed that the bolt had the same serial number as the one stamped on the receiver, or I thought it did. Later, looking more closely I noticed it is the same minus the "L". so 60L12XX is just 6012XX on the bolt. Is this common by any chance or after somebody ground off the number from the bolt in their hurry to stamp the new one on they left the "L" off? Just wondered, bolt seems fine no issues, just wondered.
It's an "in service" replacement. I had a couple hundred Greek issue Long Branch rifles and they had the serial numbers stamped in the magazines less the "L". It is probably a rifle that was sent to Europe post WWII and got repaired in one of the European base workshops at some point.
Brian is dead right. No hard and fast rule but stamping 7 numbers/letters on the back end of a No4 bolt was always a bit of a struggle
Thanks for the quick and informative reply!
Would that also be the case for a Long Branch No4 MkI* with no serial number on the bolt?
In service the bolt WOULD be serially numbered. The bolt and mag numbers were really to ensure that they didn't get mixed up in the classroom or during training. So long as it identiified the actual RIFLE, all was well. The crunchies would never remove the fore-end so that number was there for our benefit.
However, I was told that fore-end numbering was done to make arms checks easier. Whatever!