Printable View
A question has been asked about the use of brass butt plates verse ZAMAK/MAZAK butt plates on the #4T war time rifles. When and why were the brass discontinued ? None of my original T rifles have the brass plate till post war and I have only seen one original T with the brass. Several obvious reasons have been put forward like war time material needs for brass to cost. What opinions can I get here ?
Thank for your viewing.
..MJ..
I think it was simply a case of Zinc alloy being more suited to austere wartime mass production.
Brass was a valuable strategic material so cheaper alloy was a wartime expedient. Mazak butt plates were never declared obsolete, just obsolescent so new mazak spares were issued as replacement parts well into the late 60's.
Thank you Peter and mrclark303. :thup:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../XP4f2rl-1.jpg
For what it's qworth, the Knowledge Library seems to indicate that Trials T's carry brass butt-plates
1933 Enfield No.4 Mk1(T) "Trials Rifle"
whereas [at least some] Savage T's carry mazak plates
https://www.milsurps.com/content.php...le-(less-scope)
as do Long Branch T's
1944 Enfield No.4 Mk1*(T) TP Sniper
So, given that the New World was blessed with an abundance of metal resources, maybe it was to do with a non-glinting butt-plate, rather than metal shortage - or am I way off beam here, Peter?
TRials T's weren't wartime production Rob! Yep, non glinting didn't come into the equation either because the brass butt plates were to be left to dull naturally in any case - as were the mazak ones of course. Except when we fitted and polished them as apprentices, when they had to fit perfectly and gleam!